A Gamble Gone Wrong: How Sri Lanka Outplayed West Indies in the 1995 Singer Champions Trophy Final

Cricket has a peculiar way of rewarding the bold and punishing the overconfident. On a scorching Friday afternoon at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium, Richie Richardson made a decision that would haunt the West Indies for the rest of the day. Winning the toss in the 1995 Singer Champions Trophy Final, he opted to field first—a calculated risk, but one that would prove disastrous against a Sri Lankan side that was gaining momentum on the international stage. What followed was a masterclass in batting, a dramatic collapse, and an eventual triumph that solidified Sri Lanka’s growing reputation in world cricket. 

Sri Lanka’s Commanding Start: Setting the Foundation

The Sri Lankan innings began with precision and patience as Sanath Jayasuriya  and  Roshan Mahanama  set a steady foundation. The West Indian bowlers struggled for an early breakthrough, watching helplessly as the openers manoeuvred the ball around Sharjah’s dry surface. Their partnership flourished past the century mark, and just as the West Indies looked increasingly desperate, they finally struck. 

At the ominous score of 111, Jayasuriya fell for 57 off 82 balls, courtesy of a sharp catch by Ottis Gibson off  Anderson Cummins. Yet, the dismissal did little to derail Sri Lanka’s intent. Mahanama, in sublime touch, went on to make 66, while the ever-dangerous Aravinda de Silva  played an explosive cameo, smashing a rapid 50 off just 35 balls. Their controlled aggression ensured Sri Lanka maintained a run rate of around 5.5 per over, keeping them firmly ahead in the contest. 

At 196 for three, Sri Lanka seemed poised for a massive total. However, cricket often twists narratives in unexpected ways, and the West Indies found their window of opportunity. 

The West Indian Fightback: Gibson’s Fiery Spell

Just when Sri Lanka looked set to accelerate, Ottis Gibson changed the complexion of the game. His pace and movement rattled the Sri Lankan middle order, sparking a collapse that saw Arjuna Ranatunga, Hashan Tillakaratne, Asanka Gurusinha, and Chandika Hathurusingha fall in quick succession. From a dominant 215 for four, Sri Lanka stumbled to 269 for eight, losing wickets at crucial moments. 

As the innings neared its end, an unusual interruption added to the drama. With Sri Lanka at 262 for seven, match referee Raman Subba Rao  surprisingly called for a lunch break with seven balls still remaining. The pause momentarily halted Sri Lanka’s momentum, but when play resumed, Gibson struck twice more, while Eric Upashantha  was run out. The innings concluded at 273, a challenging but chaseable target given West Indies’ batting firepower. 

West Indies Falter in the Chase: A Story of Missteps

What should have been a determined chase quickly turned into a nightmare. Eric Upashantha, playing only his second ODI, struck early, dismissing Stuart Williams and Brian Lara in quick succession. Losing Lara, their talisman, was a body blow from which the West Indies never truly recovered. 

Sherwin Campbell and Richie Richardson  attempted to stabilize the innings, but their partnership ended in disaster when a mix-up resulted in Richardson’s unfortunate run-out. As if the pressure wasn’t enough, Muttiah Muralitharan then delivered a moment of magic, clean bowling Campbell with a delivery that left the batsman clueless. At 88 for five, the West Indies were in dire straits. 

There was a flicker of resistance as Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Roger Harper put together 53 runs for the sixth wicket, rotating strike smartly and delaying the inevitable. But Sri Lanka had all the answers. Kumar Dharmasena  ended their fightback, dismissing Chanderpaul, while Muralitharan continued his dominance, catching Harper off his own bowling. 

At 156 for seven, the writing was on the wall. The lower order crumbled, and at  177 for nine, Sri Lanka was just one wicket away from victory. Yet, the final wicket would not fall easily. 

Gibson’s Late Resistance: A Last Stand in Vain

Despite the bleak situation, Ottis Gibson refused to go down without a fight. Complementing his stellar bowling performance, he launched a late counterattack alongside Hamish Anthony, adding a defiant **43-run stand off just 32 balls. Gibson’s 33 runs, featuring a six and three boundaries, injected momentary excitement into an otherwise one-sided chase. But the resistance was short-lived—Dharmasena struck again, dismissing Anthony to bring an end to the innings at 223. 

