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On this day, 1992, at the SSC, Martin Crowe played – by his own admission – the greatest innings of his career.
It was a superb display of batsmanship against multiple odds.
Almost a fairytale performance.
But first, a brief flashback.
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It was a superb display of batsmanship against multiple odds.
Almost a fairytale performance.
But first, a brief flashback.
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New Zealand's tour had started in Zimbabwe, where they had played two Tests and two ODIs (12 days) in 13 days.
The flight to Sri Lanka, via Singapore, had taken forty hours.
The next morning, at about 8 AM, physio Mark Plummer was performing acupuncture on Crowe.
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The flight to Sri Lanka, via Singapore, had taken forty hours.
The next morning, at about 8 AM, physio Mark Plummer was performing acupuncture on Crowe.
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Crowe described what followed:
"Suddenly there was a blast. Sixty metres up, the blast reached its height smoke everywhere, debris, shards of glass, metal scattering all directions."
The police promptly cordoned the area.
Crowe rushed back to the hotel.
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"Suddenly there was a blast. Sixty metres up, the blast reached its height smoke everywhere, debris, shards of glass, metal scattering all directions."
The police promptly cordoned the area.
Crowe rushed back to the hotel.
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En route, he could not help but notice how a BMW had been reduced to a frame.
Crowe tumbled on "raw human flesh".
Two corpses, sans heads and limbs, shreds of white uniform still clinging to their bodies, lay there amidst their entrails, all soaked in a pool of blood.
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Crowe tumbled on "raw human flesh".
Two corpses, sans heads and limbs, shreds of white uniform still clinging to their bodies, lay there amidst their entrails, all soaked in a pool of blood.
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Half the squad wanted to return.
The youngsters were visibly shaken.
"Any of us could have been jogging past that spot this morning," said Greatbatch, convenor of the players committee and Crowe's close friend.
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The youngsters were visibly shaken.
"Any of us could have been jogging past that spot this morning," said Greatbatch, convenor of the players committee and Crowe's close friend.
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Five seasons ago, New Zealand had abandoned another Sri Lankan tour three days after an explosion at the Pettah Bus Station.
The team, led by Martin's elder brother Jeff, had passed near the location half an hour before the explosion.
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The team, led by Martin's elder brother Jeff, had passed near the location half an hour before the explosion.
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But this time, team manager Leif Dearsley announced that they would meet at 6.30 PM (this was later brought forward to 1 PM).
The board would stand by the players irrespective of the consensus.
It lasted two hours.
Crowe called for an anonymous vote after the meeting.
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The board would stand by the players irrespective of the consensus.
It lasted two hours.
Crowe called for an anonymous vote after the meeting.
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Out of 18, only nine wanted to play.
This obviously meant that the squad had to return.
Crowe himself had no problem, but there was no way he would go on with half the team.
The team had already lost Cairns, Morrison, and Doull.
Dearsley conveyed the message to the board.
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This obviously meant that the squad had to return.
Crowe himself had no problem, but there was no way he would go on with half the team.
The team had already lost Cairns, Morrison, and Doull.
Dearsley conveyed the message to the board.
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Board Chairman Peter McDermott flew out to meet the cricketers.
(Zoom calls: 1, technology in 1992: 0)
Crowe called home to talk to his wife Simone. He had her support.
In a meeting with Crowe, Jones, and Dearsley, McDermott made it clear that he wanted the tour to continue.
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(Zoom calls: 1, technology in 1992: 0)
Crowe called home to talk to his wife Simone. He had her support.
In a meeting with Crowe, Jones, and Dearsley, McDermott made it clear that he wanted the tour to continue.
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He then addressed the nine men who wanted to leave.
They were Lees (coach), Rutherford, Patel, Latham, Larsen, Watson, Greatbatch, Harris, and Hartland.
The last two had lost their fathers the year before.
After addressing the team, McDermott talked to all nine, one by one.
