10. At number ten in the list is Ricky Ponting's magnificent 156 against England at Old Trafford in 2005. The series went into the crucial third test tied at 1-1 and it was imperative to avoid defeat. With Glenn McGrath just back from injury and Jason Gillespie woefully out of form, the Australians were staring down the barrel. England exploited the conditions perfectly and when the Aussies were left to chase over 400 with more than a day to go, it looked like there would be only one result possible. Ponting had other ideas though. Batsmen came and went as he watched. Yet, in a remarkable display of concentration and focus, he produced an obdurate innings punctuated with glorious strokeplay on both sides of the wicket. He stood alone defying England for almost the entire of the final day. He departed with four overs to go gloving a ball on the leg side and disappointment was writ large on his face. The gritty Brett Lee and McGrath hung on stubbornly for a draw to make sure their captain's innings didn't go in waste. It certainly ranks among the finest innings ever played by a skipper in test cricket.
The scorecard of this game can be found here.
9. Mike Atherton did not quite drag people to the ground to watch him bat, but his defiance and dogged determination in face of adversity against top class fast bowling can never be forgotten. He did produce many such knocks but none better than the marathon 185* in over twelve hours against the great fast bowling pair of Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock in 1995 at Johannesburg. With stubborn resistance by Jack Russell at the other end, Atherton erected a monumental effort that must without doubt go down as one of the greatest rearguard knocks in history. Two years later he defied a barrage of short pitched bowling by Allan Donald to lead England to victory but the knock at the Wanderers was the special one.
The scorecard of this game can be found here.
8. England vs West Indies had ceased to be a contest right from 1976 when Michael Holding terrorized the English batsmen. Viv Richards had piled on the runs and England had been crushed 3-0. They had not won a single game till 1984 and when the series moved to the second test at Lords with West Indies leading 1-0, few gave England a chance. David Gower's team mustered 286 and with Ian Botham bowling brilliantly to pick up eight wickets, England surprisingly held a 41 run lead. They batted positively and reached 300/9 when their captain had the temerity to declare leaving West Indies with an extremely difficult 342 to get in about 72 overs. Little did they know what would hit them. Gordon Greenidge, who was dismissed for just 1 in the first innings was nursing an injured leg. He went on and smashed a quite superb 214* off 242 balls striking 29 fours and 2 sixes in the process. The only wicket the hapless English bowlers managed to get was that of Desmond Haynes through a run out. West Indies made light work of the huge target by knocking the runs off in just 66 overs and the audacious knock had stunned all of England. The bowlers including the first innings hero Ian Botham had been treated with disdain and this innings of Greenidge which set up the first 'blackwash' of England must surely go down as one of the finest and most aggressive in a chase.
The scorecard of this test at Lords is here.
7. India were hosting Pakistan in 1999 after a long gap of twelve years. In the first test at the M.A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai, the venue of many a great contest, India bowled extremely well to keep the Pakistani batting lineup to just 238. Pakistan's excellent bowling attack though stunned India and the hosts just managed a very slender lead of 16 runs. The match was all set to be a cracker. Shahid Afridi, one of the many young talents from Pakistan scored a brilliant 141 and when Pakistan were comfortably placed at 275/4, it looked like it was curtains for India. In a display of panic and self destruction typically associated with Pakistan, they collapsed to be all all out for 286 leaving India with a competitive target of 271 to get. The Pakistani bowlers reduced India to 82/5 and India was staring down the barrel at this stage. Sachin Tendulkar who had been dismissed third ball for a duck in the first innings was joined by the wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia. Tendulkar despite suffering from a back strain produced a superlative innings single handedly taking India closer to victory. Mongia fell with fifty three required and when Tendulkar played his first false shot with the score on 254, there was just 17 runs to get with three wickets in hand. He had made a brilliant 136 and come up trumps against one of the finest bowling attacks in world cricket. Despite his gutsy effort, the Indian tail was bowled out in a trice to leave the Pakistan team victorious by 12 runs. Tendulkar was inconsolable and his quite sublime knock was in vain as were many others before that. But there is little doubt that this display by the little master ranks right up there in the pantheon of centuries scored over the years.
The scorecard of this classic encounter is here.
6. West Indies toured India in 1974 and the first test played at Bangalore marked the debut of two of its greatest batsmen in Vivian Richards and Gordon Greenidge. The Caribbeans had jumped to a 2-0 lead after thrashing India in the first two tests. In the absence of Sunil Gavaskar, India fought back by winning the next test at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta with Gundappa Viswanath scoring a hundred. In the vital fourth test played at Madras, India were rocked by a fierce spell of fast bowling by Andy Roberts. Amidst all the ruins, Viswanath made a superb unbeaten 97. On a genuinely quick track against top class fast bowling, this innings by Vishy oozes quality and the context places it among the finest knocks played by an Indian in test cricket.