With that, Sri Lanka had clinched the title by 50 runs, a victory that was both convincing and symbolic of their rising status in world cricket. 

Conclusion: A Defining Moment in Sri Lankan Cricket

The 1995 Singer Champions Trophy final was a tale of two halves—Sri Lanka’s dominance in the first, and the West Indies’ fleeting comeback in the second. Richardson’s gamble at the toss proved costly, and while there were glimpses of brilliance from Gibson, Chanderpaul, and Harper, the West Indies never truly recovered from their top-order failures. 

For Sri Lanka, this victory was more than just a trophy—it was a statement of intent. A team once considered underdogs had now outplayed one of cricket’s most storied teams on a grand stage. It was a precursor to even greater triumphs, paving the way for their historic 1996 World Cup win. 

For the West Indies, the loss served as a reminder that their golden era was fading. The Caribbean dominance of the 1970s and 1980s had begun to erode, and this defeat at Sharjah was another indication that a changing of the guard was imminent in world cricket.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

Wasim Akram’s Monumental 257: A Record-Breaking Masterclass in Adversity

Test cricket welcomed its 77th venue, and Pakistan its 16th, with a stadium so newly reconstructed that it had yet to host a first-class match. It was on this fresh, untested stage that Wasim Akram crafted an innings of staggering brilliance, an exhibition of power and resilience that etched his name into the annals of cricketing history. His unbeaten 257, a marathon spanning eight hours and ten minutes across 363 deliveries, remains the highest score by a No. 8 batsman in Test cricket. A feat of audacity and discipline, his innings included 12 sixes—eclipsing Wally Hammond’s long-standing record of ten set in 1932-33—and 22 boundaries, each stroke a statement of intent.

Perhaps even more remarkable was the partnership that Wasim forged with Saqlain Mushtaq. Their unbroken stand of 313 runs, spanning 110 overs, rewrote history by surpassing the previous eighth-wicket record of 246 set by England’s Les Ames and Gubby Allen in 1931. It was a partnership born from adversity. At 237 for seven, Pakistan trailed Zimbabwe by 138, the prospect of a substantial first-innings deficit looming ominously. Yet, in a transformation both improbable and emphatic, Wasim and Saqlain turned despair into dominance, delivering Pakistan an eventual lead of 178.

Challenges and Conditions

Victory, however, remained elusive. Bad light curtailed play on the fourth evening, and rain delayed the proceedings on the final morning. Yet, it was the pitch—described by Dave Houghton as the slowest he had ever encountered—that proved Pakistan’s greatest obstacle. Offering neither bounce nor lateral movement, the surface neutralized the traditional weapons of Wasim and Waqar Younis, their attempts at reverse swing thwarted by the locally manufactured Grays balls, which they openly criticized.

Debutant Shahid Nazir, however, found early swing and capitalized on the conditions, his five-wicket haul reducing Zimbabwe to a precarious 142 for six. The revival came through Grant Flower and Paul Strang, whose stand of 131 showcased technical finesse and defiance. Flower’s century, crafted with his characteristic off-drives, was a masterclass in composure. Strang, driving with equal assurance, seemed destined for his maiden Test hundred before his brother Bryan joined him, their 87-run partnership delaying Pakistan’s charge. Strang ultimately reached 106 not out, a gritty innings spanning five hours, though not without fortune—he was dropped thrice.

Wasim’s Brilliance with the Willow

Pakistan’s innings was marred by a series of injudicious strokes from the top order, leaving them teetering at 183 for six. It was at this juncture that Wasim Akram, appalled by his teammates' recklessness, assumed a mantle of responsibility. He first stitched together a 54-run stand with Moin Khan before Paul Strang—by now the 18th cricketer to score a hundred and claim a five-wicket haul in the same Test—dismissed Moin.

