Dehydration, a double century, and disputed decisions of the 1986 Tied Test

On the eve of the 1986 India-Australia cricket series, the weather in Madras (now Chennai) was oppressively hot. Ray Bright, the veteran Australian left-arm spinner, was thirsty but wary of the heavy workload he would face in the upcoming match on a pitch suited to his bowling. He recalled that normally he would have a few beers with some of his teammates before a game, but that day he decided to stay quietly in his room and order room service, considering the hot and humid conditions expected the next day.

Unfortunately, the hotel kitchen was not as good as Indian kitchens are today, and Bright got food poisoning that affected him for most of the match. He believes it was a "dodgy" pizza, and he doesn't know if the chef put something in it, or if it was just one of those things that occasionally happen. He still regrets ordering a pizza in India, as there were many other great foods available that would not have caused any problems.

As Bright's stomach began to churn, Dean Jones was called into captain Allan Border's room. The 25-year-old Victorian, who had played two Tests against the West Indies in 1984, was recalled for the India tour because of his prowess against spin bowling. Border told Jones he was going to be the number three batsman for the next few years and asked if he was happy to take the position. Jones, stating he had been waiting for two years, walked out of the room feeling "ten-foot tall and like he was invincible."

The next morning, when the team arrived at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Bright was in a bad way and unable to bowl. However, he knew it was not an option to tell the hard-nosed Border he could not play. He thought at the time that if they could win the toss and bat first, it would be ideal, as he did not know if he could stay on the field or stay upright long enough without throwing up. The 12th man, Dave Gilbert, came in and told him they had won the toss and would be batting, at which point Bright collapsed onto the table and stayed there for most of the day.

India had previously won an impressive Test series in England 2-0. Australia, however, were in the doldrums, having lost legends like Greg Chappell, Dennis Lillee, and Rod Marsh in 1984, as well as players to the rebel South Africa tour in 1985. A century from David Boon got the tourists off to a good start, and when the mustachioed opener was dismissed later in the day, Border decided to send in a nightwatchman. Bright said, "Unfortunately, for most of my career, I was a nightwatchman." He was a bit surprised and didn't know if Border knew he was unwell, but regardless, Border sent him in to bat.

The next morning, the 40-degree heat was intensified by the concrete stadium. Indian local batsman Kris Srikkanth said there were three types of weather in Chennai in September: "hot, hotter, and hottest." Players, officials, and spectators had to cope not only with the heat but also with an unbearable stench. Bright said, "The aroma coming from the Buckingham Canal that ran near the Madras cricket ground was, to say the least, not the best in the world." Australia resumed at 2/211, and the 32-year-old Bright found it difficult to keep up with Jones.

Bright said, "I was no good, and I hadn't been able to eat or drink much." Jones, on the other hand, was running around the pitch like a blue-arsed fly. Bright had to tell Jones to slow down because he couldn't keep up with the running in the heat and humidity. They put on 70 runs, which offered some resistance to the Indian attack. Bright hit one six and three fours in his 30 runs, but he felt like he could not go on any longer. He said, "My eyes weren't too good, and my mind wasn't clear, like when you have severe food poisoning and dehydration."

He thought it best to get himself out and let a better batsman come in. After he was dismissed, Bright barely made it to the dressing room, where he was attended to by the doctor. Boon recalled, "He was basically gone, he was broken, and he was almost in tears." Jones, wearing his floppy green hat, reached his maiden century with a single in his fifth Test match. Commentator Jim Maxwell said on the ABC television news match report that evening, "It was the achievement of a player who has learned to control his impetuosity and graft for his runs."

Jones waved his bat to the crowd, knowing his job was far from over. He said, "I was thinking, 'Oh, I've got a Test century, you've made it,' but my brain was saying, 'I don't care about this century, I want more'." After taking over five hours to reach three figures, Jones picked up the pace. Even his opponents were in awe as he repeatedly skipped down the pitch to meet their deliveries. Indian spinner Maninder Singh said, "I've never bowled to a better batsman in my life, he just didn't let me bowl." He added, "When I bowled the ball, he was there, and it was a beautiful sight. In your career, sometimes you like to get hit, and I was giving him that challenge, come on, come out and hit me, and he would take it on every time."

