Victories, draws and a tie. On the eve of India's 500th Test match (India vs New Zealand) at Green Park in Kanpur, cricket historian Gulu Ezekiel looks back at some of the most exciting matches played on Indian soil
vs WI 1948-49
Venus: Mumbai, Brabourne Stadium
Date: Feb. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 1949
Result: Drawn
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Vijay Hazare, who delighted the CCI crowd
Negative tactics by the West Indians and a huge blunder by umpire AR Joshi denied India their first Test victory, something they would have to wait another three years for. The visitors had the upper hand in the series though by this fifth and final Test their lead was only 1-0. It was Everton Weekes who dominated with four centuries but in Mumbai he had to settle for 56 and 48. Set a formidable 361 for victory, the Indians made a match of it thanks to Vijay Hazare's 122 and 86 from Rusi Modi. But with two wickets in hand and six to win, the umpire lifted the bails with one ball to go in the over and enough time for one more to dash India's heroic victory charge.
Scores: West Indies 286 and 267 drew with India 193 and 355 for eight.
vs Aus 1964-65
Venue: Mumbai (Brabourne Stadium)
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088October 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 1964
Result: India won by two wickets
Skipper Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi's 86 in the first innings was the highest score of the match
Australia had won the first Test in Madras by 139 runs. But India stormed back to square the series with a thrilling victory in the second. With the third and final Test drawn, the series was left tied 1-1. Australia's ace batsman Norman O'Neil fell seriously ill just after the toss. After gaining a narrow 21-run lead, India were set 254 to win. Amidst mounting tension, they scrambled home by two wickets with Chandu Borde guiding the tail to victory. Captain Pataudi's first innings 86 was the highest score of the Test while BS Chandrasekhar was the bowling hero with eight wickets.
Scores: Australia 320 and 274 lost to India 341 and 256 for eight.
vs England 1972-73
Venue: Kolkata, Eden Gardens
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088December 30, 31, 1972, January 1, 3, 4, 1973
Result: India won by 28 runs
BS Chandrasekhar, who starred against the Aussies in 1964 and England in 1973
A weakened England side shocked the hosts by winning the first Test at New Delhi. They almost made it 2-0 at Kolkata. But deadly bowling by BS Chandrasekhar and fifties from Farokh Engineer and Salim Durani in a bowler-dominated match saw India edge home and level the series 1-1.
Scores: India 210 and 155 beat England 174 and 163.
vs England 1972-73
Venue: Chennai, Chidambaram Stadium
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088January 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 1973
Result: India won by four wickets
Erapalli Prasanna bagged 4-16 in the second innings
After the Kolkata thriller, another tight finish at Chepauk saw India take the lead in the series and with the next two Tests being drawn, it ended 2-1 in India's favour. Again, the bowlers dominated and the tiny target of 86 was made to look difficult as the injured Sunil Gavaskar came out at 78-6 and clung on as Tiger Pataudi helped steady the nerves to see India home. EAS Prasanna claimed six wickets in the Test.
Scores: 242 and 159 lost to India 316 and 86 for six.
vs WI 1978-79
Venue: Chennai, Chidambaram Stadium
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088January 12, 13, 14, 16, 1979
Result: India won by three wickets
Gundappa Viswanath scored 124 in the first innings vs West Indies in 1979
Due to the WSC defections, Alvin Kallicharran led a second string side to India. Their only defeat came in the fourth Test where a Chepauk pitch of uneven pace and bounce saw the batsmen hopping and ducking. GR Viswanath's first innings master-class of 124 and 31, highest score in the 2nd innings, made all the difference between the two sides.
