Top 6 underrated classics

We have all been watching Test cricket for years now. Quite a few of us fiercely defend the format by discussing its nuances, talking about the memories of great matches and performances, and reeling off statistics that only Test cricket can manage to imprint in our memory. However, give this a thought. Almost every major batting performance that we can recall instantly are centuries and massive scores.

They may or may not have been the finest knocks technically. They may have come against weak attacks on flat decks. But somehow they seem to be the ones we manage to think of the moment we try to reminisce. Is this because of the excessive importance we give to 100s, 200s and ‘daddy’ hundreds? Or is it that we are just wired to forget the lower scores – however significant they may have been?

There have been innumerable instances of ‘small scores’ proving to be extremely crucial in the final outcome. Batsmen have produced high-quality performances on treacherous tracks against some of the toughest bowling attacks. These knocks may or may not have won the matches but have certainly left an impact that many massive scores would struggle to. Perhaps what sets these performances apart is the vital extra dimension – the context.

In this piece, I highlight some ‘small’ but exceptional batting displays that deserve a lot more recognition than they have got so far. Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list. I have attempted to pick a variety of contexts when these innings were played. Some were played in a hopeless cause with the rest of the team floundering, some in adversity with the batsman struggling with an injury while a few managed to script a stunning turnaround in fortunes for their team.

#6 Len Hutton – 62 v Australia, Brisbane, 1950

The Yorkshire great has numerous records to his credit and exceptional Test stats. His 364 at The Oval in 1938, a world record for 20 years, still remains the highest score by an English batsman. Hutton’s finest display, however, came in the 1950 series in Australia.

England were going through a rough run against their arch rivals in the years after the war. A 4-0 drubbing at home by Bradman’s ‘Invincibles’ in the Don’s final series was followed by a rough start down under. On a tricky Gabba wicket, England did well to keep Australia down to a modest 228. A heavy downpour over the next day turned the wicket into a minefield.

Playing on a ‘sticky dog’ (as rain-affected uncovered wickets were referred to) was next to impossible as the bounce and pace could be highly unpredictable. England, who were unlucky to bat when the pitch was at its worst, declared their first innings at just 68/7 with the hope that they could bowl Australia out quickly and bat in better conditions. The ploy initially seemed to work as Australia crumbled to a shocking 32/7 with Alec Bedser and Trevor Bailey wreaking havoc.

Lindsay Hassett, the Australian captain, put England in a spot by declaring at that stage setting the visitors a challenging target of 193. Hutton attempted what Bradman had done in Melbourne in 1936-37 by reversing the batting order. However, the strategy did not quite work out as expected. England’s top 7 fell for single figures and they were reduced to 46/8. Hutton, however, was resolute.

He looked assured and confident in trying conditions and scored a superb unbeaten 62 with seven fours. England never threatened and were bowled out for 122 to lose by 70 runs. Harold Pinter, the famous playwright, captured Hutton’s mastery best. When asked to pen a poem, Pinter wrote, “I saw Len Hutton in his prime, another time, another time”. This was undoubtedly Hutton’s prime.

#5 MAK Pataudi – 75 and 85 versus Australia, Melbourne, 1967-68

MAK Pataudi

Many who watched the regal Nawab of Pataudi bat were convinced that he could have gone on to become one of the finest ever if not for the cruel accident that led to the loss of an eye. Pataudi, who studied in England and played for Oxford, had to start his Test career in 1961 with the handicap. Soon enough, he was India captain against West Indies after the then captain Nari Contractor fell to a Charlie Griffith bouncer.

When India toured Australia in 1967-68, nobody expected anything but an Australian romp given India’s abysmal touring record. After a heavy defeat in the first Test, India were staring down the barrel at 25/5 after Pataudi made the choice to bat in challenging batting conditions. Pataudi, who had suffered a hamstring injury earlier in the game, attacked the bowling and made a top-class 75 out of a team total of 173.

While most batsmen struggled on the green pitch, Pataudi handled the high-quality bowling attack with ease and scored rapidly. Perhaps the most apt description was that it was “an innings played with one leg and one eye”. India conceded a huge lead and went down by an innings but not before the great Pataudi played yet another glorious knock of 85 in the second innings.

Given the circumstances, the state of the pitch, his injury, and the fact that he had lost an eye, Pataudi’s twin performances in this Test must surely count among the finest by an Indian batsman.

#4 Vivian Richards – 61 versus India, Jamaica, 1983

Viv Richards

The great Vivian Richards played so many extraordinary innings during the course of successful Test career. People can perhaps be forgiven for forgetting this knock. During their heyday, West Indies would roll over most opponents without really breaking a sweat. After their 5-1 loss in Australia in 1975-76, Clive Lloyd had assembled a pace quartet that would go on to terrorise batting line-ups around the world.

The batting power was not far behind; with Greenidge and Haynes opening the batting, West Indies controlled the match right from the start. In the home series against India in 1983, West Indies had started well in the first Test by restricting India to 251. However, an ordinary batting display by the home side meant that they managed a lead of only 3 runs.

