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Abhishek Mukherjee

@ovshake42

Mar 22

On this day, 1985, India won an unbelievable (in my opinion, at least) match against Pakistan in Sharjah.

First, some background.

India had won the World Cup in 1983.

Two years later, they won the seven-nation World Championship in Australia.

This was probably a bigger win.
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India won every single match there.

Not only that, barring the final (where they took nine wickets), they bowled out the opposition every time.

The Sharjah tournament was a four-nation affair, played in knockout format.

So if you won two matches, you won the tournament.
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India played Pakistan in what can only be called a semi-final.

India had beaten Pakistan twice in that World Championship. They were favourites, according to many.

But Imran thought otherwise.

The first ball jagged back in to hit Shastri on the pad.
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Abhishek Mukherjee

@ovshake42

Mar 21

Alec/Alick Bannerman was born on this day, 1854.

With a 4,000-ball cut-off, he is the slowest batter in history of Test cricket.

According to the venerable Charles Davis, his strike rate was 22.4.

Had he played a 90-over day and faced half the balls, he would have scored 60.
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The crowds obviously booed and barracked him. One poetry attained immortality:
"O Bannerman, O Bannerman,
We wish you'd change your manner, man;
We pay our humble tanner, man,
To see a bit of fun.
You're a beggar though to stick it,
But it ain't our sort of cricket;
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"They haven't hit your wicket,
Yet, you haven't got a run.

Of course, bowlers hated him more. Who would not hate bowling at a batter who simply refused to get out?

The "refuses to get out" could be literal too.
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Read 5 tweets

Abhishek Mukherjee

@ovshake42

Mar 20

On this day, 1965, S Venkataraghavan completed his 8-72 against New Zealand in Delhi (this was Day 2).

Outstanding figures, but there was more to it.

Venkat then took 4-80 in the second innings, giving him a match haul of 12-152.

Again, fine figures, but this was not all.
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In the first innings, Venkat had dismissed Graham Dowling, Terry Jarvis, Bevan Congdon, Bert Sutcliffe, Vic Pollard, John Ward, Ross Morgan, and Frank Cameron.

In the second, he got John R. Reid, Jarvis (again), Bruce Taylor, and Richard Collinge.
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Thus, he dismissed all 11 opposition batters in the same Men's Test match.

This has happened only six times.

Apart from Venkat, only Jim Laker (in *that* match), Geoff Dymock, Abdul Qadir, Waqar Younis, and Muttiah Muralitharan have done this.
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Read 4 tweets

Abhishek Mukherjee

@ovshake42

Mar 13

The story they never taught in school.

Shah Jahan: What do you need?

Mumtaz: I have told you before.

Shah Jahan: What is this tomb nonsense?

Mumtaz: I told you. Plan a tomb for me. A big, proper one. One I will be proud of.

Shah Jahan: But you're alive!
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Mumtaz: So? I want my tomb planned before I die. I want to rest in the grandest possible way.

Shah Jahan: Or else?

Mumtaz: Or else I want to die.

Shah Jahan: That is illogical.

Mumtaz: I don't care.

Shah Jahan: Fine, you get your tomb.

Mumtaz: My love!
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Shah Jahan: But on one condition.

Mumtaz: Yes, my love?

Shah Jahan: Sing something for me. Now.

So Mumtaz sang in her mellifluous voice, bringing her king and the great city and the ancient country to a standstill.
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Read 7 tweets

Abhishek Mukherjee

@ovshake42

Feb 22

Raman Lamba died on this day, 1998.

Lamba was my childhood hero. Or at least one of my childhood heroes.

He was not the greatest batter who ever lived, far from it. But he made cricket look very, very easy.

He was a filmstar trapped in a cricketer's body.
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He enthralled me on debut, at Kanpur. Australia set India 251.

A huge ODI target by mid-1980s standards.

Lamba emerged after Sunil Gavaskar scored a painstaking 26.

He treated the Australian bowlers like club cricketers.

His 64 took 53 balls.
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I used to sit on the floor while watching cricket despite there being elevated alternatives.

I am not sure why I did that. Perhaps I was superstitious.

But I remember standing up to clap at every Lamba shot that day.

The most outrageous, a six over point off Craig McDermott.
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Read 11 tweets

Abhishek Mukherjee

@ovshake42

Feb 20

On this day, 1990, Bert Vance conceded 77 runs in an over.

In fact, the umpie miscounted and called "over" after five balls.

This was in a First-class match.

Vance was playing for Canterbury against Wellington.

Here is what happened.
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Until then, Wellington had 61 points.

A win would get them 16 points and guarantee the Shell Trophy.

If not, they would have to wait for other matches.

With 48 points, Canterbury had a chance as well.

Wellington were bowled out for 202. Canterbury declared on 221/7.
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Canterbury, and not Wellington, got four points for the lead.

Wellington now batted quickly to declare on 309/6. Canterbury needed 291 in 59 overs.

From 86/3, Canterbury slipped to 108/8, but Lee Germon and Roger Ford hung on for two hours.
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