THE BEST OF BRIAN CHARLES LARA

 

Image Credit: Windies Cricket.

Venue: Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia [June 20-24, 2003].

In the summer of 2003, the Sri Lankan Cricket Team toured the West Indies to play 3 ODIs and 2 tests. The visitors won the One-Day Series 2-1, and the action now shifted to red ball cricket. The contest has now become a matter of prestige for the Caribbeans, as losing at home was unacceptable. Hence, everyone was expecting a fight from the hosts when the teams reached Saint Lucia for the first test. And Boy! They did make a comeback.

Sri Lankan captain Hashan Tillakaratne won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a batting paradise. Opener Marvan Atapattu played a brillant knock at the top as the visitors posted an above-par total of 354 in their first innings. Atapattu, who batted for around 7 hours, scored a gritty 118 of 275 balls as other Sri Lankan batsmen failed to capitalise upon their starts. For Hosts, Corey Colleymore was the leading wicket-taker who picked up 5 crucial wickets as other bowlers toiled hard.

In response, Captain Lara, who was facing scrutiny after the ODI defeat, led from the front as the Windies posted at a massive total of 477/9 in their first innings. The Prince was in sublime touch as he scored a magnificent 209 of 360 deliveries. The innings, which lasted for more than 450 minutes, had everything – timing, class, perfection and power. It was a classic Brian Lara knock wherein every shot played was of the highest order [Twenty-Four Boundaries and One Six in this instance]. Mind you, this Sri Lankan bowling had greats like Vaas and Muralidaran, but everyone went for runs on that particular day. Apart from Lara, Hinds too scored a gritty 114 as the Caribbeans took a vital first-innings lead.

Unfortunately, due to incessant rain on day 4, the match eventually ended in a draw as both teams moved forward for the final test at Jamaica. However, the match did raise the morale of the Windies, who went out to win the second test and seal the series 1-0.

To watch the innings of Brian Lara, Click Here. 

THE FORTRESS

 

Image Credit: CricInfo.

Venue: Headingley, Leeds [August 19-21, 2026].

Headingley is one of the toughest venues for any visiting side, so much so that the English have not lost a test match here since 2017. Mind you, in 2021, when the Three Lions were at their lowest, they still managed to pull out a win against Mighty Indians on this very ground. So calling Headingley a fortress will not be wrong. The seam conditions, along with bounce and pace, make this a hunting zone for the fast bowlers, and if clouds come in, batting becomes even more challenging. As a result, when Pakistanis came to Leeds for the first test, no one gave them any chance. To make the matters worse, their captain got injured before the test and was subsequently ruled out. Hence, an English win was almost certain.

However, no one knew that the visitors would get blown out like a school team. The Pakistanis (Both Innings Combined) were able to bat for just 85.4 overs as the English pace attack rattled them like anything. The duo of Tongue and Robinson picked up 8 wickets each as the hosts won the first test by an innings and 103 runs. It is pertinent to note that the English did score 409 runs in their first innings, meaning that there were no demons on the pitch. It was indeed a contest between boys and men.

The test match ended in just 3 days as Joe Root managed to secure his first test win as a captain in his second captaincy stint. Headingley thus continues to be a fortress for England, and it is therefore very unfortunate that it will not be hosting an Ashes test next year. It is literally an added advantage to the Australians that they will not be playing in a venue which is literally a graveyard for any visiting side.

To watch the Highlights of this test, click on the URLs below.

Day 1.

Day 2.

Day 3.

THE REDEMPTION OF BEN STOKES

 

Image Credit: CricInfo.

Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne [November 13, 2022].

In June 2026, Ben Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket. It came as a shock to everyone because Stokes was in his prime and could have continued captaining England for at least the upcoming Ashes Series. Many, including former England Captain Michael Vaughan, believe that the same has happened because of ECB's insensitive behavior in the curfew scandal. Whatever the reason might be behind the retirement, the fact is that the cricketing world has been left with a void hard to fill. Moreover, Stokes' performance in the country cricket post-retirement had made everyone wonder why, on earth, this player is not playing in the England shirt. After all, Ben Stokes is a once-in-a-generation player. A perfect all-rounder who has won games for his team both by bat and ball. Apart from that, Stokes has also proved to be a wonderful test captain who did revolutionize test cricket with a style which we call 'Bazball'.

