On This Day In Cricket - December 9

December 9 is a date in cricket history that has woven countless thrilling stories across many different eras, circumstances, and grounds. Matches played on this day have included historic ups and downs in Test cricket, decisive performances by legendary players, memorable controversies and limited-overs thrills. Whether it was Australia's collapse for 58 in 1936, Kapil Dev's famous run-out in 1992, Viv Richards' explosive innings in 1979, or an intense end to the India-Pakistan Delhi Test, December 9 has provided cricket fans with all sorts of thrills. This is why this date is considered one of the most memorable days in the cricket calendar.

On This Day - December 9, 1936 - Australia all out for 58 at the Gabba

On the morning of the final day of the first Test between Australia and England, played from December 4 to December 9, the damp and bouncy Brisbane pitch gave Australia no time, not even to breathe. The fast and relentless movement of English bowlers Gubby Allen and Bill Woje destroyed the entire batting line-up. As a result, the hosts were bowled out for just 58 and it was the lowest Test score of the 20th century at the time.

Although England easily won the match by 322 runs, but the story didn't end there. This was Don Bradman's first Test match as captain and he inspired the team to lead a remarkable comeback in the series. Despite trailing 0-2 in the five-match Test series, Australia went on to win the series 3-2. This is still considered one of the most unique and incredible comebacks in the history of Test cricket.

On This Day - 09 December 1979 - Viv Richards' explosive innings of 153*

West Indies' legendary batsman Viv Richards showcased his explosive batting in the fourth match of the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1979 against Australia in Melbourne. He scored an unbeaten 153* off 130 balls, which was the first 150+ score in ODI cricket history outside England at that time.

In this match, Sir Vivian Richards, along with Desmond Haynes, shared a partnership of 205 runs, which at that time was also a world record for the highest partnership for any wicket in ODI cricket. This partnership helped West Indies, batting first, post a total of 271/2 and secure a massive 80-run victory. Later, under the captaincy of Clive Lloyd, the West Indies also won the World Cup title.

On This Day - 09 December 1979 - Thrilling end to India vs Pakistan Delhi Test

The final day of this match, played from December 4th to 9th, is considered one of the most dramatic endings in Test cricket history. In this match, Pakistan scored 273 runs in the first innings, but India was all out for just 126 runs in its first innings. Pakistan then batted again and scored 242 runs. After this, India had to achieve a difficult target of 390 runs in the last innings, due to which the match seemed completely in the control of Pakistan, but India put up a great fight. Dilip Vengsarkar batted for nearly nine hours, scoring an unbeaten 146* to keep the match alive until the final moments.

But with India needing 26 runs to win and Pakistan four wickets away from victory, the fifth day's play ended. Therefore, the match was declared a draw. Also, a rare incident occurred in the same match where Dilip Doshi was given run out by the umpire, but Pakistan captain Majid Khan showing sportsmanship, withdrew his appeal.

On This Day - 09 December 1992 - Kapil Dev's Memorable Run-out of Peter Kirsten

During this match between India and South Africa at Gqebarha in Port Elizabeth, Kapil Dev ran out Peter Kirsten for stepping too far forward at the non-striker's end before bowling. Kapil had already warned him, so the run-out was completely legal under cricket's rules. However, the incident immediately sparked controversy and debate on the field, as some players felt it was against the spirit of the game, even though it was a correct decision according to the rules.

Kirsten refused to leave the crease for some time after being given out, leading to tensions between the umpires and the players of both teams. He was subsequently fined 50% of his match fee, while South African captain Kepler Wessels' behavior also drew criticism. However, despite this controversy, South Africa won the match by six wickets in a chase of 148 runs. This incident is still considered a prime example of discussions on the rules and sportsmanship related to 'Mankading'.

On This Day - 09 December 1992 - Muralitharan's first Match-Winning Spell

In this match against New Zealand in Colombo, Sri Lanka's 20-year-old off-spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, bowled his first match-winning spell in Test cricket. He took a total of 7 wickets in this match with figures of 3/22 in the first innings and 4/134 in the second innings. This performance may seem small compared to his later historic performances, but at the time it formed the basis of a crucial win for Sri Lanka. Seeing his control, turn and line-length, the cricket world started recognising his extraordinary talent for the first time.

Due to Muralitharan's brilliant bowling, New Zealand could only manage 91 runs in their first innings and 361 runs in the second innings while following on. As a result, Sri Lanka easily chased down the target of 70 runs in the final innings to win the match by 9 wickets. This victory is also considered special because Muralitharan dismissed the legendary batsman Martin Crowe in both innings. Muralitharan later became the highest wicket-taker with 800 wickets in Test history, so December 9 is remembered as the first major highlight of Muralitharan’s career.

On This Day - 9 December 1993 - ODI Debuts of Michael Slater and Glenn McGrath

The first ODI between Australia and South Africa, played at Melbourne, saw the debut of two players in ODI cricket who would later change the course of Australian cricket. Top-order batsman Michael Slater, batting in his naturally aggressive style, scored 73 runs off 69 balls. His debut showed that he can bring new energy and rhythm to the top order in the limited overs format.

On the other hand, this match of legendary Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath was watched with expectations and he also showed glimpses of his accurate line and length. Although he did not take a wicket in this match, he bowled economically, giving away 28 runs in 8.4 overs, which was to become the hallmark of his future career. Moreover, it is also interesting that in the same match McGrath was also out for a golden duck, just like he had been on his Test debut.

On This Day - 9 December 1997 - Lance Klusener's 5-wicket haul

In the fourth day-night match of the Carlton & United Series 1997/98 played in Melbourne, South Africa could only score 170 runs while batting first. Looking at this score at that time, it seemed that Australia would easily chase this run. But the swing and bounce bowling of medium pace all-rounder Lance Klusener changed the entire story. He took 5 wickets for just 24 runs in 7.1 overs, dismantling Australia's experienced batting lineup and turning the match into a thrilling one. This spell remains one of the best performances in his early career.

Klusener's devastating spell of 5/24 helped South Africa defend a total of 170 and win the match by 45 runs. In this tri-series between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, the Proteas won 7 out of 8 matches and captured the series trophy by finishing first in the points table. In this series, the team captained by Hansie Cronje had to face defeat in only one match against New Zealand.