The tied Test that tested the limits of Australia and West Indies

Australia and West Indies were part of the first-ever tied Test match which was played at the Woolloongabba in Brisbane from November 9 to 14, 1960.

Published : Dec 14, 2019 15:08 IST

West Indies players celebrate after Joe Solomon's throw ran out Australia's Ian Meckiff out resulting in the first ever tied Test match in the history at Brisbane.
West Indies players celebrate after Joe Solomon's throw ran out Australia's Ian Meckiff out resulting in the first ever tied Test match in the history at Brisbane.
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West Indies players celebrate after Joe Solomon's throw ran out Australia's Ian Meckiff out resulting in the first ever tied Test match in the history at Brisbane.

Australia and West Indies played out the first-ever tied Test match in cricket history in Brisbane on November 14, 1960.

The game which began on 9th was a six-day affair and West Indies had opted to bat first at the Gabba.

The visitor was bowled out for 453 in its first innings, with Sir Garfield Sobers top scoring with 132 off 174 balls. Left-arm pacer Alan Davidson picked a five-wicket haul for Australia.

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In reply, the host had claimed a lead of 52 runs, thanks mainly to a slow and steady 181 from Norm O'Neill, while Wes Hall bagged four Australian wickets.

West Indies didn't have the best start to its second innings, losing its first wicket when opener Cammie Smith was out for just 13.

But fighting half-centuries from skipper Sir Frank Worrell and Rohan Kanhai had resurrected the Caribbean innings, taking it to 210/4.

From there, West Indies lost the remaining six wicket for 74 runs to set Australia a target of 233. Davidson returned a match haul of 11 for 222.

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The final innings witnessed a seesaw battle. West Indies had reduced Australia to 92/6 and looked set to claim victory. However, Davidson, the star with the ball, and captain Richie Benaud stitched together a 134-run partnership to take Australia closer to victory.

Davidson was run-out with just seven needed. In the final over (an over in Australia consisted of eight balls back then) of the match, the Aussies needed six and Benaud was out caught behind off the second ball as Hall completed his five-wicket haul.

The Australian tail-enders kept inching closer to the target but two consecutive run-outs off the sixth and seventh deliveries resulted in the first tied Test in 84 years of cricket.

The only other tied Test in history also involved Australia when it took on India in Chennai in September 1986.

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