In 1972, it was Australia who made it 2-2, while on Monday it was India who denied England a series win; the other commonality being the sheer determination displayed by both visiting teams
India’s Mohammed Siraj celebrates the wicket of England’s Jamie Overton with captain Shubman Gill (left) on Day Five of the Oval Test on Monday. PIC/Getty Images
For experts, who were either at the Oval or watched the dying moments of the 2025 England vs India Test series on television, the drama in the inaugural edition of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy moved them to believe that it was one of the finest Test series played out in recent years. The Englishmen were reminded of the gripping 2005 Ashes that resulted in England getting their hands on the urn for the first time since 1986-87. Another set of enthusiasts were left marvelling at the commonality in great contests and that is the quality of cricket amidst ebb and flow of a remarkable kind.
The snippets section of this newspaper’s Sunday edition twice carried items to illustrate that teams can look beyond their weaknesses, conquer the well-publicised inexperience factor like Shubman Gill & Co eventually did even though they didn’t end up superior in the scoreline.
The 1972 Australian side were one such outfit, and their series battle against England that year ended similarly to what we experienced on Monday.
Like the hosts did this summer, England grabbed opening Test honours. Australia stormed back to make it 1-1 in the second Test. The third Test in 1972 ended in a draw while the fourth one at Leeds was always going to go England’s way when they recalled left-arm spinner Derek Underwood (who was last seen in a Test line-up in the previous year’s Oval Test against India) to bowl on a pitch that was strangely attacked by a virus called fusarium.
Both teams arrived at the Oval with the scoreline reading 2-1 in England’s favour. Quite naturally, captains in such situations must say the right things to their teams in pre-match chats. Ian Chappell is believed to have told his Australian teammates, “I think we are the better team, but I won’t be able to say that to people back home if we lose this Test.”
The Leeds loss hurt the team, but they were told by management not to moan about it. “Anyone whines about the Headingley wicket and I’ll come down on you like a ton of bricks,” manager Ray Steele told his side. One key member of that squad was not in the playing XI for the Oval Test — Doug Walters. His exclusion surprised some in the travelling media pack. One of them expressed his surprise to Chappell because, not only was Walters a game changer (albeit short of runs in the four Tests), but also a mate of the captain. Chappell gave the reporter a ‘then-you-don’t-know-me’ reply.
Dennis Lillee claimed 5-58 while off-spinner Ashley Mallett got 3-80 to help bowl out England for 284 on the second morning. By the end of the day, Chappell was unbeaten on 107. Day Three saw Ian and Greg Chappell put on 201 runs for the third wicket. It was Greg’s second century of the series after a masterclass 131 in the second Test at Lord’s.
Three-figure knocks from the Chappell brothers at the Oval and 79 by Ross Edwards gave Australia a 115-run lead after which, England replied strongly with 356. The target was 242 and Australia ended Day Five with 116-1.
On the sixth day, England were without the off-spin services of their wily skipper Ray Illingworth; out with a twisted ankle. Stackpole edged one to wicketkeeper Alan Knott and the captain Chappell (37) followed, top-edging one which hit his jaw only to see substitute Bob Willis hold on to the catch off Underwood. New batsman Greg (16) was sent back by Underwood too.
If England fancied their chances with both first-innings centurions back in the pavilion at 171-5, they had reckoned without Paul Sheahan and Rodney Marsh. The duo ensured no further damage.
Ian wrote in Tigers Among the Lions: “When the final run was struck, Marsh and Sheahan swung their bats in delight and half-danced towards the pavilion, joined by many of the crowd in almost equal excitement. This was a great Test match, certainly one I will never forget, nor will anyone who played in it.”
The series ended 2-2. Australia won bragging rights with the way they played, with utmost determination. However, England retained the Ashes, which they had regained the previous year in Australia. Would Chappell’s side reclaim the urn? Yes, in the very next series in 1974-75 by which time Lillee didn’t have his Western Australia colleague Bob Massie opening the bowling with him, but a certain Jeffrey Robert Thomson with whom he formed such a devastating pair. Australia clinched the 1974-75 and the 1975 Ashes, after which Chappell gave up the captaincy.
Back to this week’s Oval finale. The Test was also a statistical delight, probably best fleshed out by BBC’s Test Match Special statistician Andy Zaltzman. One of his statistical pearls included the fact that 45 times a player was bowled out in the series — the most in a series across the world since 1984 and most for a series in England since 1976. Michael Holding, the West Indies bowling star of the 1976 Test at the Oval where his side won by 231 runs, hit the timber of six Englishmen in the first innings and three in the second innings for a total match haul of 14 wickets. England skipper Tony Greig, who infuriated the West Indies with his ‘grovel’ comment prior to the Test series, was clean bowled twice by Holding at the Oval.
The recent Test formed an integral part of a series that has contributed in no small measure to the popularity of Test cricket. To say it was memorable is as obvious as saying Mohammed Siraj was good throughout the Oval Test. So, which was better? Ashes 2005 or Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025? Keep debating, but the latter is the best the traditional game could give us in these so-called Test-cricket-in-jeopardy times.
mid-day’s Deputy Editor Clayton Murzello is a purist with an open stance.
He tweets @ClaytonMurzello. Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
The views expressed in this column are the individual’s and don’t represent those of the paper.
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