Bangalore Tests: Many memorable episodes

Five consecutive drawn matches followed by five successive results. The Bangalore pitch has really undergone a metamorphosis and if anything, this would indicate that a decisive result is a foregone conclusion in the second Test between India and South Africa which commences at the Chinnaswamy stadium on Thursday.

It wasn't always like this. A combination of dead pitches and inclement weather led to four drawn Tests between 1979 and 1983. And a fifth was drawn for a very unusual reason. After four days of absorbing cricket all seemed set for a fitting climax to the match between India and West Indies in December 1978. But following the arrest of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi there was unrest in the city and for security reasons the police advised the officials to cancel the final day's play.

Bangalore, a venue steeped in cricket tradition had staged many important matches against visiting sides and even an unofficial `Test' against Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) in 1964. But it lacked a truly international class stadium to successfully conduct a Test match. But the Chinnaswamy stadium came up in the early 70s and Bangalore staged its first Test against West Indies in 1974-75.

Since then, Bangalore has almost regularly staged a Test whenever there has been a series against a visiting side. Out of the 12 Tests played there, India have won four, lost three and drawn five. India lost the first Test played at the venue by 267 runs. They won the next Test there - against England in 1976-77 - by 140 runs. Drawn matches followed against West Indies (1978-79), Australia (1979-80), Pakistan (1979-80), England (1981-82) and Pakistan (1983-84). But since then, Bangalore has been a result oriented venue. The trend started with the game against Pakistan in 1986-87 which the visitors won by 16 runs in a memorable finish. Then in 1988-89, India defeated New Zealand by 172 runs. Five years later, India beat Sri Lanka by an innings and 95 runs. In 1995-96, India defeated New Zealand in three days by eight wickets. And finally, two years later, Australia won by eight wickets.

The Tests at Bangalore have been featured by a number of notable performances. The first ever Test played at the venue was highlighted by a hurricane 163 by Clive Lloyd, who reached three figures off only 85 balls. Gordon Greenidge scored 93 and 107 on his Test debut while Alvin Kallicharran got 124 on a difficult pitch. The 1976-77 game was highlighted by Yajuvendra Singh equalling two Test records - five catches in an innings and seven in the match. In 1981-82, Sunil Gavaskar played a marathon knock of 172 which lasted 708 minutes, still the longest innings by an Indian in Test cricket. Gavaskar was again the hero in 1986-87 scoring an unforgettable 96 in his final Test innings on a wicked wicket. In 1988-89, it was the turn of Richard Hadlee to be in the spotlight, for breaking Ian Botham's Test record of 373 wickets. And five years later, it was Kapil Dev's turn to be the hero when he took his 431st wicket to equal Hadlee's record tally.