The scorecard can be found here.
5. Sunil Gavaskar had long been the rock of the Indian batting lineup. Ever since his extraordinary debut series in 1971, he had amassed centuries against the finest attacks and in his final series at home in 1987, he was up against Imran Khan's Pakistan team. The final test of an otherwise dull series moved to Bangalore and on a minefield of a track, Pakistan were bundled out for 116. Maninder Singh picked up 7/27. India did not far much better either earning a slender lead of 29. The pitch was turning square and Pakistan put up a much better display in the second innings and set India a target of 221 which was going to be extremely difficult considering the nature of the pitch. In a quite stunning display of impeccable technique and remarkable concentration, Gavaskar who was playing his final test tackled the spinners with ease and is seemed like the great man was batting on a different surface. Ultimately when he was dismissed for 96, spectators who had witnessed the knock knew that India would miss a special batsman. India lost the game by a close margin of 17 runs but all the talk was about Sunil Gavaskar's champion knock.
The scorecard can be found here.
4. In over 16 years England had not won a single test let alone a series against the mighty West Indies. They had been humiliated home and away and when they finally won a test in 1990, they unluckily lost the series 2-1. The 1991 series in England was viewed as yet another hopeless mismatch. The powerful fast bowling attack of the West Indies included the legendary Malcolm Marshall, the dangerous Patrick Patterson, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh. On a seaming track in Headingley in overcast conditions, England were bowled out for 198 but responded in fine style to dismiss the West Indies for 173 with Viv Richards scoring 73. In the second innings though, England were tottering against the pace attack when Graham Gooch orchestrated a remarkable fightback by scoring 154* out of a total of 252. He defied some of most aggressive bowling in extremely difficult conditions and set up a total which England went on to defend successfully. Considering the quality of the attack, the conditions and the history of past contests, this brilliant knock by Graham Gooch is rated right up the scale.
The scorecard from this Headingley game is here.
3. The 1981 Ashes saw an inauspicious start for England when they were defeated in the first test. Things only got worse when their captain Ian Botham resigned after bagging a pair in the second test at Lords. Mike Brearley took over in the third test at Headingley under extreme pressure. When England were asked to follow on after being bowled out for 174 in response to Australia's 401, the situation was very grim indeed. Ian Botham who made a quickfire half century in the first innings was soon in after Dennis Lillee and Terry Alderman wrecked England in the second innings too. At 135/7, with Graham Dilley joining Botham, there seemed to be no hope. Dilley initially started aggressively and this spurred Botham on and from then on,n what can only be described as out of the world, Ian Botham proceeded to flay the Aussie bowlers to all parts. His exceptional 149 n.o and his partnerships with Dilley and Old left Australia with a modest target of 130 to get. He picked up the first wicket and his efforts till that point had provided tremendous confidence to the bowlers especially Bob Willis who bowled remarkably to capture 8/43 and bowl Australia out for 111. England had won from a situation of no hope and this was only the beginning as they went onto win the Ashes with more scintillating displays from Ian Botham. Not for nothing is this known as 'Botham's Ashes' and not without reason is this innings one of the greatest of all time.
The scorecard of this great test match is here.
2. Steve Waugh's juggernaut arrived in India in 2001 for a three test series. Australia surprisingly had not triumphed in India in over 30 years and this led Waugh to label it as the 'last frontier'. They set about the task in a most amazing manner when they thrashed India in the first test at Mumbai by 10 wickets. In the second test at the Eden Gardens in Calcutta, in response to Australia's huge total of 445, India were bundled out cheaply for just 171 and when the follow on was enforced, defeat and humiliation loomed large. India were reduced to 115/3 when Tendulkar was dismissed. The captain Saurav Ganguly joined VVS Laxman who had been the sole bright spark in the first innings. They put on a century stand before Ganguly fell to the great Glenn McGrath for 48. Rahul Dravid, who had been out of form leading into this innings joined Laxman and what followed for the next day and a bit is history. The pair put on a mammoth 376 run stand and Laxman's strokeplay was sublime. In a chanceless display of batting worth going miles to see, he essayed some gorgeous shots off the fast bowlers and his inside out cover drive off Shane Warne taking the ball from outside leg stump stands out in memory. When he finally fell for an immortal 281, he had put India well on the way to victory and with Harbhajan Singh in supreme bowling form, India levelled the series and then went onto clinch a thriller in Chennai to dent Steve Waugh's hopes of conquering the final frontier. The match situation and the exceptional attack he was facing coupled with the sheer quality of the batting dwarfs most other knocks played in test history.