What followed was a revelation. Wasim, often lauded for his artistry with the ball rather than the bat, demonstrated an application few had credited him with. Offering only one chance—when on 145—he meticulously constructed his innings, negotiating the spin of Strang and Andrew Whittall from the crease. He was ruthless against overpitched deliveries, driving them with commanding authority. His sixes, most of which soared over the straight boundaries, were a testament to his effortless power.

Saqlain, for his part, displayed remarkable fortitude, weathering the storm for seven hours to contribute a crucial 79. His ability to endure allowed Wasim the freedom to play his natural game, the duo’s contrasting styles melding into an alliance of attrition and aggression.

The Final Day and Zimbabwe’s Resilience

By the final day, Zimbabwe’s path to survival had been eased by an unfortunate collision between Wasim and a boundary board, rendering him unable to bowl more than five overs. With the slow surface negating substantial turn, Saqlain toiled through 40 overs, but his lines were often too wide to trouble the batsmen. The absence of the injured Mushtaq Ahmed was deeply felt. Once again, Grant Flower and Dave Houghton emerged as Zimbabwe’s saviours, with Andy Flower consuming three hours for a painstaking 18, each minute another brick in the wall of defiance.

Conclusion

In the end, the contest was a paradox—a match where individual brilliance reshaped history, yet the limitations of the conditions and circumstances conspired against a decisive outcome. Wasim Akram’s innings was a reminder of his multifaceted genius, a blend of flair and discipline rarely witnessed. While the match concluded without a winner, it left behind a narrative rich in drama, records, and the enduring spirit of Test cricket.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

Test Twenty: The Gimmick That Could Finish What T20 Started

Cricket has always evolved — sometimes gracefully, sometimes by force. But the unveiling of Test Twenty on October 16, conceived by sports entrepreneur Gaurav Bahirvani of The One One Six Network, feels less like evolution and more like erosion. Sold as a revolutionary “fourth format,” this new hybrid — part Test, part T20 — could end up stripping cricket of the very thing that made it beautiful: its patience, its poetry, its purpose.

A Test in Name Only

On paper, Test Twenty sounds clever: 80 overs in total, two innings of 20 overs per side, all wrapped up neatly in a single day. It promises the strategic nuance of Tests and the entertainment punch of T20s. The results — win, loss, draw, or tie — mimic tradition, while the structure is designed for the modern attention span.

But let’s be honest: this isn’t a reinvention of Test cricket. It’s a repackaged short-form product dressed up in nostalgia. What makes a Test isn’t just two innings and whites — it’s the slow burn, the psychological tug-of-war, the narrative that stretches and morphs over five days. Compressing that into a few hours doesn’t preserve the format’s soul; it suffocates it.

The Fast-Fooding of a Fine Meal

We’ve been down this road before. T20 was meant to be a supplement, not a substitute. It was the dessert that ended up replacing the meal. The explosion of franchise cricket — from the IPL to The Hundred — has already tilted the balance irreversibly toward entertainment over endurance. Players now retire from Tests at 30 to chase league contracts; boards prioritize broadcast windows over bilateral series.

Now, Test Twenty threatens to finish what T20 started — to turn even the last bastion of cricket’s authenticity into another bite-sized commodity. The message is clear: if something doesn’t fit the digital clock, it doesn’t deserve to exist.

The Allure of Technology, The Absence of Soul

The format’s biggest boast is its AI Discovery Engine, a data-driven system using motion sensors and video analysis to scout talent “impartially.” It’s a fascinating tool — but it misunderstands what cricket’s romance is built on. Algorithms can identify technique; they can’t identify temperament. Data can measure bat speed; it can’t capture the quiet defiance of a batter surviving the last hour in fading light.

Cricket’s legacy is human. It thrives in imperfection — in the missed edge, the fading pitch, the weary spell on the fifth morning. To replace that with AI-driven metrics is to miss the point entirely.

Innovation or Invasion?

The first Test Twenty season, set for January 2026, will feature six global franchises — three from Indian cities, and three from Dubai, London, and the United States. Predictably, the emphasis is on global reach and television appeal. Once again, the game’s guardians are confusing growth with glamour.

