Best Test innings by a genuine all-rounder against express pace

[Harsh Thakor]

This is my choice in order of merit of the best innings by a genuine all-rounder against express pace bowling.The bowling attacks should at least consist of 2express pace bowlers.I have considered the circumstances and strength of bowling attacks to rank the performances.


1.Mushtaq Mohammad 121 at Trinidad in 1977

Considering the circumstances a classic performances.With Majid Khan did a painstaking stitching job to sow the seeds of famous win.Grit at it's zenith with great skill.





2.Tony Greig at Melbourne in 1974-75


Inspite of Lillee and Thomosn at their fastest Tony Greig in cavalier style launched a counter attack.Simply David taking on the Goliath






3.Azhar Mahmood 132 at Durban in 1997-98


With a blistering onslaught ressurected Pakistan from the depths of despair who were tottering at 89-5 and then 153-8.Simply took the like s of Donald and Devilliers by the scruff of the neck,with an exhibiting of calculated hitting with the tail.One of the best repair jobs ever by an all-rounder,which above all won the game for Pakistan.






4.Imran Khan 123 at Lahore v West Indies in 1980

With the aid of Wasim Raja revealing death defying courgae Imran ressurected Pakistan from the grave at 95-5 ,blending attack and defence like a truly great batsman.Discipline at a crescendo.






5.Kapil Dev 100 not out at Trinidad in 1983


Although Jimmy Amarnath did the spade work to pave the path for India to come out of the Woods being 219 run sin the arrears . it was a swashbuckling century that set the seal for India to save the game.






6.Ian Botham 81 at Lords in 1984

Rarely has the great quartet been ever taken to the sword to such a degree as Botham did that day.





7.Richard Hadlee 103 v West Indies at Christchurch in 1980

Played a major role in shaping New Zealand's first test series win over West Indies with some classical strokeplay.Ironically no team ever beat West Indies in a test series till 1995.






8.Kapil Dev in 1992 v South Africa


Although India lost Kapil Dev salvaged respect for India to avert humiliation, with an exhibition off glorious hitting which was a rarity.India were tottering a3 31-7 and 88-7 before Kapil Dev ressurected India from the grave with a blistering 129.





9.Kapil Dev 98 at Antigua


A dead rubber but Kapil at his very best putting taking the best bowling attack ever by the scruff of the neck.



I apologize to viewers but Ironically I found no great innings of either Sobers or Kallis against express pace attacks.Sobers scored some centuries against Fred Trueman,Alan Davidson or John Snow at their fastest ,but no genuinely fast bowler constituted the bowling attack to accompany them.

 

[Panchujeev]

Ben Stokes 135* @Headingley

 

[Ab Fan]

Undoubtedly, Kapil Dev 129 vs Allan Donald and co away from home in South Africa in 1992. What a freak knock it was, unbelievable batting.

How about Ben Stokes audacious 258(198) vs Rabada and Morkel in South Africa or his memorable 135 in Headingley vs Cummins and Pattinson?

Btw, no disrespect, but do you have any additional qualification condition that a knock has to complete five years or so to be considered in your list like a HOF inclusion has for cricketers retirement because often your lists seem to be lacking recency?

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Undoubtedly, Kapil Dev 129 vs Allan Donald and co away from home in South Africa in 1992. What a freak knock it was, unbelievable batting.

How about Ben Stokes audacious 258(198) vs Rabada and Morkel in South Africa or his memorable 135 in Headingley vs Cummins and Pattinson?

Btw, no disrespect, but do you have any additional qualification condition that a knock has to complete five years or so to be considered in your list like a HOF inclusion has for cricketers retirement because often your lists seem to be lacking recency?

I respect your analysis or criteria on Ben Stokes but remember the strength of West Indies pace attack against whom,Mushtaq and Imran scored centuries or the fat that Tony Greig faced Lillee-Thomson duo at their quickest.Was not Azhar Mahmood's innings a classic in the circumstances to ressurect his side to glory?


What do you feel about my non inclusion of an innings y Sobers or Kallis here?Any thoughts on my other selections?

 

[Robert]

I would mention Stokes’ maiden century, against Harris and Johnson.

Botham’s Edgbaston 118 was much better than his Leeds 149* as it contained no chances. He had a bit of luck at Leeds.

