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Best Test match innings ever whilst facing spin bowling?

Harsh Thakor

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This is the selection of my best test innings ever facing spin bowling on turning tracks


1.Sunil Gavaskar 96 v Pakistan at Bangalore in 1987

On the worst of broken pitches Gavaskar took defensive batting to regions of immortality.I can't conceive any batsman equalling this performance of Sunny ,who resembled a surgeon performing an operation on a patient considered incurable.Revealed concentration of a monk meditating and relentlessness of a boulder.





2.Zaheer Abbas 235 n.o at Lahore in 1978-79 v India

The equivalent of seeing Bradman play spin bowling.Took aura of invincibilty to heights of divinity as though he was merely giving an an exhibition and facing club level bowlers.Rarely has a batsman pierced the gap as often or with such magical touch.Batting artistry and technical skill at its zenith.Aura of invincibility of an all conquering army.




3.Virendra Sehwag 201 at Galle in 2008


Took domination of spin bowling on a turning track to metaphysical or unexplored regions creating impact of a dynamite exploding.Viv Richards would have found it hard to equal this effort.Scored 201 out of score of 329 single handedly carrying the brunt of the batting.





4.Alan Border 150 and 153 n.o at Lahore in 1980


On a turning track displayed the combative spirit of a soldier in negotiating the ball.Tenacity at a supreme zenith .






5.Brian Lara 219 in Sri Lanka in 2001


Championed the cause like alone crusader like few batsman ever against arguably the best spinner of all time.Batting Wizardry at it's zenith.




6.Sachin Tendulkar 155 no.v Australia at Madras

I have never seen Shane Warne demolished ever reminiscent of a bowler's throat being slit.On of cricket's classical exhibitions of attacking strokeplay against spin that turned the entire complexion of the game.





7.Ian Chappell 138 at Delhi in 1969-70

Beautifully danced down the track,exhibiting classical footwork against arguably the best spin attack of all time.Improvisation of a technician,tackling Prasanna.





8.Alvin Kalicharan 124 at Bangalore in 1974-75

On a turning track a true masterpiece revealing technical skill and artistry in regions of the sublime.




9.Younis Khan 267 at Bengaluru in 2005.


For sheer combativeness and impact a truly great innings making his team's victory prospects revolve around his batting.It was sight to behold witnessing his grinding away to take the fight to the bowlers and enable his team to claw back after every juncture when it was pressurized.





10.Rohan Kanhai 256 at Kolkata in 1958-59

The epitome of perfect batting blending exhilarating strokeplay with wizardry and great technical skill.




11.David Gower 173 n.o at Lahore in 1984.

Artistry and elegance personified tackling Abdul Qadir's wizardry with remorseless ease like a mother putting her child to sleep.




12.Clive Lloyd 163 at Bangalore in 1974-75

On a deteriorating track Lloyd took the bowling attack to the sword with the ferocity of a tiger,murdering his prey.
 
[MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] please come here
 
The list is missing Pietersen on a crumbling pitch at Mumbai in 2012, easily the best I've seen.
 
Steve Smith knock in Pune has to be on here. Don't care about how many drops there were.
 
[MENTION=7774]Robert[/MENTION] [MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] [MENTION=79064]MMHS[/MENTION] please come here

How could you miss the obvious one and I am sure you have seen it - KP's 186 at Mumbai. It was batting second as well.

In your list No. 2 (Zaheer), No. 4 (AB) shouldn't even come because those were played on absolute roads. YK & Sehwag's innings were great, but played on first innings of the game. Tendulkar's innings was very good, but I'll take his 136 over this one.

Can't rank all those - these are my top picks

KP Mumbai
BC SRL (all three innings were pure magic)
Ian Chappell
Tendulkar (Chennai)
Afridi (Chennai - hardly anyone rates it, but it was a tremendous innings on Day 3-4 wicket against Kumble & Joshi)
There are at least two Azhar Innings, one at Kanpur & other one either at Eden or Ahmedabad
Viv - both his Delhi hundreds were outstanding.
 
With half a dozen chances?

Kohli’s 4th inning chase in Adelaide on crumbling pitch in 2014-15 was better inning.

The pitch at the Adelaide Oval was a featherbed compared to the one in Pune, where the ball was literally turning square. If anything, Kohli choked by slogging one to deep midwicket.
 
Aa good if not arguably better then many of these innings , against quality spin bowling was Saleem Malik v Shane Warne in 1994 test series in Pakistan — where Malik scored 237 and 143. Warne was turning the ball square and other Pakistani batsmen struggled, but Malik made him look like a school kid with how easily he handled the spin.

Unfortunately that tour/series is remembered for Malik and Warne for all the wrong reasons - but it sums up how much of an influence they both had on the cricket field to think they were named Man of Series for their respective teams.
 
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The greatest knock against spin bowling that i have ever seen is Sehwag's double century against Murali and Mendis at Galle.

