West Indies toured Australia in 1992/93 for a 5-match Test series. When both sides reached Adelaide, Australia had a 1-0 lead in the series and it was a must-win match for West Indies if they wanted to clinch the series. The 4th match of the series produced something that was never witnessed before, a team winning the Test match by 1 run.
First Innings
Richardson won the toss for West Indies and opted to put runs on the board first. The openers Desmond Haynes and Phil Simmons rose to the occasion and gave West Indies a formidable start. The duo added 84 runs for the first wicket but unfortunately, none of the two could capitalize on that solid start. Once the openers went back, the wickets started to fall at regular intervals. In the end, West Indies posted 252 runs on the board. Merv Hughes picked up a 5-wicket haul to restrict the opposition to this score.
When Australia came out to bat the West Indian bowlers were on top of their game right from the word go. The Aussies lost 3 wickets even before they could accumulate 50 runs. But the real wrath was yet to unfold. Curtley Ambrose annihilated the Kangaroo batting order picking up 6 wickets in his long spell. In reply to West Indies’ 252, Australia scored 213 runs and conceded a lead.
A cliffhanger
The first innings was dominated by West Indies but the second innings was going to be a dramatic rollercoaster. The West Indies batting unit struggled in the second innings and got bowled out for just 146 runs. Tim May and Craig McDermott joined hands to produce a bowling masterclass for Australia. As a result, Australia got a target of 186 runs which was a reasonable score to chase. However, a run chase was never easy against West Indies in that era because of the threatening bowling attack that they boasted.
The Australians felt the heat with wickets falling at regular intervals and at one point they were reduced to 102/8. Justin Langer who came into bat at No.3 was still around and fighting for his team. He tried to steer the team across the finishing line with a 42-run partnership for the ninth wicket. After he was dismissed, Tim May and Craig McDermott showed some resilience and almost carried the team beyond the final hurdle but Courtney Walsh had other intentions. Walsh got the better of McDermott to complete a historic victory for West Indies by 1 run. Later West Indies also went on to win the series.
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