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Battle of the Test Matches II

Satyanash89

Banned
Tempted to go for Joburg and Galle coz of incredible solo performances ( hoggard and SehWAG) but gotta go tor Cardiff in the end... amazing finish
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
Have to go for Galle. Best live innings I've seen ahead of Laxman's 281 and Clarke's 151.
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Sorry I read that as "other than" Laxman's 281 and Clarke's 151.

You are right, it is a big call. Didn't see Sehwag's knock live (which makes me want to cry) so I can't comment.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Hoggy's efforts were little short of miraculous at Jo'burg but have to go for the first miracle of Cardiff. Felt more like a win than a lot of wins. Colly and the tail worked, well, a miracle.

Still maintain we shouldn't have got away with a draw tho and if Ponting hadn't delayed the declaration for so long we wouldn't have.
 

stumpski

International Captain
Cardiff. I'm still not sure we'd have come back if we'd lost there. Important match for Swann too, ousted Monty as first choice spinner largely on the strength of his runs.
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Yeah which is funny really as it was IMO his worst bowling performance in an England shirt
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
Reckon Swann bested Monty for a spot in India the previous winter, tbh.

Pained to vote for Cardiff due to hating most of it. And the "debate" that surrounded Pietersen's dumb shot. Will go for Johannesburg
 

GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Reckon Swann bested Monty for a spot in India the previous winter, tbh.

Pained to vote for Cardiff due to hating most of it. And the "debate" that surrounded Pietersen's dumb shot. Will go for Johannesburg
Monty was selected ahead of him at the beginning of the Windies series which followed India but Swann ousted him during that series.
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
Great innings, but thats a big call imo
Sorry I read that as "other than" Laxman's 281 and Clarke's 151.

You are right, it is a big call. Didn't see Sehwag's knock live (which makes me want to cry) so I can't comment.
Yeah, I know it's a massive left-field call but it was an absolutely monstrous innings. Mendis was a sensation at that point and had spun out that Indian batting order the game before which we lost heavily. Murali and Mendis took 47 wickets at under 20 in 3 games for the series and even a player like Tendulkar who would by that point be regarded as the best spin player of the generation by a fair few (or at worst, top 3) was rushed uncomfortably by Mendis in the first test.

It was a full-on run-a-ball (for the most part atleast) assault on a natural, raging turner against two extremely dangerous and diverse forms of spin. Out of our bats, 7 were bowled out for less than five, 8 for less than ten. Sehwag was 201 not out.

It was a complete paradigm shift for the series IMO, suddenly we had gone from absolutely clueless to legitimate competitors in a matter of a day.

Off my head, I can only think off Gooch's 151* and Hughes's 100* (The best innings of all-time IMO) which are better. I'm sure there are a few more as well but my point is it's an absolute top class innings which is one of the best ever.

The CW staff, whose work is always much appreciated btw, recently did a feature of a numerical exercise to determine the best innings ever and Sehwag's innings slotted in 7th all-time. I was pleasantly surprised because I thought it was one of those 'You had to be there' innings'. (Laxman's 281 is fourth, Gooch is third and Hughes is 28th in that list)

Yeah, In summation, It's definitely the greatest innings' I've seen live in my short-lived cricket watching life. (post-2000 odd)
 
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GIMH

Norwood's on Fire
Wow what a ****ing battle. Gonna have to think hard about this but leaning towards Calcutta ATM
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
That's tough. Old Trafford was a classic and Port of Spain was good in its own right as well, but I think I have to go Calcutta. I mean... its just ridiculous that India won that match. If they had drawn it it would have been incredible anyway, but to actually bowl Australia out in that last session is ridiculous. What was it, 8 wickets in the last session or something?
 

Satyanash89

Banned
Wow. 3 absolute classics there... Manchester would probably win if it was in any other battle, but its got to be Kolkata for me... Astonishing test with some ridiculous individual performances, lots of twists, and a real turning point for Indian cricket. Hard to top it, really
 

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