Sri Lanka amassed 400 runs, including a century by Prasanna Jayawardene and three fifties. England declared at 5-496 on the final day (Jonathan Trott 203, Alastair Cook 133 and Ian Bell unbeaten on 103).
Thus, only 15 wickets had fallen for almost 900 runs in the first four days. Looking at the batting strength of the Sri Lankans, a draw appeared inevitable.
Wrong! They were routed for 82 runs in 117 minutes off 24.4 overs on the final day to lose by an innings.
This is not unique. I can think of at least four other such topsy-turvy “400 and out” Tests involving Australia in the last 30 years, three of these in the last decade.
The Headingley horror of July 1981 against England and the Kolkata “black hole” of March 2001 against India are Tests patriotic Australians hate to remember.
Headingley Horror, 1981:
Opener John Dyson scored 102 and Australia totalled 401 (Ian Botham 6-95). With Dennis Lillee, Terry Alderman and Geoff Lawson striking blows, England was dismissed for 174 to trail by 227 runs.
Forced to follow on, England looked certain losers at 7-135, still 92 runs in arrears with only the tail to support Botham.
Relieved of the captaincy, Botham (149 not out) wore Superman’s cloak as he added valuable runs with tail-enders Graham Diley and Chris Old.
Still, Australia needed 130 to win and was 1-56 at one stage and a 2-0 Ashes lead on the cards.
However, tall Bob Willis captured 8-43 in a mesmerising spell and Australia collapsed for 111 and lost by 18 runs.
Black Hole of Kolkata, 2001:
Australians were pleased with themselves on the first three days. And why not? They had scored 445 (skipper Steve Waugh 110, Matthew Hayden 97, Harbhajan Singh 7-123 including a hat-trick) and dismissed India for 171 (VVS Laxman 59, Glenn McGrath 4-18).
India followed on with a huge deficit of 274 and was down for the count in boxing parlance.
Then came counter-punches as Laxman (281) and Rahul Dravid (180) added 376 magnificent runs for the fifth wicket.
What a turnaround as India declared at 7-657 and Australia was dismissed for 212 to lose by 171 runs!
The bitter rivalry between Harbhajan and Australia had begun as the “Turbanator” captured 13 wickets in this amazing Test followed by 15 wickets in the next Test at Chennai the following week.
If losing after totalling 400 in the first innings is surprising, what about topping 500 in the first dig (including an individual double century) and end up losing?
It has happened twice on the Adelaide Oval in the last decade.
Adelaide Agony for Australia:
In the December 2003 Test, Ricky Ponting scored a marvellous 242 and Australia amassed 556. The Aussie Kolkata nemesis Dravid (233) and VVS (148) were at it again and India replied with 523, only 33 runs behind.
A draw was a certainty, but inexplicably Australia collapsed for 196 and India won by four wickets, Dravid playing a critical, stylish and unbeaten knock of 72.
Adelaide Ecstasy for Australia:
Same place, same month but three years later Australia tasted a famous victory after a leather hunt on the first two days of the 2006 Ashes Test in Adelaide.
England batted and batted till they declared at 6-551 (Paul Collingwood 206 and Kevin Pietersen 158 adding 310 runs for the 4th wicket).
Australia replied with 513 (Ponting 142, Mike Hussey 91 and Michael Clarke 124).
A certain draw, what else?
But Shane Warne thought differently as a cock-a-hoop England fumbled and then tumbled for 129 on a crumbling pitch and Australia triumphed by six wickets.
This victory made up for the heart-break suffered at Headingley a quarter century ago and at Kolkata and Adelaide more recently.
The visitors deserved to lose the 2006 Adelaide topsy-turvy Test because, as Robert Craddock wrote in Daily Telegraph, “England batted like turtles with chronic fatigue syndrome.”
Roarers, can you recall more such “over 400 and out” Tests?
Ratnakar
Guest
I faintly remember India losing after scoring 600 plus in first innings around 2000/2002. Is it ?
Russ
Guest
Higher scoring rates, and faster over-rates have made draws harder to come by. Back in the 80s, scoring at 2.5 rpo with 80 overs in a day, it would take 2 days to make 400. At 4 rpo and 90 overs a day you can be bowled out by drinks on the second morning for 400 and have a lot of cricket yet to play. Run-rates have never been higher, and bowler's strike-rates have not been this low since before WW1. Notwithstanding the reluctance of England to push for wins in their past two games, it makes for interesting cricket.
Brian Harral
Guest
No desire to embarrass -- I'm just a country boy, born and raised in Texas, who follows cricket in earnest. To put the Aussies on the winning side: in the dead rubber of the Border-Gavaskar of 1998 in Bangalore, India had a first innings of 424 and ended up with an eight-wicket loss -- Aussies got 400 in their first innings, and India collapsed for 169 to give an easy target. And the match was over by the end of the fourth day...
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Thank you, Brian, Tony and Sheek for providing interesting additions. Brian, I am embarrassed that I forgot the October 2010 Border-Gavaskar thrillers in India. Keep them coming.
sheek
Guest
Hi Kersi, 1968 was the first year I seriously followed cricket, & the 4th test of the 68/69 series between Australia & Windies in Adelaide ALMOST joined your list! The Windies were a great team on paper but aging & beyond their collective best. Nevertheless, they were still capable of brilliant individual flashes. They scored 276 before Australia belted their aging attack for 533. A massive lead of 257. In their second dig, the Windies amassed an awesome 616. When stumps were drawn on the final day, it was touch & go with Australia 9-339, 22 runs short of victory while the Windies required one wicket. The Aussies had had a real go at trying to win the game, & suffered 4 run outs & a near defeat for their efforts. Australia were cruising at 3-303 before a litany of white line fever saw them collapse to 9-333 (losing 6-30) & limp to stumps.
Tony
Guest
It was during the Australia -v- India series in 2003/04 that I first realised Australian catching was not all it was cut up to be. "These Australians, THEY NEVER DROP THOSE!" is how Tony Grieg has relentlessly bludgeoned Nine's listeners over the years. That was not the case against India in 03/04. (It was even worse in 07/08.) Some of the rank howlers committed by Australia fieldsmen against India in 03/04 were quite astonishing, including a bonehead play by Adam Gilchrist in the Adelaide Test when Gilly put down a regulation chance off Dravid in the second innings when The Wall was 7.
Brian Harral
Guest
Well, I'm an American, but I'm an American with a computer... It happened to Australia twice in a row for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2010. It also happened twice to Australia in the Ashes of 1894/1895. And in 1953, Australia put up 520 in their first innings and still lost to SA by 6 wickets.