Scores: West Indies 228 and 151 lost to India 255 and 125 for seven.
vs Aus 1986-87
Venue: Chennai, Chidambaram Stadium
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088September 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 1986
Result: Tied
Greg Matthews (above) trapped Maninder Singh lbw to tie the 1986 Chennai Test
It's a tie—for only the second time in Tests! The match was brought to life thanks to Allan Border's bold declaration setting India 348 to win on the final day. Dean Jones' heroic first innings 210 was the talking point till then. Cruising at 331 for 6, a late order collapse saw the last pair of Ravi Shastri and Maninder Singh at the crease. With tension spiraling, bowling hero Greg Matthews trapped Maninder Singh lbw with one ball left and the scores level.
Scores: Australia 574 for 8 declared and 170 for 5 declared, tied with India 397 and 347.
vs Aus 2000-01
Venue: Kolkata, Eden Gardens
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088January 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 2001
Result: India won by 171 runs
India's VVS Laxman (left) is congratulated by Rahul Dravid after scoring 200 against Australia at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in 2001
For only the third time in Test cricket history, a team following on came back to win. It was all due to three outstanding individual performances by off spinner Harbhajan Singh (13 wickets including India's first hat-trick), VVS Laxman (281, India's highest score to date) and Rahul Dravid (180) and their record fifth wicket stand of 376 in the follow-on. The defeat ended Australia's run of 16 straight wins.
Scores: Australia 445 and 212 lost to India 171 and (follow-on) 657 for 7 declared.
vs Aus 2000-01
Venue: Chennai, Chidambaram Stadium
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088March 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 2001
Result: India won by two wickets
Glenn McGrath is dejected as Harbhajan Singh celebrates hitting the winning runs against Aus at Chennai in 2001. Pics/AFP, Getty Images, mid-day archives
India took the series 2-1 after losing the first Test at Mumbai by 10 wickets and winning the second at Kolkata. Matthew Hayden's 203 went in vain as Harbhajan outdid his Kolkata display with a haul of 15 wickets. Sachin Tendulkar's 126 gave India a big lead. But set just 155 to win, the Indian batting crumbled before Harbhajan came in to hit the winning runs with only two wickets in hand.
Scores: Australia 391 and 264 lost to India 501 and 155 for eight.
vs Aus 2010-11
Venue: Mohali, PCA Stadium
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088October 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 2010
Result: India won by one wicket
VVS Laxman (centre), Pragyan Ojha and Suresh Raina (left) celebrate India’s one-wicket win in 2010
Australia's nemesis VVS Laxman's heroic shepherding of the tail saw India record their only victory by one wicket. The victory target of 216 looked distant when Laxman, struggling with a sore back and using a runner, was joined by Ishant Sharma at 124 for eight. A record 81-run stand followed but 11 runs were still needed with only last man Pragyan Ohja left to support Laxman. They survived scares before the winning runs came from two leg byes. Laxman's unbeaten 73 was yet another match-winning masterpiece of style and resistance. The Man of the Match award went to Zaheer Khan for his eight wickets while Tendulkar top scored with 98 in the first innings.
Scores: Australia 428 and 192 lost to India 405 and 216 for nine.
vs WI 2011-12
Venue: Mumbai, Wankhede Stadium
Date:âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088November 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 2011.
Result: Drawn
WI captain Darren Sammy celebrates with a teammate after the third Test against India ended in a draw at Wankhede in 2011
Can a Test end in a draw—and not a tie — with the scores level? Yes, if all second innings wickets have not fallen. This happened for only the second time in Tests with India one run short of victory and WI one wicket away. The match ended in dramatic fashion with Ravichandran Ashwin run out going for the winning run on the last ball with just three runs needed in the final over bowled by Fidel Edwards. It was a moral victory for the visitors who were the clear underdogs but lost just one of the three Tests. Ashwin was Man of the Match, scoring his maiden century in the first innings and bagging nine wickets as well.
Scores: West Indies 590 and 134 drew with India 482 and 242 for nine
43 Tests
Number of matches played in Mumbai out of a total of 499. Bombay Gym hosted India's first ever Test on home soil in 1933. Brabourne and Wankhede are the other two venues
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