 

[gani999]

Kallis's exclusion is shocking indeed.

He is one of the few all-rounders with a 50+ batting average in tests.

I thought he did well in the 2007 Pakistan tour of SA, facing an in-prime Mohd. Asif?

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I would mention Stokes’ maiden century, against Harris and Johnson.

Botham’s Edgbaston 118 was much better than his Leeds 149* as it contained no chances. He had a bit of luck at Leeds.

Great note.However remember that the wicket at Leeds was not a true test pitch and the fact that the fiery Geoff Lawson bowled on it.Was Stokes Leeds Knock v Australia against top pace in your view or Flintoff's Ashes knock in Birmingham?Like my choices of Mushtaq,Imran,Kapil and Azhar?

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Kallis's exclusion is shocking indeed.

He is one of the few all-rounders with a 50+ batting average in tests.

I thought he did well in the 2007 Pakistan tour of SA, facing an in-prime Mohd. Asif?

My other choices?Deserving and in order of merit?

 

[gani999]

My other choices?Deserving and in order of merit?

Your other choices are great.

I was just surprised that Kallis doesn't figure in such a list, despite his talents. Makes me wonder if he scored most of his runs in Asia.

 

[wrongun]

Roy Fredericks. 169. West Indies vs Oz at the WACA. 1975

The WACA at its fiercest. Balls hitting the sightscreen on the full/one bounce mode. The fastest of WACA eras.

Denis Lillee in pre back injury tearway mould. Jeff Thompson pre shoulder injury death dealer mode. To put this duo in this series in perspective for youngsters- the WI lost this series 5:1 BUT it was the brutality of this pair and the damage they inflicted that inspired Lloyd (after this tour) to scour the islands for ferocious fast bowlers & build his own arsenal in reply...

Anyway. he scored his hundred of 79 balls... His 169 off 145 balls... when 3 an over was a good rate...
vs some atg Oz bowlers fit as a fiddle... Everyone who saw it says it was the mst atsonishing innings vs quality quicks they've seen. The faster they bowled, the harder he hit... The ball was at the pickets by the time the sound had come off the bat...

The only Australian to manage 50+ runs on this pitch was Chappelli.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

This is my choice in order of merit of the best innings by a genuine all-rounder against express pace bowling.The bowling attacks should at least consist of 2express pace bowlers.I have considered the circumstances and strength of bowling attacks to rank the performances and not mere merit of innings.





1=.Ben Stokes 135 n.o in 2019 and Ian Botham's 149 n.o in 1981 both at Leeds v Australia





Two of the greatest innings executed in modern times to ressurect a team from the grave to reach the pinnacle of glory.Ian Botham tackled a more difficult wicket and thus had to execute more injudicious strokes while Ben Stoke single handedly steered his team home with a flurry of exuberant hitting at the end.Stokes virtually played 2 innings After the fall of the last wicket he launched a continuous barrage of explosive hitting.,turning the game 360 degree,after earlier laying the base with rearguard resistance.Botham from word go scored at an electrifying base and unlike Stokes faced the situation of an inglorious innings defeat.









3.Mushtaq Mohammad 121 at Trinidad in 1977

Considering the circumstances a classic performances.With Majid Khan did a painstaking stitching job to sow the seeds of famous win.Grit at it's zenith with great skill.







4.Tony Greig at Melbourne in 1974-75


Inspite of Lillee and Thomosn at their fastest Tony Greig in cavalier style launched a counter attack.Simply David taking on the Goliath











5.Azhar Mahmood 132 at Durban in 1997-98


With a blistering onslaught ressurected Pakistan from the depths of despair who were tottering at 89-5 and then 153-8.Simply took the like s of Donald and Devilliers by the scruff of the neck,with an exhibiting of calculated hitting with the tail.One of the best repair jobs ever by an all-rounder,which above all won the game for Pakistan.
















6.Vinoo Mankad 116 at Melbourne in 1987-48





Tore Lindwall and Miller to the shreds in a manner few ever did with imperious strokes executed with surgical and clinical precision.








7.Imran Khan 123 at Lahore v West Indies in 1980

With the aid of Wasim Raja revealing death defying courgae Imran ressurected Pakistan from the grave at 95-5 ,blending attack and defence like a truly great batsman.Discipline at a crescendo.

















