On This Day In Cricket - January 26

26th January is a very special day in cricket history as it has seen many exciting matches and big moments. In 1989, Allan Border shocked West Indies with his brilliant bowling, and in 1993, West Indies beat Australia by just 1 run in a match that is still remembered today. The day is also important for young players, because in 2016 stars like Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Travis Head started their T20 international careers on this same date.

On This Day - January 26, 1989 - Allan Border's Career-Best Bowling

On 26 January 1989, Allan Border delivered the best bowling performance of his career, taking 7 wickets for 46 runs (7/46) against the West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The match was the fourth Test between Australia and the West Indies, in which Border, with his part-time left-arm spin, dismantled the West Indies' strong batting order. West Indies were at one stage at 144/1, but Border dismissed veterans Viv Richards and Richie Richardson to bundle out the team for 224. His total of 11 wickets (7 in the first innings and 4 in the second) remains the best bowling performance by any Australian captain in a single match. Thanks to his performance, Australia won the match by 7 wickets and Border was named Man of the Match.

Allan Border was primarily a left-handed batsman and scored a total of 11,174 runs in his Test career, a world record at the time. He played 156 Test matches, including a record-breaking 153 consecutive matches. Border did not want the captaincy at first but later led Australia to their first World Cup win in 1987. He is the only player in Test history to score more than 150 runs in both innings of the same Test. In his honour, the Allan Border Medal is awarded annually to Australia's best cricketer.

On This Day - January 26, 1993 - West Indies Narrowest Test Win

The West Indies beat Australia by just 1 run in one of the most dramatic matches in Test cricket history on this day in 1993. It is the smallest winning margin by runs in Test cricket, a record now shared with New Zealand’s 1-run win in 2023. The West Indies were the top team in the world at that time and had not lost a Test series since 1980, making this win very important for them.

Australia needed 186 runs to win while batting in the second inning, but West Indies bowler Curtly Ambrose put them under pressure with his lethal bowling. The last pair Tim May and Craig McDermott at the end, played their best to take Australia to within 2 runs of victory. Then Courtney Walsh bowled a bouncer and McDermott was given out by the umpire. The decision was controversial as McDermott believed the ball hit his helmet and not his glove, but the umpire’s decision stood and West Indies won the match.

On This Day - January 26, 2016 - Kagiso Rabada's 13-Wicket Masterclass

Kagiso Rabada delivered a brilliant bowling performance against England in the Test match at Centurion on this day in 2016. He took 13 wickets in the match with 7 wickets in the first innings and 6 wickets in the second innings. This made Rabada the youngest South African player to take 10 wickets in a Test match. His match figures of 13 for 144 were also the second-best bowling figures in South Africa’s Test history at that time.

In this match, South Africa scored 475 runs in the first innings with centuries from Hashim Amla, Stephen Cook and Quinton de Kock. England replied with 342 runs. South Africa then declared their second innings at 248 for 5 and set England a target of 382 runs to win. England collapsed against Kagiso Rabada’s fast bowling and were bowled out for just 101 runs on the final day. South Africa won the match by 280 runs and Rabada was named Player of the Match. However, England had already secured the series, which they won with 2-1.

On This Day - January 26, 2016 - Pandya and Bumrah T20I Debut

On 26 January 2016, in the first T20I played at Adelaide against Australia, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah made their international debuts together. India won the match by 37 runs. Bumrah impressed straight away with the ball and took 3 wickets for 23 runs in 3.3 overs, with David Warner becoming his first T20 international wicket. Hardik had a tough start and bowled six wides in his first over, but he came back well later and finished with two wickets for 37 runs in three overs, dismissing Chris Lynn and Matthew Wade.

Both players later became key members of the Indian team. Jasprit Bumrah is currently seen as one of the best bowlers in the world because of his unique, deadly yorkers and control. He has reached the Number 1 ranking in all the three formats and also named Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup 2024.

On the other side, Hardik Pandya has become one of the top all-rounders in the world and is popularly known for his aggressive batting and fast bowling skills. He was the vice-captain of India’s 2024 T20 World Cup winning team and also captained Gujarat Titans for the IPL titles.

On This Day - January 26, 2016 - Travis Head T20I Debut

On 26 January 2016, in the same T20I at Adelaide against India, Travis Head made his international debut for Australia, the match in which Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah also played their first T20I for India. Head had a quiet start, batting at number five and he just scored 2 runs off 5 balls before being dismissed by lbw on Ravindra Jadeja’s ball. He also bowled one over and gave away 9 runs. After that slow beginning, Head has gone on to become one of the most dangerous left-handed batters in world cricket and is known for his aggressive batting and useful off-spin bowling.

Travis Head is seen as a big-match player because he scored centuries in both major finals in 2023. He made 163 runs in the World Test Championship final and 137 runs in the ODI World Cup final, helping Australia win both titles and was named Man of the Match in both finals. He is only the second batter in history to score a century while chasing in an ODI World Cup final and the first player ever to score centuries in two ICC finals in the same year. Apart from this, in IPL 2024 he scored 567 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad at a strike rate of 191.55, and in June 2024 he also became the world’s No. 1 T20 batter.

On This Day - January 26, 2022 - Powell’s Century and Brooks’ Debut

In the third T20 match against England in Barbados, West Indies batter Rovman Powell played a memorable innings after coming into the team in place of Odean Smith. Powell reached his century in just 51 balls and scored 107 runs off 53 balls, hitting 10 big sixes, including one that travelled over 100 metres. He shared a strong third-wicket partnership of 122 runs with Nicholas Pooran, who scored 70, and helped West Indies post a huge total of 224 for 5.

On the other hand, England played with several changes due to injuries and illness, which gave Harry Brook, Phil Salt, and George Garton their T20I debuts. Brook struggled in his first match and scored only 10 runs off 13 balls without hitting a boundary. He was caught on the boundary by Rovman Powell off the bowling of Jason Holder. Although fellow debutant Phil Salt scored a quick 57 off 24 balls and Tom Banton made 73, England fell 20 runs short and lost the match.