Cricket doesn’t need another format; it needs conviction. Test cricket doesn’t need a facelift; it needs faith. The answer to declining Test interest isn’t to dilute it — it’s to defend it, to invest in it, to tell its stories better.

What’s Left When Everything’s Shortened?

Test Twenty might market itself as innovation, but it risks being an obituary. Test cricket isn’t just a format — it’s the conscience of the sport. It’s where cricket’s mythology lives, where legends are forged not by sixes but by survival.

We’ve already lost enough of the game’s soul to the ticking clock of commercial convenience. The question now is simple: when every version of cricket is fast, who will still have the patience to watch the game unfold slowly — beautifully — as it once did?

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar 

Brian Lara’s Masterclass in Sharjah, 1995: A Timeless ODI Epic

Brian Lara’s genius with the bat was already an established fact well before the triangular series in Sharjah in October 1995. His appetite for massive scores had seen him script unforgettable innings in Test cricket, including a breathtaking 277 against Australia, the world-record 375 against England, and a commanding 145 versus New Zealand. Even in the limited-overs format, Lara had demonstrated his ability to dominate, with his highest ODI score of 153 coming at the same venue against Pakistan. However, the innings he produced against Sri Lanka in Sharjah during this series would go on to be remembered as one of the finest ever in One-Day International (ODI) history.

A Must-Win Scenario for West Indies

The West Indies entered this contest in a precarious position. With two narrow defeats in their opening round fixtures—one against Pakistan and the other against Sri Lanka—the Caribbean side found itself languishing at the bottom of the table. The only path to survival in the tournament required them to win both remaining matches. Lara had already played a crucial role in keeping their campaign alive, having scored a crucial half-century against Pakistan to keep their hopes intact. However, their next match, against an unpredictable Sri Lankan side, demanded yet another special performance from the left-handed maestro. What followed was an innings of unparalleled dominance.

Winning the Toss: A Change in Strategy

West Indies skipper Richie Richardson had been criticized for his preference to bowl first in previous matches, a strategy that had backfired. Learning from past mistakes, he opted to bat first on what Wisden later described as one of the flattest tracks in Asia. However, the start wasn’t promising. In just the second over, opener Stuart Williams fell to Pramodaya Wickramasinghe, leaving West Indies at 2/1. With the team under early pressure, Lara walked to the crease, setting the stage for a masterclass that would leave the Sri Lankans shell-shocked.

Early Onslaught: Lara Dictates Terms

Though Lara lacked the raw swagger of his predecessor Viv Richards, his stroke-making on that day was no less destructive. Wearing only a maroon cap, he unleashed a relentless assault on the bowlers. The Sri Lankan pacers were dispatched to all parts of the ground, forcing Ranatunga to introduce spin early in an attempt to stifle the scoring. If the change was meant to slow Lara down, it had the opposite effect. Spinners, instead of controlling the game, found themselves under siege as Lara’s footwork and shot selection dismantled their rhythm.

The Supporting Role: Richardson Holds Steady

At the other end, Richardson provided stability, playing a second-fiddle role while Lara dominated proceedings. By the time he reached his half-century off as many balls, West Indies had surged to 97 for two in just 18 overs, setting the tone for a commanding total.

Spinners Under Siege

Desperate for a breakthrough, Sri Lanka turned to their premier bowlers. Aravinda de Silva and Muttiah Muralitharan were introduced, hoping to curb the scoring rate, but Lara was in sublime form. Muralitharan was treated with caution initially, yet even he couldn’t escape Lara’s onslaught, as a towering six over midwicket testified. Meanwhile, de Silva was subjected to an onslaught, with almost every over-yielding boundary. Even the wily Sanath Jayasuriya was given a brief spell, but nothing could derail Lara’s momentum.

The Century and Beyond: A Ruthless Assault

Lara’s century arrived with a signature punch past mid-wicket, a knock constructed with remarkable fluency and aggression. His celebration was subdued, a clear indication that he was far from done. Moments later, Ranatunga spilt a sharp chance at cover, allowing Lara to continue his carnage.

