Tied Test

Tied Test refers to a rare result in Test cricket. Only two ties have occurred in the 2,000 Tests played since 1877. The first was in 1960^[1] and the second in 1986.^[2] On both occasions, the aggregate scores of both sides (teams) were equal at the conclusion of play and the side batting last had completed its final innings: 10 batsmen had been dismissed or, from the perspective of the side bowling, 10 wickets had been taken. In other words the runs, wickets and innings were exactly the same.

In cricket, a tie is distinct from a draw, which occurs when play concludes without victory by either team (except where a Test has been formally abandoned).

Both Tied Tests involved the Australian cricket team. Both ended in the last possible over of play on the last day with a ball to spare, meaning that within the space of several minutes all four normal Test Match results were possible: a win for the batting side, a win for the fielding side, a draw or a tie. Bob Simpson is the only person to be involved in both Tied Tests — as a player for Australia in the first, and as the Australian team coach in the second.

The First Tied Test, 1960

See also: West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1960-61

The first Tied Test was played between the West Indies and Australia.^[1][3] The match was played at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, known as "The Gabba", in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, between December 9 and December 14, 1960.^[4][5][6]

West Indies 1st Innings 

After a disastrous start of 65-3, Garfield Sobers made a rapid 132 in 174 minutes. Alan Davidson took 5-135. West Indies were all out for 453 runs.

Australia 1st Innings 

Norm O'Neill made 181 in 401 minutes. Australia were all out for 505, a lead of 52.

West Indies 2nd Innings 

Alan Davidson took 6-87 and West Indies made 284, setting Australia a target of 233 runs to win.

Australia 2nd innings 

Davidson and Australian captain Richie Benaud set a 7th-wicket partnership record of 134 between the West Indies and Australia.

Last over of the Australian second innings

Wes Hall was bowling, with the clock showing 5:56. Australia stood at 227-7, needing six runs to win from the 8-ball over (the standard for Tests in Australia at the time) with three wickets in hand.

• 1st ball : Wally Grout, facing, was hit on the thigh. Benaud called him through for a single to take strike. Five runs were needed to win from seven balls.
• 2nd ball : Benaud attempted a hook shot but was caught behind by wicket-keeper Gerry Alexander. The score was 228-8.
• 3rd ball : The new batsman, Ian Meckiff, cut to mid-off. No run. Still five runs to win from five balls.
• 4th ball : The ball flew down leg-side without making contact with Meckiff's bat. Grout called him through for a bye. Alexander threw the ball to the bowler's end to try to run out Meckiff, but his throw missed and Meckiff made his ground. Four runs to win from four balls.
• 5th ball : Grout fended a bouncer to square leg, where Rohan Kanhai was ready to take the catch. Hall also attempted to take the catch in his follow-through, resulting in a fielding mix-up which allows Meckiff and Grout take a single and the catch was not taken. Three runs to win from three balls.
• 6th ball : Meckiff swung desperately and sent the ball towards the mid-wicket boundary. The batsmen ran two runs as Conrad Hunte scooped the ball up just inside the fence. The batsmen attempted a third run for victory but Hunte's return was flat and true, straight into the gloves of Alexander, who whipped off the bails before Grout could get home. The teams were tied. Australia were on 232-9, requiring one run to win with one wicket in hand and two balls remaining.
• 7th ball : The new batsman, Lindsay Kline, pushed the ball to square leg and set off for a single. Joe Solomon scooped up the ball and, with one stump to aim for from 12 metres out, threw the ball in and hit the stumps, running Meckiff out by a few inches.

Australia were all out for 232 and the match ended in the first tie in 84 years of Test Cricket.

The second Tied Test, 1986

18–22 September 1986 Scorecard	Australia  574/7d (170.5 overs)	v	India 397 (94.2 overs)	Match tied M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Madras Umpires: Dara Dotiwalla and V Vikramraju Player of the Match: Dean Jones (Australia) and Kapil Dev (India)
	Dean Jones 210 (330) Shivlal Yadav 4/142 (49.5 overs)		Kapil Dev 119 (138) Greg Matthews 5/103 (28.2 overs)
	170/5d (49 overs)		347 (86.5 overs)
	David Boon 49 (92) Maninder Singh 3/60 (19 overs)		Sunil Gavaskar 90 (168) Ray Bright 5/94 (25 overs)
Australia won the toss and elected to bat.

The second Tied Test was the first Test^[2] of a three Test series, played between Australia and India, at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, in India between September 18 and September 22, 1986.^{[7][8][9][10]} The conditions were said to be extremely hot and humid.^[11]

Australia 1st Innings 

Australia declared at 574 for 7 early on the third day. Dean Jones made 210, which was then the highest score by an Australian in a Test in India, having faced 330 balls and hit 27 fours and 2 sixes. He had to be treated in hospital after the completion of the innings for heat exhaustion. Australian coach Bob Simpson described it as "the greatest innings ever played for Australia". David Boon scored 122, and Australian captain, Allan Border, 106.^[12]

India 1st Innings 

India lost 7 wickets for 270 runs by the end of the third day, and were all out for 397, avoiding the follow on by only 23 runs and trailing by 177. Indian captain Kapil Dev made 119 and Greg Matthews took 5-103 wearing a sweater to prove his toughness. Sunil Gavaskar became the first Test cricketer to make 100 consecutive Test appearances.

Australia 2nd Innings 

Australia declared at 170 for 5, their overnight score at the end of the fourth day, setting India a target of 348 to win.

India 2nd Innings 

Starting positively, India reached 204 for 2, when Gavaskar was third out for 90. India reached 291 for 5 when Chandrakant Pandit was out. A flurry of tail-end wickets fell to leave India on 344 for 9 by the last over.

Last over of the Indian second innings

Greg Matthews was bowling to Ravi Shastri, with India's last man Maninder Singh at the bowler's end. India needed four runs to win from the 6-ball over with only one wicket remaining.

• 1st ball : To Shastri: no run. Four runs required off five balls.
• 2nd ball : Shastri took two runs, retaining the strike. Two runs required off four balls.
• 3rd ball : Shastri pushed the ball to square leg for a single. The scores were tied, with one run required for victory, but the Indian 11th man was now on strike.
• 4th ball : To Singh: no run. One run required off two balls.
• 5th ball : The ball hit Singh on his back leg and umpire Vikram Raju called him out leg before wicket after a loud appeal.

India were all out for 347, Matthews having taken 5-146 (10-249 in the match) and Ray Bright 5-94, and the match was the second tie in Test cricket. Dean Jones and Kapil Dev were joint Men of the Match.

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Cricinfo: 1st Test Australia v West Indies 1960/61 season
2. ^ ^{a b} Cricinfo: 1st Test India v Australia 1986/87 season
3. ^ Scorecard from CricketArchive
4. ^ Article from The Hindu by Jack Fingleton
5. ^ Article from BBC Sport
6. ^ Last over from Cricketfundas.com
7. ^ Scorecard from Cricinfo
8. ^ Scorecard from CricketArchive
9. ^ Last over from Cricketfundas.com
10. ^ Report on Tied Test from Cricinfo
11. ^ You weak Victorian - a narrative account of the match by some of the key players
12. ^ Interview with Dean Jones on Tied Test

See also

• List of tied first-class cricket matches
• List of tied one-day internationals