The scorecard of this magnificent test match can be found here.
1. West Indies hosted Steve Waugh's powerful Australian side in 1999. The West Indies team had been in state of decline for a long time and following the debacle in South Africa and innumerable contract and board problems, Brian Lara's position as captain was under grave threat leading into the series. The first test at Lara's hometown Port of Spain further added to the team's woes when they were bowled out for a paltry 51 and lost by a heavy margin of 312 runs. People called for Lara's head and if ever there was a performance needed to salvage personal and team pride, this was the moment. Lara responded as only champions can by scoring 213 in the next test at Jamaica and fine bowling helped level the series at 1-1. In the third test at Barbados, Australia despite being bowled out cheaply in the second innings had set the home side a very difficult target of 308. At 105/5, there seemed no way back. An incensed Lara, who had been angered by some comments from Glenn McGrath went on to play some brilliant shots caning the Australian bowlers. Jimmy Adams provided some valuable support but when McGrath removed Adams and then grabbed two more wickets, the West Indies were down in the dumps at 248/8. With 60 to get and only Ambrose and the rather inept Walsh to come, it seemed done and dusted. Ambrose fortuitously survived some fine fast bowling and kept Lara company. Lara meanwhile compiled a glorious hundred and when Ambrose attempted one dab too many and edged to Elliott at gully, the target was six away. Courtney Walsh strode to the middle and what followed was comical, thrilling and edge of the seat stuff as he managed to somehow keep out some brilliant deliveries which might have even taken out a top batsman. Lara was given a reprieve when Ian Healy put him down off Gillespie. He then proceeded to smash Gillespie through the covers to seal an improbable win. Barbados erupted in joy and delirious scenes were witnessed all over. The spectacular comeback from the depths of the first test can never be forgotten and Brian Lara's performance in the series where he scored 213, 153* and 100 to help the West Indies draw the contest after being trounced in the first test will undoubtedly rank as the finest innings played in adversity both on and off the field. The sheer class of Lara as he produced such a brilliant knock enduring some tremendous pressure ranks it the best of all.
The scorecard can be found here.
Perhaps the greatest innings played in modern times has to be the 254 by Garry Sobers at the MCG against Australia while playing for the World XI in 1971-72. Sadly this series was not accorded official status but nevertheless the quality of players on the field that day makes one understand the significance and brilliance of the knock. Dennis Lillee had been bowling superbly all through the series and had dismissed Sobers for a duck in the first innings. The Aussies gained a lead of 101 runs and when Sobers came into bat in the second innings, the world XI were in a difficult situation. He destroyed Lillee's bowling and his shots often rebounded back onto the playing field after hitting the hoardings. His glorious 254 stunned the Australians and led Don Bradman to remark that it was the finest display of batting he had ever seen down under. What made this knock by Sobers all the more amazing was that it was at the fag end of his career. Unofficial though the test was, this innings by the one and only Sobers has often been regarded by many players as the finest ever.
The scorecard can be found here.
While compiling this list, I encountered many difficulties. There have been so many classic performances and it is extremely hard to pick let alone provide a rating. Some other memorable ones that might figure in other top tens include Gavaskar's 221 at the Oval, Dean Jones 210 at Madras, Richards' century at Delhi in 1987-88, Steve Waugh's gutsy 200 at Jamaica in 1995, Sachin Tendulkar's 169 at Cape Town in 1996 and 155 at Madras, Adam Gilchrist's 149 at Hobart in 1999, Brian Lara's solo efforts against Sri Lanka in 2000-01, Dravid's masterpiece in 2002 at Leeds and many many more..
Summarizing the list
1. Brian Lara -153* vs Australia
2. VVS Laxman-281 vs Australia
3. Ian Botham- 149* vs Australia
4. Graham Gooch- 154* against WI
5. Sunil Gavaskar- 96 against Pakistan
6. Gundappa Viswanath-97 against WI
7. Sachin Tendulkar-136 against Pakistan
8. Gordon Greenidge-214* against England
9. Mike Atherton- 185* against SA
10.Ricky Ponting-156 against England
and the best of all Garry Sobers -254 for world XI against Australia.
Do provide your comments and mention the other knocks that I might have missed out during this attempt to rate the greatest innings played...