Jones and Border were grinding the home side into the dust, but their exposure to the furnace-like conditions was taking its toll. Jones said, "At some stage, my hands started cramping, and you get that tingle in your hands." Then, he swept a ball, and his hamstrings and back began to cramp. He said, "I was at (170), and I knew I was in trouble because I started to piss myself, and I couldn't stop." Jones bent over, resting on his bat, and threw up in the middle of the pitch, surrounded by concerned Indian players and Border.

Jones told Border, "I've had enough, I'm going to stop, this is stupid, I'm throwing up every two minutes, we're live on television, and every time I hit the ball into the outfield, I can only walk one step, I can't run, I'm cramping, I can't move anymore." Australia had won only three Tests since Border had reluctantly taken over the captaincy in late 1984. The man sometimes called "the grumpy captain" did not like the idea of Jones retiring hurt with the Indian bowlers at his mercy. Border recalled, "I thought I could coax him to go a bit harder, not knowing how bad he really was."

Border said, "I said, 'If you want to go off now, we'll get a tough man in, we'll get a Queenslander in'." He knew this would have the desired effect, and after receiving a reply with some major expletives, he knew he had pushed the right button. Border's comment was a red rag to the Victorian bull. Jones was soon gingerly jogging around the pitch, now wearing his wide-brimmed hat, and he pumped his fist when he became the first Australian to score a double century in India. Australian coach Bob Simpson described the innings as "one of the greatest ever, one of the bravest ever."

Nearly four decades after playing in the Test, Indian all-rounder Ravi Shastri was full of praise for Jones, who died of a stroke in 2020. Shastri said, "It really tested endurance, stamina, and determination, and the fact that he had Border around him to keep him going. It was a massive effort in those conditions." Bright, who had played alongside Jones for several seasons at Victoria, knew Jones was strong both mentally and physically. Bright said, "He had a huge drive, and he was very fit. Anyone who saw him run between the wickets, especially in the one-day game, would know that." He added, "His concentration was incredible, and that was one of the most outstanding features. It's definitely one of the best innings I've ever seen in Test cricket."

Jones had no recollection of walking into the tea break dressing room at 202. Teammates described him as looking like a corpse in his pads. Bright said, "Someone would have been putting ice all over him, using towels and anything else they could to try and get his core temperature down." He added, "We were happy for Jones to continue on his merry way, so the boys were doing everything they could to get him back out there in the best possible shape, so he could continue his great innings." Jones was dismissed for 210, ending his eight-hour vigil. His partnership with Border was worth 178 runs. Jones said, "I went to hit a ball, and I was cramping so badly that I couldn't release." He lost eight kilograms during the day.

He said, "I was screaming in pain, my back and my stomach, everywhere was cramping. It was pretty obvious that the dehydration had set in. I remember when I got out, I was put in an ice bath, and it felt like warm water. It was the first time all day I thought, 'I've got half a life left, I'm okay,' and then I jumped out of the bath, and that was it." Jones collapsed and was taken to the hospital. Border said, "It was only later that I found out he had collapsed and was in a very bad way and was rushed to the hospital." He added, "That was when I started to think, 'Oh my God, I've killed him'." In cricket-mad India, Jones was treated like a rock star at the hospital.

Jones said, "I got into the emergency room, and there was a guy who was badly injured, with nurses and doctors all around him, he had been hit by a bus." He said, "Suddenly someone said, 'Australian cricketer, dehydration, Dean Jones', and they all left the poor guy and came to look after me." Jones spent the night on an IV drip and was cleared to play the next day. Border said, "I've got to give him full credit for his legend status, if he had retired hurt on 170, mate, it wouldn't have been a legend." The dependable Border scored 106, and Australia declared their first innings at 7/574. By the end of the third day, the home side was in trouble at 5/170. Indian captain Kapil Dev criticized his team for playing what he called "one-day cricket." The next day, Dev himself batted like he was in a limited-overs match, scoring a rapid 119, and India made 397.