In order to properly contextualise it, Mendis was still a mystery spinner back then and was dominating India.

What Sehwag did at that time felt something out of our wildest imaginations. One of those knocks you would genuinely stand up for and applaud.
 
Sir Cook’s 190 at Eden Gardens in 2012 is my personal favorite.

Ashwin and Ojha had no answer. It was a masterclass in playing spin bowling in India.

Would have scored a triple-hundred if it wasn’t for a terribly unlucky run-out.
 
Aa good if not arguably better then many of these innings , against quality spin bowling was Saleem Malik v Shane Warne in 1994 test series in Pakistan — where Malik scored 237 and 143. Warne was turning the ball square and other Pakistani batsmen struggled, but Malik made him look like a school kid with how easily he handled the spin.

Unfortunately that tour/series is remembered for Malik and Warne for all the wrong reasons - but it sums up how much of an influence they both had on the cricket field to think they were named Man of Series for their respective teams.
I almost included his 1994 Rawalpindi innings which missed out by a whisker.Basically the only spinner was Shane Warne,that's why excluded.On 2nd thoughts may just have made it.Truly one of the epicst o resurrect a team from the grave.
 
The greatest knock against spin bowling that i have ever seen is Sehwag's double century against Murali and Mendis at Galle.

In order to properly contextualise it, Mendis was still a mystery spinner back then and was dominating India.

What Sehwag did at that time felt something out of our wildest imaginations. One of those knocks you would genuinely stand up for and applaud.

I agree sir.Totally deserving.What do you feel about Gavaskar's 96 at Bangalore in comparison or best of Zaheer Abbas and Lara?
 
Sir Cook’s 190 at Eden Gardens in 2012 is my personal favorite.

Ashwin and Ojha had no answer. It was a masterclass in playing spin bowling in India.

Would have scored a triple-hundred if it wasn’t for a terribly unlucky run-out.

Indeed that series saw some legendary knocks from Cook and KP. To me and many friends I know, that home series defeat felt worse than the 0-4 drubbing in England in 2011. Losing at home while playing 3 spinners was a nail in the coffin for India and rang major alarm bells for a complete overhaul.

Personally speaking, KP's knock felt more spectacular. It gave major throwback feeling to Tendulkar's Chennai century against Aussies in 1998. The swagger and dominance in these knocks was some level.
 
I agree sir.Totally deserving.What do you feel about Gavaskar's 96 at Bangalore in comparison or best of Zaheer Abbas and Lara?

Didn't see it but from what I have always heard about it from ex players, analysts it must have been one hell of a batting display.

Arguably the most talked about sub-100 test knock ever.
 
How could you miss the obvious one and I am sure you have seen it - KP's 186 at Mumbai. It was batting second as well.

In your list No. 2 (Zaheer), No. 4 (AB) shouldn't even come because those were played on absolute roads. YK & Sehwag's innings were great, but played on first innings of the game. Tendulkar's innings was very good, but I'll take his 136 over this one.

Can't rank all those - these are my top picks

KP Mumbai
BC SRL (all three innings were pure magic)
Ian Chappell
Tendulkar (Chennai)
Afridi (Chennai - hardly anyone rates it, but it was a tremendous innings on Day 3-4 wicket against Kumble & Joshi)
There are at least two Azhar Innings, one at Kanpur & other one either at Eden or Ahmedabad
Viv - both his Delhi hundreds were outstanding.

Respect your analysis,very cogeal.Still was not Zaheer in terms of domination outstanding?Sehwag scored his 201 on a very difficult track which speaks for itself.Why not Gavaskar 96 at Bangalore scored on the worst of pitches?Were not Kalicharan's best also right up there?Did I miss out Graeme Hick in Mumbai in 1992-93?
 
Respect your analysis,very cogeal.Still was not Zaheer in terms of domination outstanding?Sehwag scored his 201 on a very difficult track which speaks for itself.Why not Gavaskar 96 at Bangalore scored on the worst of pitches?Were not Kalicharan's best also right up there?Did I miss out Graeme Hick in Mumbai in 1992-93?

Gavaskar’s one will definitely be among top - it’s so obvious that while listing I thought I posted at top. This was in 4th innings, on a mine field and against two of the best finger spinners.

Kali, Kanhai I haven’t seen to judge. Zaheer was a spin demolisher, but not sure how good he was on tricky track. Sehwag’s 201 you can list here.
 
Gavaskar’s one will definitely be among top - it’s so obvious that while listing I thought I posted at top. This was in 4th innings, on a mine field and against two of the best finger spinners.

Kali, Kanhai I haven’t seen to judge. Zaheer was a spin demolisher, but not sure how good he was on tricky track. Sehwag’s 201 you can list here.

Shoaib Malik as an opener made 100 vs Murali.
 
Shoaib Malik against SL saved a test in 4th innings Murli was in top form in SL against him was amazing.
 
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