BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor
This famous date in sports history is filled with amazing records and exciting matches. It is special because it marks the birthday of Dinkar Balwant Deodhar, the Grand Old Man of Indian Cricket, who proved age is just a number by scoring a century at 53 years old. The excitement continues with modern stars like Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant, who showed great courage on this day by scoring brilliant centuries against powerful teams. This date also saw Australia completely dominate their opponents, from the record-breaking partnership of David Warner and Aaron Finch to the magical bowling of Brad Hogg. Whether it is huge scores or incredible wickets, 14 January is a truly unforgettable day in cricket history.
Dinkar Balwant Deodhar, popularly known as the Grand Old Man of Indian Cricket, was a respected Indian cricketer and a professor of Sanskrit at Pune College. He was an aggressive right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler who captained the Maharashtra team in the Ranji Trophy. His career was quite unique because he played first-class cricket from 1911 to 1948, spanning both World Wars. In his 81-match career, he scored a total of 4,522 runs at an average of 39.32, with a highest score of 246 and also took 11 wickets. One of his most amazing records came when he was 53 years old. He scored a century in both innings of a match against Nawanagar, helping his team win.
Beyond his playing days, Deodhar served as the vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and as a national team selector. For his great contribution to sports, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1965 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991. He was the first Indian first-class cricketer to live to be 100 years old. Today, he is remembered through the Deodhar Trophy, a cricket tournament named after him and a bronze statue installed at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune.
This was the 4th Match of the Carlton & United Series between Australia and India at the Sydney Ground. In this match, Adam Gilchrist achieved a special record by taking his 100th ODI catch, while Glenn McGrath delivered a magical spell with figures of 4 wickets for just 8 runs. After winning the toss, Captain Sachin Tendulkar elected to bat first, but the Indian team suffered a terrible batting collapse on a difficult pitch. Star openers Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly returned to the pavilion very early, leaving the team in trouble. Rahul Dravid was the top scorer with 22 runs, but the rest of the batting lineup failed and India was all out for a very low score of 100 runs in 36.3 overs.
Chasing the small target, Australia won the match comfortably by 5 wickets with 139 balls to spare, even though rain stopped the play for a short while. Javagal Srinath bowled his heart out for India and gave a tough fight by taking 4 wickets for 30 runs. Adam Gilchrist scored a quick 37 runs to set up the chase, and Andrew Symonds finished the game, remaining not out on 28. For his brilliant all-round performance of taking 4 wickets and scoring runs, Andrew Symonds was declared the Player of the Match.
This match between Australia and the West Indies on 14 January 2001 is famous because the Australian team broke several huge records while dominating their opponents. The biggest highlight was the incredible partnership between opening batsmen Mark Waugh and Adam Gilchrist. Together, they scored 206 runs for the first wicket, which set a new record for the best opening partnership for any team playing on Australian soil and the highest ever for Australia in home One-Day Internationals. The match was also historically significant because Australia finally won a game against the West Indies at the Brisbane 'Gabba stadium, ending a long curse where they had lost their previous six matches against them at this ground.
During the match, the West Indies batted first and managed to score 234 runs for 8 wickets, with Wavell Hinds scoring a fighting 54 runs and bowler Shane Warne taking 3 wickets for Australia. When it was Australia's turn to bat, stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist was very lucky because he was dropped by a fielder when he had only scored 2 runs. He went on to punish the bowlers by scoring 98 runs, while Mark Waugh was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten score of 112. Thanks to their batting, Australia won comfortably by 9 wickets with more than six overs left to spare.
This match is famous for Australia’s crushing victory over the West Indies, driven by incredible fast bowling and the finest batting. The main highlight was the scary speed of Australian bowler Brett Lee, who bowled over 150kph to destroy the West Indies' top batsmen early in the game. The match is also memorable for the performance of spin bowler Brad Hogg, who achieved his career-best bowling figures. These stunning efforts turned the game into a one-sided contest where Australia completely outplayed their opponents.
Australia batted first and scored a massive total of 301 runs for 4 wickets, with Damien Martyn scoring an unbeaten 95 and captain Ricky Ponting making 78. Michael Clarke also contributed a quick 66 runs after being promoted to open the batting. In the second innings the West Indies could not chase the huge target and were all out for just 185 runs, resulting in a 116-run loss. While Brian Lara tried to save his team with a score of 58, Brad Hogg took 5 wickets for 32 runs to seal the win and earned the Player of the Match award for his outstanding achievement.
On Day 2, Virat Kohli stood tall with an unbeaten 85, showing great skill and determination while wickets fell around him. This match became famous because it showcased Kohli’s ability to fight a lone battle against a powerful bowling attack on a challenging foreign pitch, eventually finishing with a magnificent 153 runs off 217 balls. This famous performance took place during the second Test match between India and South Africa at Centurion in January 2018. The game is also memorable for the incredible desire to win shown by the South African team, highlighted by spectacular catches and the debut of their fast bowler, Lungi Ngidi.
In the match, South Africa batted first and scored 335 runs, with strong batting from Aiden Markram and Hashim Amla. Kohli’s 153 helped India reach 307 runs in reply, keeping the game competitive. However, South Africa set a difficult target of 287 runs for India to chase in the final innings. The young debutant Lungi Ngidi became the hero of the match, taking 6 wickets for just 39 runs to collapse the Indian batting lineup. India was bowled out for 151 and South Africa won by 135 runs to clinch the series victory.
It was one of the rare defeats for India, when the visiting team Australia defeated them without losing a single wicket. This match between India and Australia played at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, became popular when Australia humiliated India with a massive 10-wicket victory. The match is remembered for the phenomenal batting performance of Australian openers David Warner and Aaron Finch, who created history by scoring 258 runs together. This was Australia’s second-highest opening partnership ever in ODI. The match was a shock to many because India, usually very strong at home, was completely outplayed and could not take even one wicket during Australia's innings.
In the first innings, India scored 255 runs with Shikhar Dhawan scoring the highest 74 runs and KL Rahul added 47. Even after having a good start, the team lost wickets quickly against Mitchell Starc's bowling attack. Starc took 3 wickets for 56 runs, while Adam Zampa dismissed captain Virat Kohli, who surprised everyone by batting at the number 4 position instead of his usual number 3 spot. When Australia came to bat, they made the target look very easy. David Warner smashed 128 runs not out and Aaron Finch scored 110 runs not out, leading Australia to victory with more than 12 overs left to spare.
Rishabh Pant played a heroic innings for India in the second half of the match, scoring a brilliant 100 runs not out while his teammates struggled to stay at the crease. He helped India to set a high score with his six fours and four sixes, fighting alone to help India set a target as wickets fell quickly around him. This match became famous because South Africa managed to chase down the target of 212 runs to win the game by 7 wickets, completing a major comeback to win the series 2-1. It was one of the very rare moments for India to lose a Test series after they had won the first match.
In the first innings, Virat Kohli scored 79 runs to help India reach a total of 223, while Jasprit Bumrah bowled magnificently to take five wickets for India. However, South Africa's batters performed better under pressure during the final chase. Keegan Petersen was the star player for South Africa, scoring 82 runs in the last innings to guide his team to victory. For his excellent batting performance in both innings, Petersen was named the Player of the Match and the Player of the Series.
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