February 22, 1980. The start of what has gone down in history as the Croft-Goodall Test. After suffering from poor umpiring decisions for one-and-a-half Tests, Colin Croft ran in to bowl, and at the last moment veered away to crash into the back of umpire Fred Goodall. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the unsavoury incident that stood out even in one of the most acrimonious series ever.
Read MoreHugh Tayfield's amazing bowling effort
February 20, 1957. Hugh Tayfield bowled South Africa to a fantastic victory in a closely-contested thriller of a Test match at Johannesburg. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the final day which saw the off-spinner bowl unchanged for 35 consecutive overs. Tayfield had a hand in all 10 English wickets that fell, which included 9 wickets in his kitty.
Read MoreSalim Malik's Eden Blitzkreig
February 18, 1987. Saleem Malik produced a whirlwind of an innings to snatch victory from India’s jaws before a shell-shocked Eden Garden crowd. Malik came in with Pakistan requiring 78 to win. Eighty-one runs had been plundered while he pulverised the Indian bowlers, Malik scoring 72 of them from just 36 balls! Arunabha Sengupta looks back at one of the most astonishing ODI innings of all time.
Read MoreMike Gatting's nose is reduced to pulp
February 18, 1986. Malcolm Marshall’s nasty lifter struck Mike Gatting squarely on the nose before dropping on to the stumps. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the ghastly injury which took the fight out of England even as the series was getting under way.
Read MoreAshes 1970-71: John Snow fells Terry Jenner
On February 13, 1971, England bowler John Snow’s nasty bouncer hit Australia’s Terry Jenner on the head. The events that followed almost brought the England-Australia rivalry on the verge of a crisis. Arunabha Sengupta goes through the events of an otherwise excellent Test match that almost got ruined because of a couple of controversies.
Read MoreAshes 1907-08: England lose to Warwick Armstrong and rain
February 8, 1908. With the series locked in a titanic tussle, the skies opened up and the spirited challenge of the visiting England side drowned in the deluge. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at the fourth Test of the 1907-08 Ashes, which saw an epic by Warwick Armstrong as well as the first great Test innings of Jack Hobbs.
Read MoreGraeme Pollock and Barry Richards toy with Australia
On February 6, 1970, Graeme Pollock stroked his way to a majestic 274 against Australia at Durban. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the innings along with his magical partnership with Barry Richards on the first day of the Test.
Read MoreTony Greig runs out Alvin Kallicharran
February 3, 1974. Bernard Julien pushed the last ball of the day down the pitch. From the non-striker’s end, Alvin Kallicharran made his way to the pavilion. And Tony Greig fielded the ball at silly mid-off and threw down the stumps. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the infamous incident that almost resulted in a riot.
Read MoreSachin Tendulkar's Perth gem
On February 3, 1992, Sachin Tendulkar hit a magnificent hundred at Perth to stamp his eternal class on the history of the game. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the fantastic hundred as, older and mightier names of the era collapsed around him.
Read MoreMohammed Azharuddin's third hundred on the trot
On February 1, 1985, Mohammad Azharuddin turned a ball to square-leg to reach his third century on the trot since debut. Arunabha Sengupta remembers the fabulous start to his cricketing career.
Read MoreSachin Tendulkar's epic 136 that brought India to the doorstep of a magnificent win
On January 31, 1999, Sachin Tendulkar almost pulled off a single handed miracle at Chennai, but in the end it remained the greatest heartbreak of his career. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the cliff-hanger that saw the master batsman script one of his most brilliant innings.
Read MoreMalcolm Marshall blows India away at Kanpur
October 22, 1983. In a blazing day’s cricket at the Green Park Stadium, Kanpur, Malcolm Marshall clasped at the hearts of the Indian batsmen in a cold grip of fear. Before that, he also flayed their bowlers all over the park. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at perhaps one of the best days in the career of the supreme fast bowler.
Read MoreOval 1968: Basil D'Oliveira and Derek Underwood create history and magic amidst untold drama
It was a drama in many acts at The Oval for the fifth Test in 1968. Basil D’Oliveira changed the course of history by scoring 158 — his runs as much against Australia as against the forces of apartheid. And then on the final day Derek Underwood beat the rains and a stubborn Australian resistance to square the series. Arunabha Sengupta looks back at one of the most impactful Tests in history.
Ashes 1936-37 - Don Bradman and the best innings of the century
January 5, 1937. Don Bradman was under enormous pressure after losing his first two Tests as captain. He was plagued by a rare loss of form, discontent among players, press and public and a devastating personal tragedy. Yet, at Melbourne, he turned the series around with a blemish-less innings of 270. Arunabha Sengupta recalls the innings that had been ranked by Wisden as the best of all time.
Read More