Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
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In order of merit I have listed my top 4th innings batting efforts of all time.
1.Brian Lara's 153n.o at Barbados v Australia in 1999
An innings of a genius on a broken track combining the skill of a technician or a doctor with the creativity of a musician or poet and the ice-cool nerves of a military general.Above all he won the game in a 4th innings run chase scoring 153 out of 308.He displayed the cutting edge of temperament with the willow,manouvering the ball through the gaps.
2.Sunil Gavaskar's 96 at Bangalore
Although it did not win the game brought India within touching distnace of a famous win on a broken track with the ball turning square.Gavaskar stuck out like a magician and it was a revelation witnessing his batting.
3.Sunil Gavaskar's 221 at the Oval in 1979
Arguably the best double century ever scored in England.Chasing a mammoth target of 438 runs Gavaskar'[s epic,faultless 221 all but won the game.Gavaskar dispatched every bad ball to the boundary and waht seemed impposible looked a probable victory till he was dimissed.Bit for umpiring blunders in the closing stages surely India would have won the game.Some of Gavaskar's strokes were regal and it was amost the perfect test innings.
4.Gordon Greenidge's 214 n.o at Lords in 1984
The greatest batting blitzkreig in a4th innings run -chase which even a Tendulkar,Viv Richards or Bradman would be proud to equal.It was like a black Barry Richards batting.A phenomenal exhibition of controlled agression like a bomber raiding an airbase.Chasing 314 for a win the calypsos cruised home by 9 wickets.
5.Derek Randall's 174 at Melbourne in the Centenary test in 1977
A cricketing classic more like seeing poetry or hearing a symphony at a concert.Derek Randall displayed a brilliant array of strokes against the bowling of Dennis Lillee reminding one of a great military counter-attack.Chasing 463 for a win England were in sights oif a historic win before Randall was dismissed.Above all the knock won the day for test cricket.
6.Neil Havey's 151 n.o.v South Africa in 1951
Chasing a target of 336 runs on a bad wicket Harvey displayed the skill of a medical surgeon.
7.Sachin Tendulkar's 136 at Madras in 1999 v Pakistan in the 1st test
An innings even Bradman would have been proud to play and Tendulkar played cricket's perfect innings on a bad wicket.When all seemed lost Tendulkar turned the match and took India to a threshold of famous win.A back spasm cost him his wicket but morally he deserved to win the game for India.Sachin was technician and surgeon combined into one.
8.Mark Waugh's 125 at Durban in the 2nd test v.South Africa in 1997-98
With great technical skill and improvization Mark Waugh took Australia on coarse to a famous win chasing a target of 254 runs on a difficult track.It was batting at it's sheer best .
9.Alan Border's 123 n.o at Old Trafford in 1981
With a broken finger Border defied the English bowling attack scoring an unbeaten 123 out of 402 with a broken finger.Chasing a mammoth target of 506 runs for victory Border won his team pride who reached a score of 402 runs to lose honourably.
10.Gundappa Vishwanath's 112 at Trinidad in 1976
won the game for India who made a record 4th innings winning score of 406.Vishy's driving and cutting paved the way for an Indian win.
11.Virendra Sehwag's 83 at Calcutta v England in 2008
One of the most agressive match-winning knocks which set the base for an unlikely winning chase of 387 runs .
12.Asif Iqbal's 135 at Kingston in 1977
Classic batting against Garner,Marshall,Roberts and Croft with a blistering exhibition of all types of strokes.One of the best innings played by a no 6 batsmen ever.
13.Viv Richard's 108 n.o at Delhi in 1987-88
Masterly batting on a bad track displaying remarkable controlled agression and winning the game for West Indies.
For artistry and entertainnment Derek Randal's 174 would win,for technical perfection both of Gavaskar's heroic innings were on top,in mastering bad wickets to win games Lara and Harvey's knocks are neck to neck while for aggression Gordon Greenidge's knock is simply on a different pedestal.Had Sachin's 136 versus Pakistan won the game for India it may well have been in the top 4 of all.
