Career-saving performances

[Burgey]

Time waits for no one. The age jokes have never bothered me tbh, it you can't be going around bagging Allan Border ffs.

 

[doesitmatter]

Dravid ..2001..180 .. Famous Kolkata Test
Sehwag..152 Adelaide

 

[Furball]

Two from Mike Hussey at very different parts of his career:

2nd Test: Australia v West Indies at Hobart, Nov 17-21, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo. Context - he was only there as an injury replacement for Justin Langer, and had he failed in Hobart it was very much possible, heck even likely that he'd spend the rest of his career as an ODI specialist and never really get another chance as a Test player. Instead he scored a century, and the rest as they say, is history.

and

1st Test: Australia v England at Brisbane, Nov 25-29, 2010 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo. Was in pretty bad form for about 2 years before that, and was lucky to be playing in that match. It's likely that he had failed his career would've been terminated very shortly. Instead he managed a big ton, was one of the only players to step up in that series and managed a quality second wind before his retirement.

You've missed out Hussey's Oval ton in 2009.

 

[Furball]

What about Steve Smith's first Test century in the 2013 English Ashes? Up until that point he'd made 3 or 4 50s since being recalled and plenty of other bats were being dropped at the time (Cowan, Hughes, Khawaja).

Career defining certainly. Up until that point he'd showed promise but 3 figures seemed to be a bit of a mental block for him.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Not sure if it qualifies as "career saving" as much as "I'm back, bitches", but Gus Fraser's 8 wicket effort in his first test for two and a half years at The Oval in 93 was pretty special.

Really did look like he was forever lost from tests at one point.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Richard Hadlee's 7/23 (11 for the match) vs India in 1976. He really struggled in test cricket up to then and the talk was he was only in the team because his brother was and his dad was head of NZC. NZ didn't pick a spinner and he bowled as the 4th seamer - the rest is history.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Geoff Boycott 99 and 112 v West Indies in 1974 saved Mike Denness's career.

 

[fredfertang]

Geoff Boycott 99 and 112 v West Indies in 1974 saved Mike Denness's career.

Only did it because he didn't fancy Australia in 74/75 - clearly knew something no one else did

 

[honestbharani]

what was the story there? was it the game he was batting too slow in the second innings or something?

 

[Lillian Thomson]

what was the story there? was it the game he was batting too slow in the second innings or something?

No, far from it. He was the only batsman to make runs on a difficult pitch and it set up an England win that squared the series and meant Mike Denness kept the captaincy. Boycott had no respect for Mike Denness as captain and that played a part in him pulling out of the team during the following summer. Boycott himself said that helping Denness keep the captaincy was the worst days work he ever did.