With newfound freedom, Lara dismantled the Sri Lankan bowling attack even further. Jayasuriya’s four overs yielded 30 runs, while de Silva’s figures read a dismal 51 runs conceded in six overs. When Lara reached 150, the anticipation in the stadium and the press box grew—could he become the first man to score a double-century in ODIs.

The Moment of Dismissal: A Brilliant Knock Ends

Just as he seemed destined for history, fate intervened. On 169, in an attempt to sweep Dharmasena, Lara misjudged the delivery, and the ball snuck between his bat and pad to disturb the stumps. A stunned silence briefly enveloped the stadium before applause erupted, acknowledging a knock that would stand as a defining moment in ODI history.

Legacy of the Knock

Lara’s innings comprised 15 fours and four sixes, lifting the West Indies to a formidable total of 282 for six with five overs still remaining. As Wisden noted, “he fell 21 short of beating Viv Richards’s one-day international best of 189 and adding that record to the Test and First-Class ones he gained in 1994.”

Yet, statistics alone fail to capture the sheer brilliance of this knock. It wasn’t merely about the number of runs but how they were accumulated—graceful yet brutal, elegant yet ruthless. This was Lara at his peak, a master of his craft dismantling an opposition with audacity and authority.

Conclusion: An Innings for the Ages

Lara’s 169 in Sharjah remains one of the greatest ODI innings of all time. In an era where batting wasn’t as power-dominated as today, his ability to single-handedly dictate the flow of the game was a testament to his genius. Though his career would go on to span 299 ODIs, never again would he produce a knock of such unrelenting brilliance. It was a reminder that when Brian Lara was at his best, no bowler, no field setting, and no opposition could stand in his way. His innings was more than a statistical marvel—it was an enduring statement of mastery, a spectacle of cricketing artistry, and a performance that remains etched in the golden archives of the sport.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

Mark Taylor’s 334: A Study in Grit, Legacy, and Selflessness

If ever a sound could encapsulate the essence of a Test innings, it was the mellow thwack of ball meeting the middle of Mark Taylor’s bat during his historic, unbeaten 334 in Peshawar. On a pitch as unchanging as time itself—flat, evenly grassed, and golden in hue—Taylor’s innings unfolded with a precision that defined his decade-long Test career. This was not merely an exercise in run accumulation; it was an exhibition of control, patience, and supreme mental resilience.

The early exchanges were fraught with peril. Shoaib Akhtar, then a nascent storm in Pakistan’s fast-bowling arsenal, tore through the morning with an opening burst of raw hostility, removing Slater for 16 and briefly unsettling Taylor. The Pakistani quick bowled with an aggression that threatened to disrupt the Australian innings before it could take root. Yet, as if gathering himself like a craftsman refining his art, Taylor found his rhythm. His pulling was brutal, his cutting surgical—every stroke a statement of control over the conditions, his opponents, and, ultimately, cricketing history.

Taylor and Justin Langer would go on to compile a monumental 279-run stand for the second wicket, an unrelenting display of batting dominance that eclipsed every previous partnership in Australia-Pakistan Tests. Their stand was not merely an exhibition of batting prowess but a symbol of the strategic patience required to navigate long innings in subcontinental conditions. They weathered spells of extreme pace and deceptive spin, taking advantage of a pitch that refused to deteriorate, ensuring Australia’s position of supremacy.

By the time the dust had settled on day two, Taylor stood undefeated on 334, his team's total at 4-599—a number that would provoke a night of restless contemplation for the Australian skipper.

The Burden of a Record

The weight of history is not easily borne, and on that sweltering night in Peshawar, Mark Taylor wrestled with a decision that would not only define his legacy but also, in his mind, determine the fate of the match. The number 334 had long been sacred in Australian cricket, standing as a monument to Sir Donald Bradman’s genius, untouched for over six decades. Now, Taylor had reached its precipice, with the path ahead leading either to personal glory or to a gesture of ultimate self-sacrifice.

In the quiet solitude of his hotel room, sleep eluded him. “I spent hours that night contemplating what to do,” Taylor later admitted. He was acutely aware of the optics: batting on for even twenty more minutes might have secured the record outright, but at what cost? The thought of being perceived as a man chasing numbers rather than victory unsettled him. “I didn’t want to send that message,” he reasoned.

