From the archives of the Hindustan Times: September 23

India and Pak order ceasefire (1965)

Delhi- Orders to the Indian armed personnel to ceasefire by 3-30 a.m. tomorrow were issued by Army and Air Headquarters shortly after 2 p.m. today (September 22).

As soon as the message from U Thant was received in Delhi and the Government decided to accept the new deadline for the cessation of hostilities, the Chief of Army Staff, Gen. J. N. Chaudhuri, and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Arjan Singh, went to the Prime Minister’s room in the South Block to receive their instructions. Mr Shastri had already been in touch with Defence Minister Y. B. Chavan.

The ceasefire orders were conveyed to the various commands immediately by wireless, but it was estimated that it might take some hours before they reached every soldier engaged in the current fighting. Indian troops are spread over a border several hundred miles long and the lines of communication with them are inevitably long.

While informing Parliament of India’s acceptance of the Security Council’s ceasefire call, Prime Minister Shastri made it amply clear today that what the Government had agreed to was a “simple” ceasefire.”

As in response to U Thant’s appeal last week, India, the Prime Minister stated, had accepted the ceasefire without any preconditions but there were “other matters” mentioned in the Security Council resolution which required “consideration subsequently.”

The Lok Sabha was packed when the Prime Minister rose to read his carefully drafted statement. He was cheered several times during his 15-minute speech.

3 women climb Nanda Devi (1981)

New Delhi-Three Indian women set foot on the summit of Nanda Devi on Sept. 19, becoming the first Indian women mountaineers to reach a height of 7,816 metres (25,645 ft.) thus establishing a new record.

By reaching Nanda Devi, they climbed 90 metres higher than the summit of Mount Kamet, which was the highest peak climbed by Indian women so far.

Three men of the 12-member mixed expedition also reached the Nanda Devi summit that day, making it the highest number to reach the summit in a single attempt.

Capt. M. S. Kohli, vice-president of the Indian Mountaineering Federation, who gave this happy news to the Press here today, said the message of the success of the expedition was received last night. It did not give the names of the successful mountaineers.

The Nanda Devi expedition organised by the IMF was the first venture to have been funded by the recently set up Sanjay Gandhi Adventure Scheme. The expedition cost Rs. 2 lakh.

Historic ‘tie’ at Chepauk (1986)

Madras- Cricket history was re-enacted at the Chepauk here today (September 22) when the first Test between India and Australia ended in an incredible and pulsating tie.

Amid scenes of mounting tension and excitement, India, chasing a victory target of 348 runs in 87 overs, were all out for 347 in the penultimate ball of the five-day match. The only other tie in cricket history took place 26 years ago. That was when Richie Benaud’s Australia tied with Frank Worrell’s West Indies in the dramatic first Test at Brisbane in December, 1960.

When Australia declared their second innings this morning at the overnight score of 170 for five, it was a fair decision by skipper Allan Border who, in his wildest of dreams, would not have imagined of a breathtaking finish to the match. And in the end, it was Kapil Dev’s India who narrowly missed greater glory by just one run. An Indian victory was very much on the cards till the penulatimate over when they needed only seven runs from 12 balls with two wickets in hand.

However, that was not to be as left arm spinner Ray Bright dismissed Shivlal Yadav and then off-spinner Greg Mathews trapped last man Mahinder Singh leg-before in the fifth ball of the last over to tie the match. The tireless efforts of Bright and Mathews also saved Australia from the embarrassment of losing the match after piling up the mammoth total of 574 for seven in the first innings.