Year in Review: Top 5 Test performances of 2013

This year some amazing Test cricket was played. The Ashes in England that was good for the home side, saw a complete turnaround in Australia where the kangaroos dominated like anything.

South Africa and Pakistan played each other quite a few number of times. The Aussies toured India as well early in the year, so did the West Indies later in the year. Bangladesh toured Sri Lanka and hosted New Zealand.

There were some great performances too. It was very difficult to select 5 and very painful at the same time to leave out certain ones that not only were terrific individually but also impacted the game to a great extent.

Still, here I present to you the 5 individual performances in Tests I thought absolutely stood out.

5. Shikhar Dhawan’s 187 vs Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 3^rd Test, Mohali)

The Indians have discovered a new star in Shikhar Dhawan. He has established a permanent spot for himself in the ODI side, and will soon prove to be irreplaceable in the Test side also. This onslaught against the Aussies was a step in that direction. In a game that started a day late, the Aussies posted 408 batting first, and it was only at lunch on the 3rd day of the match that India started their batting.

In spite of so much time being lost, there was a result in the match. India won it by 6 wickets. The opening stand of Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay ended with a 289 run contribution, which set the stage for India’s later batters to make a mockery of the Aussie total of 408.

Dhawan made 187 in just 174 deliveries, cracking 33 fours and 2 biggies down the ground. The boundaries came on the off-side in a flourish, as almost every bowler in the attack had no idea where to bowl to him. Be it Starc, Doherty or Lyon, all of them got a taste of his ruthless hitting. He attacked from the onset, dispatching Henriques for 2 boundaries in his first over itself.

Doherty was subjected to similar treatment in his first over. He came to bowl is 4th over just after India had crossed the 100 run-mark, and Dhawan pelted him for 4 boundaries, using his feet when needed or just using the reverse seep to get runs. It was perfect domination on display at Mohali as the Australians toiled for the wickets while the Indians ran away with the scoring.

He fell short of his double century when he gave an easy catch to Ed Cowan at silly point off the bowling of Nathan Lyon. But the damage had been done already. Australia managed only 223 batting again, and India secured victory on the 5th day with only a tad above 100 runs to chase, and went 3-0 up in the series. Dhawan was Man of the Match.

4. Rangana Herath’s 12/157 vs Bangladesh (Bangladesh in Sri Lanka, 2^nd Test, Colombo)

Bangladesh were bulldozed out of the match that was essentially a one-man show. Herath did get assistance from a pitch that was good for spin bowling, but he produced something that was extraordinary and required his skill as a bowler and his experience as a veteran. His first victim was Mahmudullah, who he got caught at slip for 8.

Next to go was Mushfiqur Rahim, who exposed his off-stump to the ball. The dangerous looking Mominul Haque was removed in his very next over, who played well for his 64. The Bangladeshis who were proceeding decently at 128/3 were reduced to 240 all out, as all hopes of a big score went with the wickets that fell once Herath started his rampage. He ended the innings with 5 wickets for 68.

Bangladesh might have worked out a plan to face him with more circumspectly in the next innings. But that somehow didn’t work out- either their plans failed or Herath was too good. Or both. He took 7 this time as if the 1st innings was a trailer of what was to come.

These came consecutively for him, as he started from 96/1 and ended at 228/8, cleaning up the opponents for good. Herath disturbed the wood-work of the batsmen in 3 instances out of these, which shows how difficult he was to pick up. He bowled 36 overs which included 9 maidens, and he was able to remove the new as well as settled batsmen with equal ease, as the Bangladeshis tried to figure out a way to play him.

Sri Lanka were given 160 in the final innings to chase, and they did so, winning the series 1-0. Herath was Man of the Match.

3. MS Dhoni’s 224 vs Australia (Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 1^st Test, Chennai)

Australia had put up 380 batting first, and India were in a spot of bother at 196/4 when Dhoni walked in, while Virat Kohli was at the other end having scored a half-century. Such was the occasion that the skipper of the Indian side chose to produce not only a dazzling innings with the bat, but also one that turned the tables and won the game for India, and got him the Man of the Match.

He started off in his usual fashion, getting to 20 odd runs in singles and doubles before he started freeing his arms. Nathan Lyon was the first to get some treatment at his hands as he was hit for two boundaries in an over, one over mid-on and the other through mid-wicket.

Dhoni then continued his innings at a nice pace, completing his fifty in style when he hit 3 fours off Starc in an over. Following this, he played quietly for some time as wickets started falling at the other end, and completed his hundred when he hit Peter Siddle for four over square leg.

It was Bhuvneshwar Kumar who helped him later on in his innings, when India were 8 down for 406, to build a partnership that was 140-strong, the former having contributed just 21 of them. Dhoni went along his business, and it was really after the 150 mark that he really went after the bowling, and even hit Lyon for a couple of sixes in an over. He got out at 224, having taken the game away from the Aussies. India ended the innings at 572.

