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Best innings in a bad pitch.

wpdavid

Hall of Fame Member
Gooch 154* vs the west indies pace battery.
Yup: Headingley 1991, in case anyone was unaware.

Whilst we're on the subject of Headingley, I'm surprised that Botham's 149* on an even trickier Leeds track 10 years earlier hasn't been mentioned yet.
 

smash84

The Tiger King
jeez man.. you must be a hard one to please.. That is the best ball I have seen :)
Everybody has their preferences but I always like swinging yorkers better than any other delivery.

Liam Herringshaw: The origins of the name 'yorker' | Specials | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

The beginning of the article sums up the kind of deliveries that I really like. Full, fast, swinging and into the stumps. Something like this

YouTube - waqar younis yorker to lara and clean bowled A toe crusher

From the article

"What's the most exciting delivery in cricket? A glorious googly? A brutal bouncer? A deadly doosra?

All these will have their proponents, I'm sure, but all would be wrong. When it comes to a heart-stopping instant of sheer, visceral pleasure, there is only one winner. Nothing beats the yorker. From Lasith Malinga skittling Kenya with a burst of unplayable missiles, to Waqar Younis blasting Brian Lara off his feet, it is the quintessential death ball, and the most devastating weapon in a fast bowler's armoury."
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Sometimes we focus too much on the pitch TBH.. put a great attack even on a pitch that offers a little bit of assistance and it's a tough challenge. Doesn't have to be an out-and-out greentop or dustbowl. Looking at Lara's innings, he came in at 78-3 after 40 or so overs.. he was the only one going for the win apparently, the strike rates of the rest of the batsmen are negligible.
But this thread isn't "Great knocks". It's specifically talking about great knocks on bad/deteriorating/tough pitches.

When the thread asks for something particular, and someone gives something that doesn't match the criteria, its fine for people to say so.

Lara's 153 was one of the best knocks ever. But as per the criteria, it shouldn't be mentioned.
 

Austerlitz

U19 Debutant
I hear on the perth knock people like benaud say it was one of the best knocks he's seen,also players who played that match said there were cracks in the pitch and reid,hughes and mcdermott were aiming for them.With totally unpredictable results if they pitched on them.I've only seen highlights..not the full knock...if robe has full video can u upload whole innings on youtube in parts?Then maybe i can make better judgement.
 

robelinda

International Vice-Captain
The only bad Perth pitch in the 90's was in 1997 vs WI, and maybe 1993 vs WI. The India pitch in 1992 was fine, the weak techniques of the Indians were exposed by some bounce rather the cracks, or a bad pitch. Matthew Hayden played one of his best test innings in that 1997 test, MASSIVE extreme cracks that day, he only got 47 or something but balls were pitching outside off stump and going for 4 wides down the leg side, massive movement off cracks, the 1992 pitch did nothing like that, was actually pretty flat. Tom Moody made a nice ton the day after Sachin's ton, no cracks yet on that day. When Sachin came out to bat in the 2nd innings there still wasnt too many cracks, that innings was good in the context of his fellow batsmen failing and for being so young, but thats about it.
 

robelinda

International Vice-Captain
There's a few Dravid innings which were AWESOME in the early 2000's, i cant remember which one in the 2002 England series but one was no good on day 1 in unreal swinging conditions, he was a rock. Insane series that one for Dravid, the best series batting by an Indian ive ever seen, in very tough conditions for SC players. Dravid is a genius in my book, him and Steve Waugh are the two I would back to make runs in any tough conditions regularly.
 

robelinda

International Vice-Captain
Must be the 3rd test 2002 vs England, day one was a nightmare, Dravid was unreal. Day 2 it didnt swing much at all and Ganguly and Sachin went nuts. Leeds is obviously a crazy ground for different conditions, some days its tough, other days its flat, all within the same test. 1981 is a good example there!
 

vcs

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Tendulkar's knock in this match is one of his better ones. Not sure about the state of the pitch though. This one as well.
 

Borges

International Regular
There's a few Dravid innings which were AWESOME in the early 2000's, i cant remember which one in the 2002 England series but one was no good on day 1 in unreal swinging conditions, he was a rock. Insane series that one for Dravid, the best series batting by an Indian ive ever seen, in very tough conditions for SC players. Dravid is a genius in my book, him and Steve Waugh are the two I would back to make runs in any tough conditions regularly.
+1

Must be the 3rd test 2002 vs England, day one was a nightmare, Dravid was unreal.
Yes.

Dravid himself rates that knock as one of the best he has ever played; along with his twin half-centuries on a spiteful minefield at Sabina Park, 2006. Where every bowler, quick and spinner alike, was deadly.
The Best I've Watched: Rahul Dravid in Jamaica, 2006 | Highlights | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
There was a 30 odd by Lara in the second innings of that "super" test.. Warne and McGrath were getting amazing purchase from the track and Warne esp. was just astounding.. And Lara kept flicking him off the rough and sweeping him and even drove him a couple of times against the turn.. He got out eventually but it was just an amazing display while he was there..



And I gotta say Sachin in the first test first innings this season in RSA was something else too. Pity it ended up being a short knock but he just looked a class apart. His 160 odd in Bloemfontein in the first test in RSA during our tour there in 2001 was amazing too. At least his batting in the first session when the pitch was really difficult to bat.. It eased out later..
 

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