Chepauk and its colourful legacy of delivering classics Premium

Chepauk and its colourful legacy of delivering classics

There is an aura about the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium that’s hard to express in words. Terms associated with Chepauk that one first heard on the radio – the V. Pattabhiraman Gate, the Wallajah Road End – surge to your mind as you negotiate the broad gates and cast your eyes on the lush-green, newly laid outfield which cuts a pretty picture.

The refurbished Madras Cricket Club serves as a reminder of the traditional sprucing itself up to keep in tune with the modern. The steepling new stand crammed with blue seats is another example of the necessity of having to embrace the new reality even if it is somewhat at the expense of spectator comfort. Rows of seats almost tumble over each other and negotiating the narrow passage to reach one’s perch towards the end of a row is a huge challenge.

Think Chepauk, and the first thought is of the tied Test of September 1986. Nearly 40 years ago, to have to score 348 in a single day’s play, and that too on the final day of a Test, was almost unheard of. That’s the target Allan Border set Kapil Dev’s men on September 22. India made a game fist of it with Sunil Gavaskar, who has lit up the venue with several incandescent efforts, leading the way. The little master top-scored with 90 as each of the top five made at least 39, and at 251 for three, an improbable victory appeared imminent.

Ray Bright, the left-arm spinner, then got into the act alongside Greg Matthews, the maverick off-spinner who preferred bowling with his Baggy Green on. Ravi Shastri held firm and Chetan Sharma weighed in with 23 but when Shivlal Yadav was ninth man dismissed, India needed four for victory with Maninder Singh joining Shastri. The latter was a master at playing the situation. Instead of going for the glory shot that might have brought about his downfall, he first ensured that India would not lose the game, leaving Maninder on strike to Matthews with the scores level.

As the off-spinner pinged the No. 11 on his pad, umpire Vikram Raju’s right index finger shot skywards, upholding the appeal and sending one side into paroxysms of delight. The other’s immediate reaction was disappointment; to this day, Shastri and Maninder insist there was an inside-edge, Raju is adamant there was no contact between bat and ball.

It doesn’t matter anymore, does it? With that one act which brought an end to India’s chase and a riveting Test match, Raju had formalised only the second ‘tie’ in the history of Test cricket. Australia had been involved in both games where the match had ended with the teams dead level in terms of runs scored when the dust had settled and the final wicket had fallen.