1.Brian Lara's 153n.o at Barbados v Australia in 1999
An innings of a genius on a broken track combining the skill of a technician or a doctor with the creativity of a musician or poet and the ice-cool nerves of a military general.Above all he won the game in a 4th innings run chase scoring 153 out of 308.He displayed the cutting edge of temperament with the willow,manouvering the ball through the gaps.
2.Sunil Gavaskar's 96 at Bangalore
Although it did not win the game brought India within touching distnace of a famous win on a broken track with the ball turning square.Gavaskar stuck out like a magician and it was a revelation witnessing his batting.
3.Sunil Gavaskar's 221 at the Oval in 1979
Arguably the best double century ever scored in England.Chasing a mammoth target of 438 runs Gavaskar'[s epic,faultless 221 all but won the game.Gavaskar dispatched every bad ball to the boundary and waht seemed impposible looked a probable victory till he was dimissed.Bit for umpiring blunders in the closing stages surely India would have won the game.Some of Gavaskar's strokes were regal and it was amost the perfect test innings.
4.Gordon Greenidge's 214 n.o at Lords in 1984
The greatest batting blitzkreig in a4th innings run -chase which even a Tendulkar,Viv Richards or Bradman would be proud to equal.It was like a black Barry Richards batting.A phenomenal exhibition of controlled agression like a bomber raiding an airbase.Chasing 314 for a win the calypsos cruised home by 9 wickets.
5.Derek Randall's 174 at Melbourne in the Centenary test in 1977
A cricketing classic more like seeing poetry or hearing a symphony at a concert.Derek Randall displayed a brilliant array of strokes against the bowling of Dennis Lillee reminding one of a great military counter-attack.Chasing 463 for a win England were in sights oif a historic win before Randall was dismissed.Above all the knock won the day for test cricket.
6.Neil Havey's 151 n.o.v South Africa in 1951
Chasing a target of 336 runs on a bad wicket Harvey displayed the skill of a medical surgeon.
7.Sachin Tendulkar's 136 at Madras in 1999 v Pakistan in the 1st test
An innings even Bradman would have been proud to play and Tendulkar played cricket's perfect innings on a bad wicket.When all seemed lost Tendulkar turned the match and took India to a threshold of famous win.A back spasm cost him his wicket but morally he deserved to win the game for India.Sachin was technician and surgeon combined into one.
8.Mark Waugh's 125 at Durban in the 2nd test v.South Africa in 1997-98
With great technical skill and improvization Mark Waugh took Australia on coarse to a famous win chasing a target of 254 runs on a difficult track.It was batting at it's sheer best .
9.Alan Border's 123 n.o at Old Trafford in 1981
With a broken finger Border defied the English bowling attack scoring an unbeaten 123 out of 402 with a broken finger.Chasing a mammoth target of 506 runs for victory Border won his team pride who reached a score of 402 runs to lose honourably.
10.Gundappa Vishwanath's 112 at Trinidad in 1976
won the game for India who made a record 4th innings winning score of 406.Vishy's driving and cutting paved the way for an Indian win.
11.Virendra Sehwag's 83 at Calcutta v England in 2008
One of the most agressive match-winning knocks which set the base for an unlikely winning chase of 387 runs .
12.Asif Iqbal's 135 at Kingston in 1977
Classic batting against Garner,Marshall,Roberts and Croft with a blistering exhibition of all types of strokes.One of the best innings played by a no 6 batsmen ever.
13.Viv Richard's 108 n.o at Delhi in 1987-88
Masterly batting on a bad track displaying remarkable controlled agression and winning the game for West Indies.
For artistry and entertainnment Derek Randal's 174 would win,for technical perfection both of Gavaskar's heroic innings were on top,in mastering bad wickets to win games Lara and Harvey's knocks are neck to neck while for aggression Gordon Greenidge's knock is simply on a different pedestal.Had Sachin's 136 versus Pakistan won the game for India it may well have been in the top 4 of all.