But, just like every sportsman, Stokes's journey has not been full of beds of roses. No one could ever forget Carlos Brathwaite's final over heroics in Kolkata wherein he smashed Stokes for four consecutive sixes and won the T20 World Cup for his side. It was literally a heartbreaking moment for Stokes. Moreover, Stoksy went through depression in 2021, which made him pull back from international cricket.

However, in 2022 Stokes came back harder. Firstly, he took over as the Test Captaincy of a struggling England side and made them a formidable force. A few months later he delivered his finest performance in one of the biggest stages. England were facing Pakistan in the finals of the T20 World Cup at the historic MCG. The men in green posted a below-par total of 137/8 in their 20 overs [Credit goes to Sam Curran, who bowled a match-winning spell of 3-12 in 4 overs]. However, the Pakistanis had a strong pace line-up which could rattle any side on their day. But this is when Ben Stokes came into action.

Mind you, at one stage the game did tilt towards Pakistan, as in their opening spell they did blow away the English top-order [The seamers were getting help from the pitch, and the batting did become difficult]. However, Stokes, along with Moeen Ali, stitched a match-winning partnership of 48 runs and won their country a second T20 title. Stoksy, who is known for his aggressive batting, played according to the situation and took the match deep. On the other hand, Ali played attacking cricket as England reached closer to the target. Unfortunately, Ali got bowled out when they needed just 6 runs to win. But Stokes stood his ground and ended up hitting the winning runs. 

Stoksy, who was held responsible for the defeat of 2016, ended up becoming the hero in 2022 as he scored an unbeaten 52 of 49 deliveries with English chasing down the target in 19 overs. The redemption was well and truly complete.

A month later, Captain Stokes and his side whitewashed Pakistan in a 3-match test series in Pakistan. Something which has never happened before. Moreover, for his heroics, Stokes was also awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. 

Indeed, a perfect end to a memorable year. 

THIS IS EXPLOSIVE CRICKET

 

Image Credit: CricInfo.

Venue: Seddon Park, Hamilton [March 11, 2009].

In the summers of 2008-09, the Indian Cricket Team toured New Zealand to play 2 T20s, 5 ODIs and 3 Test Matches. The Kiwis won the T20 Series 2-0, whereas the Indians were leading the ODI Series 2-0 at the conclusion of the third one-day international. Hence, it was a must-win game for the Black Caps in Hamilton to stay alive in the series.

New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a batting paradise. The hosts got off to a fly as the duo of Ryder and McCullum stitched an opening partnership of 102 runs in just 19 overs. Baz scored a gritty 77, whereas Ryder scored a solid 46. However, the visitors in the middle overs chipped wickets at a regular interval, which pushed Kiwis to backfoot. At the end of 36.5 overs, the scorecard read 175/5 when Elliot joined McGlashan in the middle. The game was on a knife-edge. One more wicket and the hosts would have got bundled in no time. Interestingly, the duo soaked the pressure and came out with a counterpunch. The duo stitched an unbeaten partnership of 95 runs in the last 10 overs, with McGlashan scoring a brilliant 56 of 42 and Elliot scoring a quickfire 35 of 27, as the Black Caps posted a big total of 270/5 in 47 overs [Rain reduced the match to 47 overs per innings].

