Birthday Special: Ian Chappell – top three performances for Australia
A staple of the commentary box and a vocal supporter of the traditional form of the game, Ian Chappell has served the cricketing community for countless years now. The former Australian skipper is renowned for his stern remarks, reminiscent of his playing days when he blunted opposition with his aggressive approach. Although he is famed for his leadership skills during the 70s, Chappell was a defiant batter in his prime and played several memorable innings for the Australian side. On his 80th birthday, we revisit some of his most notable performances for Australia.
165 against West Indies, 1968
Australia welcomed a spirited West Indian unit at the MCC for the second Test after the visitors claimed a memorable victory in Brisbane. Australia won the toss and invited the visitors to bat first in the match. The Windies were restricted to a total of just 200 runs as Graham McKenzie returned with exceptional bowling figures of 8/71 in the first innings. Australia, in their reply, lost Ian Redpath cheaply, before skipper Bill Lawry and Ian Chappell put on a mammoth 298 runs for the second wicket. Lawry stole the show with a dazzling double century, while Chappell played a tremendous supporting hand with his fluent 165 runs. Australia put up a hefty total of 510 runs on the board, which turned out to be more than enough as the hosts leveled the series with an emphatic victory by an innings and 30 runs.
192 against England, 1975
An Australian team led by Ian Chappell headed to Kennington Oval with sights set on a historic series win against nemesis England. The Aussies batted first in the match after winning the toss but lost Alan Turner cheaply. That is when the skipper put his hands up for the team and registered a sensational 277-run stand for the second wicket along with Richard McCosker. The skipper played a majestic inning of 192 runs to take Australia to a handsome total of 532 runs. The match eventually fizzled out in a draw as Australia took home the four-match series by virtue of a solitary win. Chappell finished as the leading run-scorer in the four-match series.
196 against Pakistan, 1972
Pakistan travelled to Adelaide for their first Test of a three-match series against Australia. The visitors, led by Intikhab Alam, won the toss and batted first in the series opener. The decision came back to haunt the Asian side as the Australian pacers restricted them to 257 runs, thanks to a late riposte from the lower-order batters. The hosts asserted their dominance with the bat as they compiled a daunting total of 585 runs in their reply. Ian Chappel made the headlines with his masterful innings, missing out on a glorious double century by just four runs. Pakistan succumbed to another low score in their second innings as the Aussies won the game by an innings and 114 runs.
