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Asad Shafiq's innings vs Australia OR Darren Bravo's innings vs Pakistan

EliteCynical

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In the season of comparing individually brilliant fourth innings epics in losing cause, I am throwing in another recent contender whose innings, in my opinion was equally epic but has not been discussed. I am citing the facts below.

Discuss

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Shafiq. Although Bravo's one was a terrific effort.
 
Both were incredible innings.

ATG knocks.

Just feel Shafiq's was superior.

To play in a foreign land with bounce against a side on their fortress pitch and almost chase down 489....you gotta say its the better one.
 
Another example would be Astle scoring 222(168) while chasing 550 runs. NZ scored 451 in 4th inning. Around 50% runs were scored by Astle in that huge chase and he pretty much batted with tail for bulk of his runs.
 
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Equal I would say.

What makes you say so? The key opposition bowlers in Bravo's innings were Amir (first match after ban i think), Wahab (30 plus average) and Yasir (absoulute sensation),

where as in Asad's case, it was Starc (average 22 and SR of 48), Hazelwood (sub 30 average) and Lyon (less than Yasir but still a threat).

Pitch is a different discussion, let us keep that aside for a second.
 
Another example would be Astle scoring 222(168) while chasing 550 runs. NZ scored 451 in 4th inning. Around 50% runs were scored by Astle in that huge chase and he pretty much batted with tail for bulk of his runs.

How about Tendulkar's Chennai knock against Pakistan?

Which one will you pick?
 
How about Tendulkar's Chennai knock against Pakistan?

Which one will you pick?

I didn't saw his entire knock. I didn't watch Asad first 100 runs as well, so it's hard to pass a judgement about which was better. Given match situations , both look top class knocks to me. Anyway, it's kind of hard to put knocks in order unless gap is a huge one despite watching every ball.

I saw 222 by Astle( most if it), but I don't think NZ was ever close to winning that test.
 
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Another example would be Astle scoring 222(168) while chasing 550 runs. NZ scored 451 in 4th inning. Around 50% runs were scored by Astle in that huge chase and he pretty much batted with tail for bulk of his runs.

Astle innings was great (jaw dropping really) but not comparable to these 2.

That guy was swinging blindly and was doing well but the MOMENT the target reached 100 runs and the first genuine chance to get a real favourable result, he was gone.

Bravo played sensibly and was looking to slowly get there. Even though he got out around 80 runs to the target, he actually played with a hell a lot of pressure to save/draw the game throughout.

What made Shafiq's knock truly a level above even Bravo's is that he scored crucial pressure runs even on the final day and got the target around 50. Every single run after his 100 were super clutch runs with extraordinary pressure. Finally only a JAFFA could take him out.
 
Astle innings was great (jaw dropping really) but not comparable to these 2.

That guy was swinging blindly and was doing well but the MOMENT the target reached 100 runs and the first genuine chance to get a real favourable result, he was gone.

Bravo played sensibly and was looking to slowly get there. Even though he got out around 80 runs to the target, he actually played with a hell a lot of pressure to save/draw the game throughout.

What made Shafiq's knock truly a level above even Bravo's is that he scored crucial pressure runs even on the final day and got the target around 50. Every single run after his 100 were super clutch runs with extraordinary pressure. Finally only a JAFFA could take him out.

Yah, Astle was not that gun a knock. He was swinging at everything.
 
Astle innings was great (jaw dropping really) but not comparable to these 2.

That guy was swinging blindly and was doing well but the MOMENT the target reached 100 runs and the first genuine chance to get a real favourable result, he was gone.

Bravo played sensibly and was looking to slowly get there. Even though he got out around 80 runs to the target, he actually played with a hell a lot of pressure to save/draw the game throughout.

What made Shafiq's knock truly a level above even Bravo's is that he scored crucial pressure runs even on the final day and got the target around 50. Every single run after his 100 were super clutch runs with extraordinary pressure. Finally only a JAFFA could take him out.

Shafiq's knock or Tendulkar's?
 
Yah, Astle was not that gun a knock. He was swinging at everything.