8.Kapil Dev in 1992 v South Africa


Although India lost Kapil Dev salvaged respect for India to avert humiliation, with an exhibition off glorious hitting which was a rarity.India were tottering a3 31-7 and 88-7 before Kapil Dev ressurected India from the grave with a blistering 129.














9.Kapil Dev 100 not out at Trinidad in 1983


Although Jimmy Amarnath did the spade work to pave the path for India to come out of the Woods being 219 run sin the arrears . it was a swashbuckling century that set the seal for India to save the game.






10.Ian Botham 81 at Lords in 1984

Rarely has the great quartet been ever taken to the sword to such a degree as Botham did that day.













.

11Hardik Pandya in 2018 v South Africa





A Swashbuckling or cavalier knock that ressurected India from the doldrums .Even if flashy posessed elements of brilliance in counter attacking pace.











12.Richard Hadlee 103 v West Indies at Christchurch in 1980

Played a major role in shaping New Zealand's first test series win over West Indies with some classical strokeplay.Ironically no team ever beat West Indies in a test series till 1995.











13.Andrew Flintoff 73 v Australia at Edgbaston in 2005



Revived a sinking ship to win the test for England after a dramatic middle order collapse.Most scientific explosive hitting in perfect tune with the situation.













14.Ben Stokes 120 at Port Elizabeth v South Africa in 2020





Took the Proteas pace demons by the sword taking batting domination to it's zenith.On testing South African pitches perhaps the best innings ever by an all-rounder against genuine pace.










15..Kapil Dev 98 at Antigua


A dead rubber but Kapil at his very best putting taking the best bowling attack ever by the scruff of the neck.












This is my added and corrected list viewers .reject previous one.

I apologize to viewers but Ironically I found no great innings of either Sobers or Kallis against express pace attacks.Sobers scored some centuries against Fred Trueman,Alan Davidson or John Snow at their fastest ,but no genuinely fast bowler constituted the bowling attack to accompany them.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Roy Fredericks. 169. West Indies vs Oz at the WACA. 1975

The WACA at its fiercest. Balls hitting the sightscreen on the full/one bounce mode. The fastest of WACA eras.

Denis Lillee in pre back injury tearway mould. Jeff Thompson pre shoulder injury death dealer mode. To put this duo in this series in perspective for youngsters- the WI lost this series 5:1 BUT it was the brutality of this pair and the damage they inflicted that inspired Lloyd (after this tour) to scour the islands for ferocious fast bowlers & build his own arsenal in reply...

Anyway. he scored his hundred of 79 balls... His 169 off 145 balls... when 3 an over was a good rate...
vs some atg Oz bowlers fit as a fiddle... Everyone who saw it says it was the mst atsonishing innings vs quality quicks they've seen. The faster they bowled, the harder he hit... The ball was at the pickets by the time the sound had come off the bat...

The only Australian to manage 50+ runs on this pitch was Chappelli.

Not an all-rounder see the criteria

 

[Robert]

Great note.However remember that the wicket at Leeds was not a true test pitch and the fact that the fiery Geoff Lawson bowled on it.Was Stokes Leeds Knock v Australia against top pace in your view or Flintoff's Ashes knock in Birmingham?Like my choices of Mushtaq,Imran,Kapil and Azhar?

I don’t recall most of those. It should be remembered that Lillee, Larson and Alderman were bowling in a follow-on innings at Headingley and very tired.

Flintoff’s century wasn’t against the full attack as McGrath was not there IIRC.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Hardik Pandya 93 (95) vs Rabada, philander, Steyn, Morkel at newlands, capetown.
Proper counterattacking innings played in difficult conditions when team was collapsing.

 

[Zeshan547]

Hardik Pandya 93 (95) vs Rabada, philander, Steyn, Morkel at newlands, capetown.
Proper counterattacking innings played in difficult conditions when team was collapsing.

You rate it as all time best?

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

I was most surprised when Waqar, Wasim, Imran and Qadir could not win a test against visiting India with a young Tendulkar in the team. That was the Manjarekar series and India were genuinely brave. I do recall there was only one test in Gujranwala where there was some help for fast bowlers on the first day.

Was there an allrounder in that team who scored runs?