By the end of the fourth day, Australia was 5/170. Border declared, setting India a victory target of 348. On the final day, the hosts made a spirited chase, led by a fine 90 from Sunil Gavaskar in his 100th consecutive Test match. The eccentric off-spinner Greg Matthews was hardly ever changed on the final day, taunting the crowd and the Indian players as he bowled. He was on the field wearing a jumper as a way of belittling the heat. Bright said, "I don't know if that was to prove how tough he was or how stupid he was."

Bright took the wickets of Gavaskar and another star batsman, Mohammad Azharuddin, before retiring himself from the match. He said, "At some stage, I just couldn't think clearly, so I thought I needed to get off, try and wake myself up, freshen myself up, and come back if I was needed, but I was hoping the guys could finish the job." Instead, India gained the upper hand, and everyone became edgy. Umpire Dara Dotiwalla ordered Border to speed up the game. Border told Dotiwalla what he thought of the request. Dotiwalla threatened to sack the captain. Unbeaten batsman Shastri tried to calm the situation, as further delays would work against India. Players from opposing teams had arguments during drinks breaks.

Bright said, "We had a three-Test series against India in Australia earlier in the year, and there wasn't a lot of love lost in those particular Tests." He added, "A couple of times, they were just bowling bouncers constantly. Off the field, there wasn't a lot of socializing or anything like that. That carried on into (that) September. It wasn't one of the friendliest Test matches I've ever played in, far from it." India was closing in on the target with wickets in hand. Shastri gestured for the crowd to get louder, and the crowd grew rapidly during the day as news spread that India was gaining strength. Matthews' huge effort had yielded 10 wickets for the Test, but he needed help from his spin partner.

Bright said, "I asked Dave Gilbert, 'Does Border need me to go back on again?'". Dave came back with a very blunt answer, 'Tell that weak bastard to get out there.' Dave came in and softened Border's words slightly. Back on the field, Bright quickly took three wickets, and the Test was turned on its head again. A thrilling finish was in store, with India needing four runs to win and Australia needing one wicket. Shastri hit a two and a single to level the scores. Number 11 batsman Maninder Singh was on strike with two balls remaining. Singh was hit on the pads by Matthews and given out. Matthews ran off like he had scored the winning goal in a FIFA World Cup final, with his teammates chasing him in jubilation.

Bright said, "I don't think anyone really knew what the score was." He added, "I thought we'd won, then we were happy to have drawn, because it could have gone the other way." The only other tied Test match in the history of the game was between Australia and the West Indies in Brisbane in 1960. Simpson had the distinction of playing in the first tied Test and coaching in the second. From his vantage point at the non-striker's end, Shastri insists that Singh should not have been given out. The all-rounder claims that the Indian umpire, V. Vikramraju, wanted to be a part of history and likened him to a gunslinger from the Wild West.

Shastri said, "Oh yeah, he hit the ball, the umpire was from Texas, and the hand went up before the appeal was over." Shastri stormed into the umpires' room and told Vikramraju what he thought of the out decision. Shastri said, "I used some good Australian expletives in that room, and thank God there wasn't a match referee there, or I would have been banned for a few games." Vikramraju was not selected to umpire another Test, and he believed he was made a scapegoat for making a correct decision. Vikramraju said, "The bat was far away from the pad, the bat never came near the ball, so I was confident, and he was right in front of the wicket."

Bright believes that focusing on the final wicket does not accurately portray what had transpired over the fascinating five days in Chennai. Bright said, "Let's not forget that throughout the Test, India had 12 wickets, and Australia had 20, plus about eight or nine that didn't go our way." He added, "In those days, there were no neutral umpires, so the umpiring might have favored the home side a little bit. If there was a little bit of an edge, I think that's just a bit of karma, isn't it?" The other two Tests in the series were drawn, and the experience in the subcontinent would prove invaluable to Border's team. Seven of the 11 members of the tied Test would go on to play in Australia's first Men's World Cup win in India the following year.

Bright said the tied Test of 1986 also played a key role in helping the Australia-India rivalry become the headline event that it is today. He said, "The series is now rivalling the Ashes, and I don't think it's quite at that level yet, but it probably is for India."