Best performance by a fast bowler in a Test series lost

[Harsh Thakor]

In this list I am rating in order of merit the best performances by pacebowler playing for the losing team in a test series


1.Imran Khan's 21 wickets in 1982 in England

Fast bowling of the truly highest class posessing every component of a perfect pace bowler.Super blending of pace with movement which caught the English batsmen hopping ,creating the effect of a blitzkreig.Dubious umpiring decisons cost Pakistan a series win.


2.Terry Alderman's 42 wickets in England in 1981

Fast-medium bowling of great class.Displayed mastery of seam movement and troubled the likes of Gooch,Boycottt and Gower with inswing and outswing.More lethal than even Lillee in this series.


3.Kapil Dev's 29 wickets v West Indies in 1983-84 in India

On docile Indian tracks,apart from a broken wicket at Ahmedabad; Kapil Dev displayed ingenuinty few paceman ever did.His late away movement was disconcerting for even the great Viv Richards as well as the late bounce he extracted from dead tracks.Few paceaman ever bore the brunt of a weak bowling attack so single-handedly.


4.Andy Roberts 22 wickets in Australia in 1975-76

Single-handedly spearheaded the Carribean pace attack taking the art of fast bowling to it's highest zenith.A revelation at Perth.


5.Imran Khan -25 wickets in West Indies in 1977

Displayed aggression and determination at it's highest zenith.Speed in the Lillee-Thomson class.


6.Rodney Hogg in 1978-79 v England
41 wickets

Absolute mastery in overpowering the opposition.




7.Ian Botham in Australia in 1979-80--19 wickets

Few fast-medium bowlers from overseas have ever been more lively or bowled as intelligently.


8.Kapil Dev in Australia in 1991-92

25 wickets

Bowling in the Lillee class with absolute perfection of outswing.Alan Border at times found him unplayable.


9.Richard Hadlee in Australia in 1980-81
16 wickets

Displayed control at it's highest zenith troubling the likes of the great Greg Chappell.


10.Kapil Dev in West Indies in 1983
24 wickets

Against great batting Kapil displayed exemplary skill superbly blending pace with swing and cut.

 

[MMHS]

Good list, though the best one (or one of top 3) is missed though - Wasim against AUS 1989-90. Hogg for Packer reject Ashes as well.


Also, your list is mostly from last 35-40 years - need to cover olden days as well.

 

[MMHS]

Now, I notice the name of Hogg,

Also, I thought Lillie bowled equally well on that '81 Ashes though.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Good list, though the best one (or one of top 3) is missed though - Wasim against AUS 1989-90. Hogg for Packer reject Ashes as well.


Also, your list is mostly from last 35-40 years - need to cover olden days as well.

Really Sorry,Wasim Akram's 1989-90 performance should have made the top 3 or maybe even 1.I apologize to pakpassion viewers.I would place it at around 3-4.Ofcourse it was only 2 tests sadly.At Melbourne Wasim's was arguably the best ever in a losing cause.

I includeded Hogg.Plesae check.

 

[MMHS]

Really Sorry,Wasim Akram's 1989-90 performance should have made the top 3 or maybe even 1.I apologize to pakpassion viewers.I would place it at around 3-4.Ofcourse it was only 2 tests sadly.At Melbourne Wasim's was arguably the best ever in a losing cause.

It was 3 Test, 3rd one almost washed out. Otherwise he took 20 wickets in first 2 (& another 20 dropped of him)

 

[Harsh Thakor]

It was 3 Test, 3rd one almost washed out. Otherwise he took 20 wickets in first 2 (& another 20 dropped of him�&#56875

Accounting for only 2 tests Wasim is no 1.No bowler even in a wining cause had equaled this quality or taken pace bowling perfection and versatlity to such a zenith.But there was hardly play in 3rd test .This I gave preference to performances in full 6 tests series like that of Alderman,Hogg,Kapil Dev.I put Imran at 1 because with more support his bowling would have won all the 3 tests and with better umpiring a series win by clinching the 3rd test.His 4 wickets at Lords hardly did justice to the skill he displayed and was worth much more.In all 3 tests Imran was a revelation .Morally Wasim' was a 2 tset series when he took 17 wickets.With one more star performance in a test. Wasim would have made the top but to me 2 tests morally is not a complete series.Neverthless it should rank in the top bracket.