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They were Lees (coach), Rutherford, Patel, Latham, Larsen, Watson, Greatbatch, Harris, and Hartland.
The last two had lost their fathers the year before.
After addressing the team, McDermott talked to all nine, one by one.
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He started with Lees, the oldest in the squad.
Lees had lost his wife the previous year.
His son had pleaded to him on phone the previous night, asking him to come back.
A few minutes later Lees emerged from the room in tears.
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Lees had lost his wife the previous year.
His son had pleaded to him on phone the previous night, asking him to come back.
A few minutes later Lees emerged from the room in tears.
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McDermott had asked Lees (and anyone else who wanted to leave) to resign on the spot.
"I felt angry and I felt useless," wrote Crowe.
Lees, Larsen, Patel, Latham, Greatbatch, and Watson were not convinced. They returned home.
The other three changed their minds.
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"I felt angry and I felt useless," wrote Crowe.
Lees, Larsen, Patel, Latham, Greatbatch, and Watson were not convinced. They returned home.
The other three changed their minds.
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But now Crowe had to lead a depleted side.
Greatbatch, his "best mate", his confidant, had left.
And in Lees' absence, he was stand-in coach as well.
Reinforcements arrived, in the form of Vaughan, Owens, Bradburn, and Wright.
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Greatbatch, his "best mate", his confidant, had left.
And in Lees' absence, he was stand-in coach as well.
Reinforcements arrived, in the form of Vaughan, Owens, Bradburn, and Wright.
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At 38, Wright was no longer in his prime, but the team probably needed another senior man.
A fresh itinerary was drawn. The tour was reduced to two Tests and three ODIs.
New Zealand lost both tour matches.
The first Test was drawn (Sri Lanka got a first-innings lead).
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A fresh itinerary was drawn. The tour was reduced to two Tests and three ODIs.
New Zealand lost both tour matches.
The first Test was drawn (Sri Lanka got a first-innings lead).
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During the Test, Wright became the first New Zealand batsman to 5,000 Test runs.
There was also a controversy over off-spinner Warnaweera.
When Crowe complained about Warnaweera's action, he was told that Warnaweera was not reported when he had toured New Zealand in 1990-91.
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There was also a controversy over off-spinner Warnaweera.
When Crowe complained about Warnaweera's action, he was told that Warnaweera was not reported when he had toured New Zealand in 1990-91.
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Amidst all this, the first ODI at Khettarama/Premadasa was abandoned midway.
Then came the second Test.
Sri Lanka put up 394, Mahanama leading the way with a hundred.
Hartland and Wright then added 57 before New Zealand collapsed.
They were 100/7 at stumps.
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Then came the second Test.
Sri Lanka put up 394, Mahanama leading the way with a hundred.
Hartland and Wright then added 57 before New Zealand collapsed.
They were 100/7 at stumps.
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Crowe had been bowled for a duck by a ball that pitched outside off and turned past his bat and legs to hit the stumps.
This was the Test fifth wicket of Muralitharan's career. He would take another 795.
By now Crowe, hit from all sides, was very, very low on confidence.
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This was the Test fifth wicket of Muralitharan's career. He would take another 795.
By now Crowe, hit from all sides, was very, very low on confidence.
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He was convinced that he would fail again.
He concentrated hard, trying to visualise positive situations.
He pictured himself attacking the spinners.
He could not sleep till five.
Then woke up with a jolt at half past six.
Someone had slid a letter under the door.
Spam.
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He concentrated hard, trying to visualise positive situations.
He pictured himself attacking the spinners.
He could not sleep till five.
Then woke up with a jolt at half past six.
Someone had slid a letter under the door.
Spam.
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If you sent twenty copies to twenty different people you would have extremely good luck and all that.
So desperate was Crowe for runs that he did even this.
After all, he had scored only 155 runs in Sri Lanka from 9 innings.
He got the photocopies done from the reception.
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So desperate was Crowe for runs that he did even this.
After all, he had scored only 155 runs in Sri Lanka from 9 innings.
