The Ashes 2013: Most memorable innings

Note – Fifteen of the best knocks includes only those innings that the author of the article has watched live. Also, the article will be released in three segments.

When Australia and England meet in an Ashes Test series, it is time for the battle royale. Those 22 cricketers ready to take the field at Trent Bridge in two days’ time won’t mind even bleeding to their bones, for the sake of their beloved country. In short, for an Australian or an Englishman, Ashes series is a microcosm of well-established traditions of the society.

Over the years, many epic and memorable battles have been fought by innumerable gladiators from both countries on a 22-yard strip. Today, I would bring out fifteen of the awe-inspiring and heart-stirring knocks played by cricketers who have beguiled, and bedazzled cricket lovers with a willow in hand in Ashes contests.

So folks, it is time now for some lights, camera and action.

Graham Thorpe at WACA, Perth. He scored 129.

15) Thorpe meeting fire with fire at WACA in 1994/’95 -

In the 90s, in the world of cricket, Australia lorded over England by having a vice-like grip over Ashes contests. In fact, they just ruthlessly obliterated their Ashes opponent for more than a decade.

In 94/’95, it was the same old story going into the final Test played on a trampoline WACA wicket. Australia had already retained the Ashes. But one English cricketer by the name of Graham Paul Thorpe wanted to prove a point or two.

The plucky, Thorpe had already made a spectacular century on his debut against the pillaging Aussies at Trent Bridge in ’93. But playing in alien conditions, and that too on the quickest track in the cricketing world was always going to be a litmus test of his character. Thorpe took up the gauntlet head-on by making a sparkling hundred at WACA, and passed the litmus test with flying colours.

In that Test match at WACA, Australia had notched up a sizeable score of 403 in the first innings. To make it worse for Thorpe, the metronomic, McGrath snared two wickets in two balls to leave England in tatters at 5 for 2.

Thorpe somehow survived a nasty back of a length delivery first up from McGrath. However, when Thorpe essayed a rasping cover-drive of towering giant, Jo Angel, it was crystal clear that we were in for a keen contest.

The highlight of that innings by Thorpe was the way he shifted his weight onto the back-foot to play some scorching pull shots against mighty fine pacers from Down Under.

When the scoreboard read 32 for 2, he pounced on a picture-perfect back of a length delivery from McGrath by pulling it in front of square. McGrath got furious, and bowled a snorter of a bouncer, but perhaps emboldened by how he was able to pull McGrath’s previous delivery, in a flash, Thorpe hooked him to send the ball rocketing to the boundary boards. McGrath could only snarl and growl at Thorpe that day.

Even the-then spearhead of Australia’s pace battery, McDermott and Angel weren’t spared. Whenever the wizard of Oz, Warne came into the attack, Thorpe played him with utmost ease. It was a glorious artwork of wonderful stroke-play from the southpaw. The author of the article rates this knock by Thorpe, as the best he has seen by an Englishman in Australia, during their dark days of 90s.

Unfortunately for Thorpe and England, only the much-maligned Ramprakash gave him support. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that in spite of Thorpe’s herculean efforts, Australia thumped them by a whopping margin of 329 runs.

Matthew Hayden tonked the English bowlers at Gabba, Brisbane.

14) Hayden’s blitzkrieg floors England at Gabba in 2002/’03 -

Going into the first Test at Gabba in 02/’03, Nasser Hussain‘s conundrum was whether he should bowl first or not, in case of him winning the toss.

In what would turn out to be one of the costliest decisions ever taken by a captain, England captain, Hussain, opted to bowl first on a proverbial belter of a wicket. The costly decision resulted in Hayden and Ponting ruthlessly plundering English bowlers into submission.

Hayden’s 197 at Gabba can only be described as the most violent and brutal innings one could ever see. It didn’t matter whether the bowler’s name was Caddick, Hoggard or someone else, as he repeatedly came down the wicket to tonk 85mph deliveries down the ground.

England’s fielders didn’t help their cause by dropping sitters of Hayden. To make it a dismal day for Hussain, and his band of boys, the only bowler who looked like a threat, Simon Jones ruptured his knee, while fielding.

The unstoppable Hayden went onto make another century in the second innings of that Test. He was particularly severe on England’s spearhead, Caddick, as he clobbered him to all corners of the ground.

Actually, Caddick must have been a happy man that none of those bazooka-like lofted shots down the ground didn’t smash his head. As for Nasser Hussain, even now, he must be having nightmares of that cruel first day at Gabba when he opted to bowl first.

Mark Taylor scored a defiant ton at Leeds in 1997.

13) Mark Taylor‘s defiant rearguard-century at Leeds in 1997 -

During the ’97 Ashes series, something didn’t seem to be right in the beautiful world of cricket. Australia was thrashed by a rejuvenated English team in the one-day series, and in the first Test at Edgbaston, they were bundled out for a paltry 118.

With England having put up a sizable total on board in their first innings, they were in sight of a famous victory.

It was also the time when Australia’s the-then captain, Taylor, was hounded by the press and former Australian cricketers like a pack of wolves for flopping miserably with a willow in hand.

Taylor gave a fitting-riposte to all his detractors who were baying for his blood with a backs-to-the wall century in the second innings of the first Test at Edgbaston. Taylor’s defiant century at Edgbaston wasn’t a purists delight. Yet, it is remembered fondly by Australian supporters for the way he banished his inner demons to make a valiant hundred.

Mark Taylor was an opening batsman in the traditional mould with fabled powers of adhesion. Taylor’s zen-like concentration prowess at Edgbaston was such that it seemed like he could wait until the cows come home for English bowlers to bowl to his strengths.

Every time, Gough, Caddick, Malcolm and Ealham bowled deliveries half-way down the track, he pulled them with panache. He was also very severe on anything that was bowled on his pads. Australia lost that Test, but Taylor’s resolute innings lifted the sagging spirits of the Australian team.

Matthew Elliott of Australia in action during the Fourth Ashes Test at Headingley in Leeds, England. Elliot made 199 runs as Australia won the match by an innings and 61 runs

12 and 11) Matthew Elliott and Ponting punch holes in England’s bowling in 1997 -

In that same Ashes series in ’97, both teams were involved in a titanic battle at Headingley, in the fourth Test. It was Australia though, who wrested the initiative from England by smashing them to smithereens at Leeds.

After losing the cream of their formidable batting line-up in the first innings, Australia found themselves reeling at 4 for 50. But the drop catch by England’s seasoned campaigner, Thorpe, of Elliott’s bat, turned the match virtually on its head.

The pugnacious Elliott essayed a masterful knock of 199. The southpaw from Victoria feasted on wayward English bowlers, who bowled to his strengths by bowling short and drifting on his pads. Cruelly, he fell one run short of a well-deserved double-hundred; castled by the untiring Gough.

At the other end of the spectrum, the young protege from Tasmania, Ponting played a typical buccaneering innings. Early on in his innings, Gough gave him a few jitters by pitching it up and swinging it late, and away from him.

But once Ponting got his eye-in, he was unstoppable. The highlight of that knock by Punter was the way he strode onto the front-foot to essay a thunderous straight-drive of Mike Smith. The arc of his back-lift, while playing that shot was a sight to behold.

England’s bowlers paid a heavy price for making the cardinal sin of bowling short to Ponting. Ponting in his indomitable style, duly obliged by mercilessly pulling all those half-trackers to the boundary boards. It was a very important innings for Ponting as the promising batsman was dropped from the Australian team, after he found runs hard to come by in the series against West Indies in 96/’97.

I would look at some more fascinating knocks played by batsmen from both countries in the next part of the article.