Top TEN test knocks of all time

[honestbharani]

Hughes' 101* would be my No.1 of the post 1920 period, definitely.

Though I don't believe Sehwag's 300s belong in the list, I do think they're under-appreciated because we're so used to the batsman involved in them scoring at run-a-ball anyway. If he was a more 'classical' prolific batsman like Sachin or Ponting who suddenly went crazy for one Innings and scored 309(280), It'd be talked about a lot more, IMO.

Sehwag's 200 at Galle is an ATG Innings, definitely though. I'm not sure about it belonging in a top 10 list but winning the match single-handedly against Murali and Mendis(The Magical Mendis '08) on a spinning track was bloody special.

It is true for everyone though.. You always remember a knock when a player plays against his style than the ones he plays in his style... Why do you think Sachin's 240 odd in Sydney is remembered so much?


And yeah Sehwag's 201 is an ATG knock for sure.. Place it just below Laxman's 281 myself..

 

[Xuhaib]

one rarely talked about knock is Saeed Anwar's 100 in SA late 90's remember Donald and Pollock were just tearing it down on a pretty spicy pitch and unlike Kamran Akmal's 100 it was not a couter attack type of knock it was a combination of skill, concentration and courage not the best knock I have seen but certainly one of the most unappreciated.

 

[wpdavid]

Oohhh I should upload that Ramps catch! It was unreal!

Also the run out he managed in the same 'spell'

Please.

 

[Migara]

Lmao

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

The list seems odd. No mention of Gooch's century or Hughes' 100 off a score of 198. Even Vishy's 97 not out in Madras, 1974 against a rampaging Roberts could make a strong claim.

Such a list is interesting to contemplate. I strongly believe that this particular exercise (rating a knock or a spell) is best done based on what you've seen live rather than in old video reels.


Therefore, the top ten knocks in my viewing time (1999 onwards):


1) Brian Lara's 153* in Barbados, 1999

2) VVS' 281 in Eden, 2001

3) Vaughan's 4th innings 105 in Kandy, 2003

4) Ricky Ponting's 4th innings ton at Manchester, 2005

5) Sehwag's 201* in Galle, 2008

6) Rahul Dravid's 81 and 68 on a Sabina Park track with variable bounce, 2006.

7) VVS' match-winning 96 in Durban, 2010/11

8) Damien Martyn's match-saving century in Chennai, 2004 (Sehwag also played a fine knock in the match. Martyn's was better in context.)

9) Jacques Kallis' 2nd innings century in Cape Town, 2011

10) Inzamam's epic 138* to save Pakistan from complete ignominy in Multan, 2003


I've provided hyperlinked scorecards of the knocks that may not be popularly known to all. Quality of the attack, match and series situation, and the player's physical condition (esp. in Kallis' case) were taken into acount in coming with these rankings.

 

[weldone]

Among innings played by Indian batsmen that I've watched live (from the top of my mind):

1. Laxman's 281*
2. Sehwag's double ton at Galle
3. Dravid's match-winning double-century in Australia
4. Teen-ager Tendulkar's century at Perth, 1991
5. VVS' match-winning 96 at Durban
6-7. A couple of Sehwag's triple-tons
8. Tendulkar's 136 against Pakistan in Chennai
9. VVS' match-winning 2nd innings century in Sri Lanka 2010-11
10. Tendulkar's double-ton in Sydney

Tendulkar's century in Adelaide, 2007-08 and Ganguly's Brisbane ton were special, too. Tendulkar's century versus Dale Steyn and co. last year in SA is worth a shout, too....so is Dravid's gritty efforts in Sabina Park and Newzealand....Ganguly's debut ton is personally special for emotional reasons as well....Dravid's 180-odd at Eden Gardens is a very under-appreciated knock.

 

[Cevno]

Azhar Mahmood's knocks in SA?

 

[vcs]

weldone, Tendulkar has never played against Pakistan in Nagpur IIRC. Are you thinking of his 2nd innings 85 against WI in Mumbai '94? A very important match-winning innings on a bad pitch.

 

[honestbharani]

Agree with weldone's list but will put Dravid's dual fifties in Jamaica at #3 and pump everything down by 1.. Or maybe, I will juz do mine..


Top 10 Indian test knocks in my time of watching:


1. Laxman 281 Vs Aus, Kolkata
2. Sehwag 201 Vs SL, Galle
3. Dravid twin 60s Vs WI, Jamaica
4. Sachin 136 Vs Pak, Chennai
5. Laxman 96 Vs SA, Durban
6. Laxman knock Vs Aus, Mohali last year with a bad back
7. Dravid 148 Vs Eng, Headingley, 2002
8. Dravid 236 Vs Aus, Adelaide
9. Sachin 100 odd Vs Eng, Chennai
10. Dravid 130 odd Vs SA, Johannesburg 1996

 

[robelinda]

Gee Dravid's Leeds knock in 2002 was EPIC. At least one of those knocks in that test series should be in the top 10 India knocks of the decade.

 

[honestbharani]

Yeah.. can't believe I missed it. Gonna edit now.

 

[robelinda]

Hah, which one to take out??? Sachin 15 is gonna have to go, being number 11 aint so bad in this case.

 

[honestbharani]

Hah, which one to take out??? Sachin 15 is gonna have to go, being number 11 aint so bad in this case.

exactly..


Amazing how my entire list has only 4 batsmen of India and I have been watching cricket since the 90s..

