{ "id": "199525", "author": "33", "cnmid": "", "title": "The LBW Call That Changed Cricket History: Revisiting the 1986 Chennai Tie Test Controversy", "lang": "en", "series": "1", "cup_year": "2026", "article_type": "Spacial", "excerpt": "The 1986 Chennai Tie Test between India and Australia remains one of cricket's most dramatic finishes. Revisiting V Vikramraju's controversial LBW call that left India one run short of victory.", "subtype": null, "editor1": "

The Story of India vs Australia Chennai Tied Test 1986<\/strong>: A few days back, former international umpire from India, V Vikramraju, died aged 92. This news of his sad demise was not widely covered, although he remains India’s one of the most discussed umpires. He umpired in two Tests and five ODIs, besides being on duty in 42 first-class matches, which included being one of the two on-field umpires in the famous Chennai Tie Test in 1986. This Test between India and Australia, played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium from September 18 to 22 was only the second tied Test in cricket. The first one was played between Australia and West Indies in Brisbane in 1960.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Vikramraju had adjudged India No. 11 Maninder Singh lbw off Greg Matthews and was at the receiving end of criticism. This decision stopped India's chase a run short of the target of 348. Although his decision made the Test historic, it is believed that his decision deprived India of a chance to score the winning run off the last ball. Dara Dotiwalla was the other on-field umpire.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Standing in just his second Test, Vikramraju was not given a chance to officiate in another Test, although he was on duty at a few odds after this Test controversy. He was a match referee in a few first-class matches as well as casca T20 events.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Surprisingly, the 1986 Tied Test transformed the careers of players on both sides but didn’t help the man whose decision was responsible for making this a historic Test. Dean Jones scored a double-century considered as one of the most courageous ever played (at 40 degrees Celsius temperatures and 80 percent humidity, he batted for over eight hours for his 210 in Australia's first innings of 7-574). The Australian spinner Greg Matthews ended the Test with figures of 10-249, his first and only 10-wicket haul in Test cricket. Kapil Dev scored a hundred in the first innings, considered by many to be his one of the best.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Why is Vikramraju's decision that ensured the fall of India’s last wicket and finished the Test as a tie with one ball remaining considered controversial? Let us start from the moment Ray Bright’s three quick wickets made India nine down with scores level. India collapsed from 6-331 to be all out for 347.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Ravi Shastri (45 off 37 balls) was at strike, and India needed four runs in six balls, with No. 11 at the other end. ‘Should I? Should I go for this big one,’ he said in a documentary produced by the Australian Broadcast Corporation?<\/p>\r\n\r\n

First ball: Shastri sees the first ball off.
\r\nSecond ball: Shastri heaves the ball through square leg and India steal two.
\r\nThird ball: Yields a single and now the scores are tied, which ensured that India can't lose, but exposed the hapless tail-ender.
\r\nNow Maninder Singh was at the crease with three balls remaining.
\r\nFourth ball: He keeps the ball out.
\r\nFifth ball: Maninder tries to do the same but is hit on the pad. Shastri shouted, telling Maninder not to run. On the other hand, the Australians were running around like headless chickens as Vikramraju gave Maninder out lbw. A moment later, everyone realized that Border, who was at a silly point, didn't even appeal. He was just busy retrieving the ball, nothing else. When he looked up, his players were jumping.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Vikramraju always maintained his call to out Maninder was correct but faced heavy criticism post-match when Maninder claimed that the ball had touched his bat before it cannoned into his pad. The other not out batsman, Ravi Shastri, supported Maninder.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

‘The bat was not near the pad, the bat never came close to the ball,’ was Vikramraju’s version. Matthews labelled Vikramraju as ‘the most courageous umpire on the face of the earth.’<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Maninder claimed that he was not out, ‘I am sure the umpire was nervous. I was surprised because before I even played the ball, I could see his finger going up. I mean almost before playing the ball. That shows he was nervous but that's part of the game.’<\/p>\r\n\r\n

‘I look at it now and realize how much pressure was on the umpire. The nervousness showed in him when he hastened in giving that decision,’ Maninder said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The other umpire, Dotiwalla, considered himself to be lucky that he was at square leg in that tension but claimed that he did not hear any sound. ‘That last day, the way these two players behaved, they didn't say anything to me. But they were very harsh on Vikram,’ he said. Vikramraju, took it as, ‘Outside, everyone wanted India to win the match, but when they did not win, they showed it. That we can't stop it.’<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Also Read: <\/b> Live Cricket Score<\/a><\/h5>

There was no DRS at that time, and nobody knows how things would have turned out today.<\/p>\r\n", "image": "https:\/\/img.cricketnmore.com\/uploads\/2026\/07\/India-vs-Australia-Chennai-Tied-Test-1986-Story1.jpg", "alt_img": "Story of India vs Australia Chennai Tied Test 1986", "alt_title": "V Vikramraju umpire chennai tied test 1986", "image1": null, "video": null, "seo_title": "The LBW Call That Changed Cricket History: Revisiting the 1986 Chennai Tie Test Controversy On Cricketnmore", "seo_desc": "The 1986 Chennai Tie Test between India and Australia remains one of cricket's most dramatic finishes. Revisiting V Vikramraju's controversial LBW call that left India one run short of victory.", "seo_keywords": "V Vikramraju, 1986 Chennai Tie Test, India Vs Australia, Maninder Singh LBW, Ravi Shastri, Greg Matthews, Cricket Controversy", "tag": null, "tagging": "V Vikramraju,1986 Chennai Tie Test,India Vs Australia,Maninder Singh LBW,Ravi Shastri,Greg Matthews,Cricket Controversy", "status": "1", "img_rpt": "0", "google": "1", "standout": "0", "edapps": "0", "pulse": "0", "no_index": "0", "feed": "0", "fixture": null, "slug": "the-lbw-call-that-changed-cricket-history-revisiting-the-1986-chennai-tie-test-controversy", "user_id": "0", "read_count": "1", "ians_date": null, "ians_time": null, "server_time": null, "trash": "0", "view_count": "112", "page_break": "0", "instant_articles": "1", "auto_link": "1", "created": "2026-07-01 09:02:21", "updated": "2026-07-01 09:02:21", "img_from": "Image Source: Google", "img_source": null, "schedule_publish": null, "news_keywords": "V Vikramraju, 1986 Chennai Tie Test, India Vs Australia, Maninder Singh LBW, Ravi Shastri, Greg Matthews, Cricket Controversy", "livescore_text": null, "livescore_link": null, "btn_text": null, "resend_feed": "0", "google_feed": "0", "read_more": "1", "posted_by": "19", "jio_date": "2026-07-01 09:02:21", "scheduled": "0", "news_now": "1", "breaking_news": "1", "google_date": null, "featured": "0", "pred_match_id": "Select", "article_content_type": "Latest Cricket News", "england_cricket": "0", "link": "https:\/\/www.cricketnmore.com\/cricket-special\/the-lbw-call-that-changed-cricket-history-revisiting-the-1986-chennai-tie-test-controversy-199525" }