He got the photocopies done from the reception.
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Every teammate got one. The rest were posted to New Zealand.
But the good luck did not rub on to his teammates.
They were bowled out for 102 and were asked to follow on.
And at 30/2, Crowe walked out again.
There was good news and bad news off the second ball he faced.
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But the good luck did not rub on to his teammates.
They were bowled out for 102 and were asked to follow on.
And at 30/2, Crowe walked out again.
There was good news and bad news off the second ball he faced.
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Desperate to get off the mark, he stretched himself as far as he could.
The off-target throw reached the boundary. Crowe opened his account with a five.
But the hamstring that had let him down in the World Cup semi-final earlier that year gave in again.
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The off-target throw reached the boundary. Crowe opened his account with a five.
But the hamstring that had let him down in the World Cup semi-final earlier that year gave in again.
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How do you play spin like that?
The singles had to be cut out, Crowe realised. He focused on boundaries.
And the boundaries came, even if at intervals.
After lunch, a ball from Warnaweera spat in, hit his bat, then pad, and Gurusinha caught it on the bounce at silly point.
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The singles had to be cut out, Crowe realised. He focused on boundaries.
And the boundaries came, even if at intervals.
After lunch, a ball from Warnaweera spat in, hit his bat, then pad, and Gurusinha caught it on the bounce at silly point.
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Mudalige Samarasinghe ruled Crowe out.
But Crowe had seen the ball bounce.
He put pressure on Gurusinha: "You didn't catch that. It bounced first. Look at me and tell me you caught it. Come on, you guys, play the game."
Samarasinghe went to Ignatius Anandappa at square leg.
But Crowe had seen the ball bounce.
He put pressure on Gurusinha: "You didn't catch that. It bounced first. Look at me and tell me you caught it. Come on, you guys, play the game."
Samarasinghe went to Ignatius Anandappa at square leg.
The decision was overturned.
Thus reprieved, Crowe brought up his fifty, his first in the country.
The spinners – Anurasiri, Warnaweera, and Murali – kept the pressure on, but by this point Crowe had found confidence.
The deteriorating pitch did not seem to have an impact.
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Thus reprieved, Crowe brought up his fifty, his first in the country.
The spinners – Anurasiri, Warnaweera, and Murali – kept the pressure on, but by this point Crowe had found confidence.
The deteriorating pitch did not seem to have an impact.
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The hamstring prevented him from using his feet the way he wanted to.
But he somehow kept finding the boundary.
The field spread out as he moved to the eighties, then nineties.
The Sri Lankans – rightly – made him run.
The hundredth run was a single.
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But he somehow kept finding the boundary.
The field spread out as he moved to the eighties, then nineties.
The Sri Lankans – rightly – made him run.
The hundredth run was a single.
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Crowe hobbled towards the other end and had to dive to make it.
By the time he got up, Wright was there for the hug.
It had taken Crowe a mere 108 balls.
He broke down, for there was no doubt in his mind that this was his best innings till date.
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By the time he got up, Wright was there for the hug.
It had taken Crowe a mere 108 balls.
He broke down, for there was no doubt in his mind that this was his best innings till date.
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Ten minutes later he was gone, caught at square leg off (again) Murali.
His 107 had taken 121 balls, and had included 10 fours, 4 sixes, and a five.
He had scored these runs in a 159-run stand with Wright at exactly a run a minute.
New Zealand were bowled out for 361.
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His 107 had taken 121 balls, and had included 10 fours, 4 sixes, and a five.
He had scored these runs in a 159-run stand with Wright at exactly a run a minute.
New Zealand were bowled out for 361.
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An hour later Sri Lanka registered their first win against New Zealand.
PS:
Tillakaratne was named Player of the Match – not only for his 93 but also for equalling the world record tally of 7 catches in a Test match.
PS:
Tillakaratne was named Player of the Match – not only for his 93 but also for equalling the world record tally of 7 catches in a Test match.
Caught at *forward short leg