 

[salman85]

Talk about an under-rated knock.This is the stuff of legends by Gurusinha :

2nd Test: Australia v Sri Lanka at Melbourne, Dec 26-30, 1995 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[ankitj]

No one has mentioned Tendulkar's 155 or so against SA in Sehwag's debut match. One of Tendulkar's best attacking hundreds.

 

[Blaze 18]

Top six in my time of watching :

1) Brian Lara 153* vs Australia, Barbados
2) VVS Laxman's 281 vs Autralia, Calcutta
3) Brian Lara 226 vs Australia, Adelaide
4) Sachin Tendulkar's 136 vs Pakistan, Chennai
5) Brian Lara's 220 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo
6) Sachin Tendulkar's 160 odd vs South Africa, Cape Town

 

[Neil Pickup]

How about this for English knocks post-Gooch - broadly in line with my viewing lifespan, although I'm quite probably going to short change anything pre-2002 (see join date).

Mike Atherton 185* v South Africa, Johannesburg 1995
Kevin Pietersen 158 v Australia, The Oval 2005
Marcus Trescothick 180 v South Africa, Johannesburg 2005
Nasser Hussain 207 v Australia, Egbaston 1997
Mark Butcher 173* v Australia, Headingley 2001
Graham Thorpe 200* v New Zealand, Christchurch 2002
Alastair Cook 235* v Australia, Brisbane 2010
MIchael Vaughan 177 v Australia, Adelaide 2002
Jonathan Trott 168* v Australia, Melbourne 2010
Kevin Pietersen 227 v Australia, Adelaide 2010

Rather a preponderance of Ashes-related innings here - not sure if that's a reflection of English batting or personal bias. I noted a 190 by Stewart v Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1992 that sadly I don't remember (having been six years old), and I've heard and read about Hick's 178 in Mumbai 1993, but I can't picture either well enough to rank them. I'm not sure I've picked the right Vaughan knock, however they've all rather merged into one in my head.

 

[superkingdave]

How about this for English knocks post-Gooch - broadly in line with my viewing lifespan, although I'm quite probably going to short change anything pre-2002 (see join date).

Mike Atherton 185* v South Africa, Johannesburg 1995
Kevin Pietersen 158 v Australia, The Oval 2005
Marcus Trescothick 180 v South Africa, Johannesburg 2005
Nasser Hussain 207 v Australia, Egbaston 1997
Mark Butcher 173* v Australia, Headingley 2001
Graham Thorpe 200* v New Zealand, Christchurch 2002
Alastair Cook 235* v Australia, Brisbane 2010
MIchael Vaughan 177 v Australia, Adelaide 2002
Jonathan Trott 168* v Australia, Melbourne 2010
Kevin Pietersen 227 v Australia, Adelaide 2010

Rather a preponderance of Ashes-related innings here - not sure if that's a reflection of English batting or personal bias. I noted a 190 by Stewart v Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1992 that sadly I don't remember (having been six years old), and I've heard and read about Hick's 178 in Mumbai 1993, but I can't picture either well enough to rank them. I'm not sure I've picked the right Vaughan knock, however they've all rather merged into one in my head.

Thorpe's ton in Colombo in 01 must be up there. 113* out of 249 to get us a 1st innings lead and we went on to win the series, highest other score was 26

 

[robelinda]

How about this for English knocks post-Gooch - broadly in line with my viewing lifespan, although I'm quite probably going to short change anything pre-2002 (see join date).

Mike Atherton 185* v South Africa, Johannesburg 1995
Kevin Pietersen 158 v Australia, The Oval 2005
Marcus Trescothick 180 v South Africa, Johannesburg 2005
Nasser Hussain 207 v Australia, Egbaston 1997
Mark Butcher 173* v Australia, Headingley 2001
Graham Thorpe 200* v New Zealand, Christchurch 2002
Alastair Cook 235* v Australia, Brisbane 2010
MIchael Vaughan 177 v Australia, Adelaide 2002
Jonathan Trott 168* v Australia, Melbourne 2010
Kevin Pietersen 227 v Australia, Adelaide 2010

Rather a preponderance of Ashes-related innings here - not sure if that's a reflection of English batting or personal bias. I noted a 190 by Stewart v Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1992 that sadly I don't remember (having been six years old), and I've heard and read about Hick's 178 in Mumbai 1993, but I can't picture either well enough to rank them. I'm not sure I've picked the right Vaughan knock, however they've all rather merged into one in my head.

Id better upload the 178 and 190 then!

 

[gvenkat]

Top six in my time of watching :

1) Brian Lara 153* vs Australia, Barbados
2) VVS Laxman's 281 vs Autralia, Calcutta
3) Brian Lara 226 vs Australia, Adelaide
4) Sachin Tendulkar's 136 vs Pakistan, Chennai
5) Brian Lara's 220 vs Sri Lanka, Colombo
6) Sachin Tendulkar's 160 odd vs South Africa, Cape Town

Mine Would be

1) Brian Lara 153* vs Australia, Barbados
2) Brian Lara 213 vs Australia, Kingston
3) Tendulkar's 155 vs Australia at Chennai - Very Under-rated knock, But to me the best matchwinning innings from him for India.
4) VVS Laxman's 281 vs Autralia, Calcutta
5) Tendulkar's 136 vs Pakistan at Chennai - The best knock in a losing cause to date.
6) Mark Waugh's Century at Port Elizabeth to win the game against SA in 1997/98. I think he scored 107 or something.
7) Brian Lara - 196 Vs South Africa at Trinidad - 2005
8) Steve Waugh 200 at Jamaica in 1995.