uly 30, 1990. India required 24 runs to save the follow-on, with 9 wickets down and Narendra Hirwani fumbling his rather inept bat at the other end. Kapil Dev took control of the situation in his inimitable style by clubbing Eddie Hemmings for four consecutive sixes to avoid the follow-on! Arunabha Sengupta recalls the calculated carnage.
It was murderous assault, calculated to perfection. A sequence of sixes, savage, soaring, spectacular and straight. Four times the bat struck the ball, the impact ringing out around the ground. Four times the ball traced magnificent arcs, searing across space, a streak of red against the blue backdrop. Four times the crowd erupted, each applause laden with heavier and heavier layers of disbelief. After every hit, the bowler and captain exchanged looks, the phenomenal pair of moustaches between them at first bristled with indignation and then drooped in helpless acceptance.
