| It was a game that then Australian captain, Steve | | | | out, with Rick Ponting scoring 22 off 76 balls. |
| Waugh, described as the best Test match he ever | | | | Amazingly, Shane Warne was the top-scorer in that |
| played. His opposite number, Brian Lara, of the West | | | | innings with 32 off 48 balls. Australia struggled to 146 |
| Indies scored a Test hundred that Wisden described | | | | all out, but still set the West Indies a very challenging |
| as one of the best Test centuries ever made. The | | | | target of 308 - against an attack that included Glenn |
| West Indies won by the narrowest of margins in | | | | McGrath, Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill and Jason |
| terms of wickets - one wicket. | | | | Gillespie. |
| In the context of the series, the match was ever | | | | Where the Windies openers failed in the first innings, |
| more of a thriller. The West Indies were trounced in | | | | they succeeded in their next turn at the crease. In |
| Port of Spain in the first match. The second match | | | | the fading light of Kensington Oval, Adrian Griffith and |
| was Brian Lara's, where the Prince of Port of Spain | | | | Sherwin Campbell raised 72 for the first wicket. |
| scored a double hundred to level the series against | | | | However, they subsided to 78/3 as night watchman |
| the dominant Aussies. The third match in Bridgetown | | | | Pedro Collins comically failed to perform his role for |
| was the zenith of a series that seesawed. The | | | | the second time in the game. When Adrian Griffith |
| Barbados Test ranked just below the tied Test of | | | | departed for a painstaking 35 off 153 balls, the home |
| 1960/1961 and the West Indies' one-run victory over | | | | side's hopes seemed dim. However, with |
| Australia in 1991/1992 in terms of thrillers between | | | | world-record holder Brian Lara at the crease, the |
| the two sides. | | | | West Indian public believed that anything was |
| Australia batted first and the West Indies got off to | | | | possible. |
| a promising start, taking the first three Aussie | | | | After Carl Hooper exited with the score at 105 (105 |
| wickets for 36 runs. Then, Justin Langer and Steve | | | | 5), Lara and Adams put on a century partnership to |
| Waugh put on 108 runs for the fourth wicket. When | | | | take the West Indies to 238. Adams was dismissed |
| Langer departed for 51, Ricky Ponting joined his | | | | for 38 off 125 balls. When the redoubtable |
| captain and they put on a massive 381-run | | | | wicketkeeper (Ridley Jacobs) fell for five and |
| partnership, with both men scoring centuries. Ponting | | | | Nehemiah Perry fell for nought, the West Indies |
| departed for 104. Four runs and one more wicket | | | | were 60 runs shy of their target. Lara had only |
| later, Steve Waugh fell for 199 runs - agonizingly | | | | Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh for company. |
| short of a century. Australia were 429/7 but | | | | The expectant crowd sensed that something was |
| recovered to 490 all out on the back of useful | | | | about to happen. Lara was in form and knew how to |
| contributions from the lower order. | | | | bat with the lower order. However, he was up |
| The West Indies got off to a terrible start in their | | | | against a great adversary in Glenn McGrath, who |
| reply. They lost opener Adrian Griffith with only one | | | | dismissed Lara regularly before. |
| run on the board. When Brian Lara, the hero of the | | | | Ambrose proved to be an able partner to Lara. He |
| previous Test, was out for 8 and the score 64/4, | | | | put a high price on his wicket in making 12 off 39 |
| the home side look doomed to another struggle to | | | | balls before Jason Gillespie removed him. He and Lara |
| stave off the Aussies. However, Ridley Jacobs (68) | | | | put on 54 runs for the ninth wicket; the tension was |
| and opener Sherwin Campbell took the West Indies | | | | high. Courtney Walsh, a man with a record for being |
| from 98/6 to 251/7. The follow-on target on 290 | | | | dismissed for nought, strode out to the crease. He |
| seemed to be out of reach. The Kensington Oval | | | | negotiated five deliveries, which was all that he |
| crowd was on the edge of their seats, willing the | | | | needed to do with Lara on the other end. Australia |
| West Indies past the follow-on target. With stellar | | | | felt that they could get Walsh's wicket with any of |
| contributions from Perry (24), Ambrose(28*) and | | | | those deliveries - and rightly so. |
| even Courtney Walsh (12), the West Indies avoided | | | | The exaggerated leaves executed by the tall |
| the follow on and ended with 329 all out. Sherwin | | | | Jamaican fast bowler both entertained and relieved |
| Campbell top scored with 105. | | | | the tense crowd. The scores were level when Jason |
| The West Indies took the batting momentum to the | | | | Gillespie had to bowl to Brian Lara. The West Indies |
| field when Australia's innings began. Aussie opener, | | | | could not lose the match. When Lara (153*) drove |
| Matthew Elliot, was out for nought off the second | | | | Gillespie's delivery through the covers for four, the |
| ball of the innings. Australia slipped to 48/5, but there | | | | Oval erupted. Walsh, with his tongue firmly in cheek, |
| was hope for a recovery with Steve Waugh at the | | | | even suggested that he brought the match home |
| crease. When Waugh departed for 11, the score was | | | | with a bit of help from Lara. West Indians did not |
| 73/6 and the West Indies were buoyant in the field. | | | | care either way. It was a great match and a |
| Australia managed to recover from 81/7 to 146 all | | | | significant moment in Test history. |