And they managed to dismiss the Aussies for just 241, and India had to bat again only because of the efforts of Moises Henriques who scored 81 not out. The hosts won by 8 wickets and went 1-0 up in the series.

2. The 205 run-stand between Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers against India (India in South Africa, 1^st Test, Johannesburg)

After securing a lead of 36 in the 1st innings, the Indians batted well again to post 421 on the board, aided by Pujara who played beautifully for his 153. South Africa were put in to bat in the 2nd session of the fourth day, with a target of 458 before them – a world record total had it been chased successfully.

They did start off well, with Smith and Petersen taking their score past hundred. Soon after, the Indians got their first success when Smith was run out by Rahane, and Mohammad Shami hit the stumps of Hashim Amla and Petersen in a brilliant spell in the starting session of the last day. When Kallis also departed, the score read 197/4, and another South African batting collapse looked imminent after them having started off really well.

But that was prevented by these two gentlemen who crafted probably the greatest 4th innings chase in cricket (highest in terms of runs had they completed it), and in the process we got one of the best draws witnessed in Test cricket up till now.

They played sensibly, not taking any risks but going at a healthy run rate all the same. They played smart, getting a boundary in an over while utilising the rest of the deliveries for singles. Faf played the role of the anchor while de Villiers did the hitting, smashing Zaheer Khan, Mohammad Shami and Ishant Sharma for a couple boundaries in single overs.

He brought up his fifty with a pull shot off Shami. Now it was du Plessis who accelerated somewhat with some boundaries. When the SA total touched 350, it was a warning signal to the Indians to start thinking of ways to get them out. Both of them completed their tons soon after, AB’s was a subdued celebration and it was clear that it was a win that was on his mind. But he did not last long.

In just over 60 overs, these two added 205 runs to the total, and it was only when de Villiers was dismissed by Ishant Sharma when the score was 402 that the Indians saw some way of returning bouncing back in the game. Faf however, was still going strong with Philander at the other end.

It was in the 133rd over that it happened – SA needed just 16 to win with 3 more overs still to go. Rahane affected a direct hit from mid-off just moments before Faf’s dive could land him in the crease. It was the most important moment of the match, as the South African hopes departed with du Plessis who played brilliantly for his 134.

After that SA did not try anything fancy, in fact they tried nothing at all, for fear of losing a Test that they had so nearly won, save for the six by Steyn on the last delivery of the match that reduced the difference to single figures. A draw seemed the best result for the game that both teams deserved to win.

1. Stuart Broad’s 11/121 vs Australia (Ashes, 4^th Test, Chester-le-Street)

The Ashes always brings to its watchers special performances that will be remembered in the cricketing fraternity for a long time to come. This year was no different, which saw some stunning cricket being played between England and Australia.

This particular game, Australia might have seen a ray of hope of winning this Test after being 2-0 down already in the series, having dismissed England for 238 at the start of Day 2 before they came in to bat, blissfully unaware of the Broad-storm that was going to strike them soon.

David Warner was the first to depart for just 3, after being bold by Broad who decided to start things with his wicket. Usman Khawaja then departed without troubling the scorers, giving a straightforward catch to Prior behind the stumps. Australia had lost 2 wickets with the score of only 12 on the board. Skipper Michael Clarke, who stuck around for some time for his 6, got caught in slip in the 14th over.

They Aussies did have a partnership of 129 in between for the 5th wicket, before Broad struck again to remove Shane Watson who made 64 before edging it to the wicketkeeper. The Aussies bettered the English score and ended at 270. This is what made the game interesting. England replied with 330, helped by Ian Bell’s ton. Australia were put in to bat before lunch on day 4 for the final time, with 299 required to win.

A draw was out of the question with almost 2 days left in the game. Australia sailed through to 100 without losing a wicket. Graeme Swann got the first wicket for England when he sent back Chris Rogers. David Warner and Khawaja also departed sometime after, but things were still under control.

Until Broad started his flurry of wickets starting with skipper Clarke, clipping his off-stump with a beautiful delivery that swung away from him. Steven Smith played on a short delivery onto his stumps, and suddenly the equation of the match was changed. They still required more than 100 to win now with just 5 wickets left.

Soon after Bresnan removed Watson, and the very next over Broad claimed Haddin leg before. The batting collapse that happened had reduced them from 174/3 to 181/7, and in a space of 5 overs the whole scenario of the game had changed, and England were the new favourites. Broad then cleaned up the remaining 3 wickets-Ryan Harris went leg before, Nathan Lyon had no answer to a full in-swinger that disturbed his stumps, and when Peter Siddle was caught at mid-off by Anderson, England could not control their delight as they secured the urn, and that too in style.

Broad was the man of the moment having picked up 6 wickets this time, bettering his figures of 5/71 of the previous innings, with 6/50 this time. England had pulled out a win from nowhere, and they had their bowlers to thank. Australia went back disappointed to say the least.