WC: When Ambrose kissed the bat but could not win it against India at Perth

Bengaluru, Feb 25: Defending champions India will face former champions West Indies in their third match of the ongoing ICC World Cup 2015 at the WACA Ground in Perth on March 6. It will be the eighth meeting between the teams at the World Cup since 1979.

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However, it will be the first time India and the West Indies, both of whom have won the World Cup twice, will play a one-day international game at Perth since December 1991.

That match played between the men and blue and maroon over 23 years ago was the first ever in an Australian venue and it was a tie.

It was the first-ever match of a long tri-series that also featured hosts Australia. The Indians went into the tri-series after losing to the ACB Chairman's XI and Australia in the first Test at Brisbane.

But just like they had collapsed in the second innings of the Test match where they were all out for just 156, the Indians struggled to tackle the West Indian pacers on a fast wicket at Perth and were skittled out for a paltry 126 in 47.4 overs.

The Caribbean pace quartet of Pattrick Patterson, Curtley Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall and Anderson Cummins took 7 wickets between them while three Indian batsmen were run out. Opener Ravi Shastri with 33 off 110 balls was India's highest scorer while the extras were the second highest scorer.

Ambrose's bowling figures in this match were 8.4 overs, 3 maidens, 2 wickets for 9 runs!

The target of 127 in 50 overs made it look like a catwalk but the Indian bowlers had something else in their mind. The Indians perhaps had remembered the historic match at Sharjah in 1985 when they bowled out arch-rivals Pakistan after scoring just 125, Desmond Haynes was dismissed in the very first ball from Kapil Dev and when Brian Lara departed with the Caribbeans reeling at 61 for 6, the match promised not to be a one-sided one.

Malcolm Marshall ws dismissed by debutant Subrata Banerjee for 7 off 36 balls and the West Indians were reduced to 76 for 7.

It was then when Ambrose and Cummins resisted the Indian bowlers and added 37 valuable runs for the 9th wicket. Ambrose hit a massive six off a no-ball from Kapil Dev and kissed the blade of his bat [see 0:18 seconds in the video above] . But a direct throw by Ravi Shastri from mid-off caught Ambrose short of the crease at the 37th over and West Indies were left 14 runs short of the target with just one wicket in hand.

Cummins then added 13 runs with last man Patterson and was just to get 1 run in 9.1 overs when a 18-year-old Sachin Tendulkar, bowling his first over of the match, made the strike The fielding was close and Cummins popped the final delivery of the Tendulkar over to skipper Azharuddin waiting in the second slip.

he Caribbeans were left stunned as they could not take all the points despite chasing just 127. Debutant Banerjee took 3 wickets for 30 runs while Ambrose was adjudged the man of the match.

That was December 6, 1991. The two old rivals are set to lock horns at the same venue on March 6, 2015. Will the excitements be the same?

Oneindia News