The West Indies and Australians have been one of the better sides of the cricketing field till now. West Indies have been the team to beat for decades since the inception of the game to the World. They were almost unbeatable by other teams. Tall fast bowlers scared every other batsman with their fiery pace and bounce, while their looks complimenting it.
Batsmen scored in triple digits and that led their team to be the most dominating one of the 20th century. After the 1960s, Australians came out strong as they looked to be a great contenders to the big boys from the Caribbean. Their rivalry was one to cherish that included some contests. Famous controversial incidents between Steve Waugh and Curtly Ambrose, Glen McGrath and Ramnaresh Sarwan and many others. These rivalries continue even today and these personal conflicts stay even when players represent domestic clubs. IPL issues between Pollard and Starc and Big Bash League issue between Warne and Samuels are great examples. Their rivalry in national colours continued to flourish when Faulkner, Haddin and Gayle fought it off, not even leaving the social media as a battleground. Whatever rivalry the hold, we can take this for a fact that while West Indies dominated the past, Australia dominates the present.
The above fact has a recent proof, when Australia dominated West Indies and ended the 1st Test well under 3 days. The visitors were humiliated as they were defeated by an innings and 212 runs. Considering their bowling as their strength, ironically they were hammered all around the park with the record-partnership of 449 runs between Adam Voges and Shaun Marsh being the focus point of their total set of 583/4 (declared). Coming in to bat, they were again left embarrassed as the Aussie boys bowled them out for a paltry 148 runs only. With opposition captain enforcing a follow-on, they were not even close to get to the trailing runs as again they were bundled out for, an improvement of sorts from last time, 223. Both their batting and bowling department would require major improvements if they would like to go toe-to-toe with the Aussies on their home ground.
Both these teams have a lot of history between them but the greatest of them all is the 1st Test of the Frank Worrell Trophy in the 1960/61 season. Being played at the Brisbane grounds, this could be termed as the greatest Test match ever played till date. What makes this so special is that apart from being the first Test to end in a tie, the performance shown by the players throughout the game was sheer excellence. Runs kept piling on as centuries rained throughout the Test match. Although it was a Test match, the result of it was decided only after the last over, more importantly the last ball for that matter, was bowled. These type of finishes are only seen in limited overs cricket today and blending that aspect of uncertainty to Test cricket is what that made this so special.
Winning the toss and choosing to bat, West Indies came all guns blazing by setting up a huge total of 453 runs in their first innings. Sobers was the lone centurion from the visiting team while Davidson was the bowler for Australia as he took a 5-wicket haul. What came next was not expected as Australia replied extremely strongly with 505 runs as their total. O’Neill’s 181 was the foundation for Australia’s massive total as they were leading by 52 runs even when West Indies had scored 450-plus runs. Coming to bat in the second innings, West Indies tried to make sure they posted the maximum runs possible. Half-centuries from Worrell and Kanhai helped West Indies again put up a steep target to climb as they finished their final batting innings with 284 runs. Deducting the lead of 52, Australia had to score 233 runs to beat West Indies in their game. Looking at the start, it was not one which Australia were hoping to start with. The score of 92/6 meant West Indies was supposed to be the clear winner. Then the drama began to build up as Davidson, the Australian allrounder who enjoyed a magnificent match, was joined by Benaud, in a stand which added 134. They were still together half an hour before time, with 27 needed, when Hall took the new ball – a crucial stage.
With an anti-climax turning up at Brisbane, three of the four Australian batsmen were run-out while they tried to race against time and the fielder. Six runs were needed of the final over with 3 wickets remaining. The first ball hit Grout on the thigh and a leg-bye resulted. The second ball saw Benuad gave a catch at the wicket as he swung for glory. Meckiff played the third back to the bowler, no run. When the fourth went through to the wicket-keeper, the batsmen scampered a run with Hall missing a chance to run out Meckiff as the wicketkeeper threw the ball to him. Grout hit the fifth ball high into the air, Hall attempted to take the catch himself, but unluckily the ball bounced out, and another run had been gained. Meckiff hit the sixth ball high and to leg, but Hunte cut off the boundary as the batsmen turned for a third run which would have given Australia victory. Hunte threw in superbly, low and fast, and Grout was run out by a foot. So Kline came into face the last two balls with the scores level. He played the seventh ball of the over towards square leg and Meckiff, backing up well, raced down the wicket, only to be out when Solomon again threw down the wicket with only the width of his stump as his target. So ended a match in which both sides had striven throughout for victory with no team emerging victorious in the end.
Why this match was the greatest Test ever played was because it included all elements a game of cricket should have. It had that essence of glory, passion, drama, suspense, excellence. Centuries from both the teams on equal basis along with bowling chucking out 5-wicket hauls meant it was all about excellence. Determination to hit the wicket from long positions like mid-wicket and fine-leg was also present. The drama to of needing 4 runs off the last ball with just one wicket remaining. All summed up to none of the teams emerging victorious after 5 days of gruesome display of cricketing excellence because truth be told, both deserved a win. The match going down to the last over, even the last ball meant it was a cracker of a game to watch as a spectator with the sense of uncertainty of what could happen while players playing to the maximum of their capabilities till the last ball to get the result in their favour. Indeed, it was the best Test match ever played.