The discussions around the decision were surprisingly subdued. His teammates, respecting the gravity of the moment, offered no counsel, leaving the final call entirely to their captain. The only voice of dissent came from his sister, Lisa, who bluntly urged, “Bat on, you idiot.” Yet, when dawn broke over the northern city, Taylor’s mind was made up. With a quiet dignity befitting the moment, he declared the innings closed, his name now eternally intertwined with Bradman’s in a shared, poetic symmetry.

It was a decision rooted in a sense of duty rather than self-interest. In an era when cricketers were often tempted by personal milestones, Taylor stood apart, prioritizing team success over individual accolade. In hindsight, it was a move that reinforced his leadership credentials—his ability to view the game from a broader perspective, to embrace responsibility with a wisdom that set him apart from mere run-makers.

A Masterclass in Endurance

Taylor’s innings had not been without its moments of fortune. A mistimed inside edge off his first scoring shot barely missed the stumps, and twice in the twenties, he was reprieved by fielding lapses. But after those early missteps, he constructed a near-flawless masterpiece. For over twelve hours across two grueling days, with temperatures lingering in the mid-30s, Taylor scarcely put a foot wrong.

The sheer physical toll of such an effort was immense. “I wasn’t feeling that bad until the high 200s,” he later reflected. But the psychological weight of approaching 300 proved heavier than any fatigue. The knowledge that this might be his only opportunity to etch his name into cricket’s most elite club spurred him on. At 298, a short ball from Mushtaq Ahmed was dispatched past cover, the single taking him into rarefied air.

Here, in the furnace of the subcontinent, Taylor had achieved what only a select few had before him. He had not merely survived; he had thrived, dictating terms in an era where Australian cricket was beginning its march toward dominance.

As he neared Bradman’s mark, fate interceded once more. The final ball of the day, firmly clipped towards mid-wicket, was intercepted by the ever-reliable Ijaz Ahmed. A single would have taken Taylor beyond 334, into the unknown. But history, it seemed, had already chosen its script.

A Meeting with The Don

In the months that followed, Taylor received a letter from Sir Donald Bradman himself, offering congratulations on the shared milestone. When the two men eventually met in Adelaide, the Don, ever the analyst, noted the numerical differences between their innings. Bradman’s 334 had come in just 383 minutes off 448 balls, a whirlwind by comparison to Taylor’s 564-ball marathon. His tally of 46 boundaries dwarfed Taylor’s 32.

Taylor, ever the competitor, found one small victory. “But Don, I actually hit a six,” he quipped.

Bradman, the perfectionist, was unmoved. “Mark, I always kept the ball on the ground.”

It was a moment that spoke to the contrasting styles of the two great batsmen. Bradman’s game had been defined by relentless scoring, an insatiable hunger to dominate bowlers with rapidity and precision. Taylor’s innings, by contrast, was a study in discipline and methodical accumulation. Theirs were different eras, different pitches, different challenges, but the shared number bound them together in Australian cricket folklore.

The Message Beyond the Runs

Ultimately, the match ended in a draw, Australia unable to force victory despite their commanding total. Yet Taylor’s decision to declare on 334 was not in vain. In doing so, he reinforced an ethos that cricket at its purest is not merely about individual milestones but about the pursuit of team success.

Reflecting years later, he remained unwavering in his conviction. “I’ve always said to people that you’re there to try and win games of cricket,” he asserted. “I wanted to declare to give us a chance to win.”

Taylor’s decision remains one of cricket’s great acts of sportsmanship—a moment where personal ambition was set aside for the good of the team. It is a rare thing in the modern game, where individual records are often pursued with relentless zeal. By stopping at 334, Taylor cemented his place not just in the record books, but in the pantheon of cricket’s great leaders.

In the end, Taylor’s innings was more than just a number. It was a testament to discipline, to endurance, and, above all, to the philosophy that the spirit of cricket is not measured in runs alone.

Thank You 

Faisal Caesar