A torrential shower washed out the whole of day 4 and a draw seemed inevitable as India moved to 168/6 with close to 30 overs remaining in the final day’s play. Andy Roberts turned the contest around with a terrific spell as he ripped out the last four wickets in quick time leaving West Indies to chase down a seemingly improbable, but not impossible 172 in just 26 overs.

Though the start was rapid, it was quite apparent that only Richards could pull off the miracle. And he did. The Antiguan legend launched a fearsome attack on the Indian bowling plundering 61 off just 36 balls with four sixes and five fours. When he was dismissed, West Indies needed 16 runs off 2.3 overs which they managed without fuss. This extraordinary win was made possible only because of Richards’ exceptional hitting.

#3 Wasim Akram – 66 versus West Indies, Faisalabad, 1986

Wasim Akram

Pakistan have had a turbulent history in cricket. They have experienced tremendous highs and endured terrible lows. However, perhaps their greatest achievement in Tests remains the fact that they challenged the mighty West Indies team of the 1980s while most other teams were being crushed by the Caribbean juggernaut. When the all-conquering West Indies visited Pakistan in 1986, they would not have expected the contest they got in that series and over the next five years.

In the first Test in Faisalabad, the home team got off to a bad start and were bowled out for just 159 with Imran Khan, their charismatic captain scoring 61. West Indies found the going tough too but managed a lead of 89 runs. In their second innings, Pakistan were quickly under pressure losing the first two wickets with just 19 on the board. A recovery in the middle order was followed by an all too familiar Pakistan collapse. At 218/7, West Indies were clearly in control.

Wasim Akram, who had made his debut only a year earlier, came in at No. 9 and swung the match in Pakistan’s favour by smashing a quickfire 66 off just 82 balls. Against a handy bowling attack of Malcolm Marshall, Patrick Patterson, Tony Gray and Courtney Walsh, Akram held firm.

Together with Imran, Tauseef Ahmed and the injured Salim Malik, he helped Pakistan add more than 100 runs for the last three wickets. West Indies needed 240 to win the match but were stunned by an exceptional display of leg spin bowling by Abdul Qadir, who finished with 6/16. West Indies had been bowled out for 53, which was their lowest ever score. The tourists staged a magnificent comeback in the very next game winning by an innings and leveling the series. However, Akram’s brilliant performance and Pakistan’s fighting spirit was to become a thorn in West Indies’ flesh in the next few years as Pakistan pulled off 1-1 draws in the next two series.

#2 Jonty Rhodes – 76 versus Australia, Sydney, 1994

Jonty Rhodes

South Africa had made a strong return to Test cricket after a 22-year ban. They had been unlucky not to win their inaugural Test after readmission against West Indies after a major collapse saw them lose their last eight wickets for just 26 runs. On their tour of Australia in 1994, South Africa had drawn the first Test but ran into a lot of trouble in the 2nd Test in Sydney against the peerless Shane Warne who was to prove their nemesis for more than a decade.

With a wicked mix of leg breaks, flippers and top spinners, Warne bamboozled the Proteas and bowled them out for just 169. Perhaps the highlight of Warne’s display (7/56) was his setup and dismissal of Daryl Cullinan who never quite managed to figure out the wiles of the leg spin great. Australia established a lead of 123 which was surely going to be a match winning one on a pitch that was taking a lot of turn.

In their second innings, South Africa did slightly better but found themselves at a precarious 110/5 with only Jonty Rhodes remaining among the top batsmen. Rhodes added a crucial 72 with the wicketkeeper Dave Richardson and a further 36 with the last man, Allan Donald. His superb 76* took South Africa to 239, setting the home team a target of 117. It may not have seemed much but South Africa’s bowlers at least had something to bowl at.

Australia were cruising at 51/1 but lost their next seven wickets for just 24 runs as Fanie de Villiers and Donald sparked off a collapse. Despite a brief scare, when Damien Martyn and Craig McDermott added 35 for the ninth wicket, the tourists held their nerve and pulled off a quite stunning 5-run win – one of their greatest Test match wins. They surely had Rhodes to thank for that.

#1 Australia’s 2nd innings versus Sri Lanka, SSC, 1992

Shane Warne

Before you start wondering why I haven’t picked a single batsman but have instead mentioned a full team innings, let me clarify that there is perhaps no better illustration of the statement “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” than the Australian second innings.

Australia struggled against the hosts’ bowling attack and ended with a modest 256. Sri Lanka responded brilliantly. Three of their batsmen including the debutant, Romesh Kaluwitharana, scored centuries and helped Sri Lanka amass a huge total of 547, a lead of 291 runs.

In their second innings, Australia needed at least two batsmen to score centuries to stand any chance. That did not happen. However, six of their batsmen scored 40 or more with four of them making half-centuries. Australia finished with 471 and set the home side a target of 181. At 127/2, there was going to be only one winner. However, Greg Matthews, the off spinner who had scored 64 earlier, picked up four wickets and left Sri Lanka in a tight spot at 137/6.

Shane Warne, who had made virtually no impact in the first innings (0/107), picked up 3 wickets without conceding a single run and pulled off a scarcely believable 16-run win for Australia. Australia have often been praised for their teamwork. Has there ever been a better example of the entire team standing up when needed? I can’t think of many better instances.