No one rates Astle's knock as ATG. It was going in a Kamikaze mode after the game was well and truly lost.
I remember Akhtar scored some 17 ball 49 against England in 2003 WC.

Bowling teams in this situation are looking for wickets and sometimes batsmen get lucky.
 
Shafiq's knock or Tendulkar's?

Matter of choice cos neither resulted in victory.

Shafiq's came outside of home against a good attack. Got out to a jaffa.

SRT's came in home against an ATG attack. Got out more due to pain than pressure.

Lara's and VVS's were better than both.
 
What makes you say so? The key opposition bowlers in Bravo's innings were Amir (first match after ban i think), Wahab (30 plus average) and Yasir (absoulute sensation),

where as in Asad's case, it was Starc (average 22 and SR of 48), Hazelwood (sub 30 average) and Lyon (less than Yasir but still a threat).

Pitch is a different discussion, let us keep that aside for a second.

If you ask me from a purely cricketing sense, yes shafiq's might have been better.
But if you consider the wider context: how poor windies have been test cricket, how their board is dysfunctional, how their national players have some very poor role models (samuels, gayle, bravo), they were batting against Pakistan (number 1/2 test team), in Pakistan's fortress, against yasir. If you take that all in to context for me Bravo's innings was monumental
 
If you ask me from a purely cricketing sense, yes shafiq's might have been better.
But if you consider the wider: how poor windies have been test cricket, how their board is dysfunctional, how their national players have some very poor role models (samuels, gayle, bravo), they were batting against Pakistan (number 1/2 test team), in Pakistan's fortress, against yasir. If you take that all in to context for me Bravo's innings was monumental

Agreed reg the scale of Bravo's innings. One thing i feel, common in both the cases is that both Aus and Pakistan became complacent after scoring a huge amount of runs in the first innings.
 
Shafiq's knock or Tendulkar's?

I deliberately did not put Astle, Sachin and VVs in the list coz they are from the bygone era. Another name missing is Kumar Sangakkara who scored 192 against Aus at Hobart.

There is a common pattern in Kohli's, Shafiq's and Bravo's innings. they all came within the last 2 years and also this positive outlook of teams trying to go for a target is actually refreshing.
 
How about Tendulkar's Chennai knock against Pakistan?

Which one will you pick?

No question that I rate Sachin's knock above every other knock. he scored against Wasim, Waqar, Saqlain and Mushy with a back which almost killed him. As i said, that is from another time. Shafiq or Bravo?
 
No question that I rate Sachin's knock above every other knock. he scored against Wasim, Waqar, Saqlain and Mushy with a back which almost killed him. As i said, that is from another time. Shafiq or Bravo?

I rate Bravo's better because he played that knock in the top order.
 
[MENTION=138254]Syed1[/MENTION] - Just saw your comments on the Kohli vs Shafiq thread. Want to know your thoughts on this? Please see OP
 
i rate both innings alot.. but bravo will be just ahead due to his less flashy shots.. as sometimes shafiq swings bat to hit throigh cover and dropped chances roo
 
You have to rate chanceless innings more than chancy ones imo.

Also, playing and scoring against fresh bowlers is worth more than scoring against a tired opposition.

As an example, Rahul's 199 was a better compiled innings than Nair's 303*.

Did Bravo give any chances?
 
I rate Bravo's better because he played that knock in the top order.

This simple train off thought makes Bravo's innings, I won't say inferior, but to an extent less impact oriented than Shafiq's.....

Shafiq Shepherded the tail and almost did the impossible i.e. CHASING 490 against a team that hasn't lost a GABBA test since 28 years (That's near 3 decade mate)..

Shafiq's was superior IMHO
 
although its a great innings but to me Pakistan had lost the game at 220/6 or for that matter when they were bowled out for 140 in the first innings. This was more of a fun innings as there was nothing to lose at 220/6. Only when they crossed 350-380 they realized possible chase.

It was like Nathan Astle annings http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63981.html
He plundered England to the fastest double hundred as there was no pressure.
 
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