It is pertinent to note that even today 271 is a challenging total. Back then it was huge, and that too in 47 overs. The visitors had a mountain to climb. But this is when we witnessed one of the most destructive innings by one and only Virender Sehwag. Sehwag scored an explosive 125* of 74 balls as the Indians won the game as well as the series with ease. Viru charged from the very beginning and attacked every New Zealand bowler. In just 106 minutes, Sehwag hit a total of 14 boundaries and 6 massive sixes. Be it pacer or spinner, everyone went for runs. It was carnage, pure carnage, by one of the greatest Indian openers who was at the peak of his powers. The rain interfered in between, which changed the DL target, but it was not enough to break the concentration of the Sultan of Multan, who looked determined to win it for his side. By the time rain interfered for the final time, the Indian scorecard read 201/0 in 23.3 overs – 84 runs ahead of the DL target. The match was won and so was the series.

Moreover, Sehwag registered the record of the fasted Indian ODI Hundred, which was eventually broken 4 years later by the great Virat Kohli. However, that knock has attained the status of a classic. Something which no Indian or Kiwi fan would ever forget. After all, we don't see any blitzkrieg innings of such intensity anymore. It was explosive cricket of highest order.

To watch the Highlights of that Innings, Click Here. 

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

 

Image Credit – CricInfo.

Venue – The Oval, London [July 12, 2022].

The Ireland-England tour has come to an end, and the same has exposed multiple cracks in the Indian set-up. The performance of the men in blue has been horrible in the T20s, wherein they struggled to win a single T20 international. Moreover, for the first time, we got whitewashed in the hands of Ireland, whereas the English hammered us 4-0, with one match ending in no result because of incessant rain.

In ODIs we did play better but lost the series 1-2 at the end. However, the same happened because of the top order of Rohit, Shubman and Kohli. Overall the squad's performance was below par, and the management now needs to rethink some of its decisions. After all, the batsmen struggled to bat in swinging conditions, whereas the bowlers looked helpless in front of English batsmen. To be honest, the Indian team never looked this helpless in white-ball cricket on an overseas tour before.

In 2022, India delivered one of the finest performances in England, wherein they defeated England 2-1 in both the ODI and T20 series. Who could ever forget the Oval ODI wherein we demolished and crushed the English. Indian Captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to field first on what looked like a good batting surface.

However, the hosts received blow after blow as the duo of Bumrah and Shami rattled the English batting line-up. At one stage the English scorecard read 59/7, and it appeared that the Three Lions wouldn't even reach the three-figure mark. Fortunate enough, the tailenders got some runs at the back, and the English got past 100 runs. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 110 runs in 25.2 overs as Bumrah picked up 6 wickets and broke the spine of the English batting order. Apart from Bumrah, Shami picked up 3 wickets for just 31 runs as the Three Lions looked helpless.

In response, the Indians chased the target comfortably in 18.4 overs with 10 wickets in hand. The opening duo of Rohit and Shikhar hammered the hosts and stitched a match-winning partnership of an unbeaten 114 runs. Dhawan played slowly and steadily, whereas Rohit went ballistic and scored a quickfire 76 of 58 deliveries. It is pertinent to note that it took just 79 minutes to chase down the target of 111. It was truly a dominant performance by a champion side.

One could only hope that Team India will return to the winning ways in the upcoming bilateral. After all, the World Cup is just 14 months away now. We need to get our core squad right.

To watch the Highlights of the Oval ODI, Click Here.

A SINGLE TO REMEMBER

 

Image Credit – Cricket Australia.

Venue – The Gabba, Brisbane [December 4-8, 2003].

Cricket is a game of figures and stats. Every now and then we hear news of a particular player breaking one or another record. But there are certain statistics which are not only hard to break, but also no one wants to hold onto them. One such record is Ajit Agarkar's seven consecutive ducks against Australia.

In the summer of 1999-2000, India toured Australia to play 3 test matches. Agarkar, who was establishing himself as a promising all-rounder, started off decently in Adelaide, wherein he scored 19 runs. Unfortunately, things went downhill post this innings, as he was dismissed for a duck every single time he came onto bat.

The tragedy continued in Mumbai as well, wherein he was dismissed for a duck in both innings. As a result, when he came out to bat in Gabba, all eyes were upon him. Can Agarkar get off to the mark? Fortunate enough, he got a full toss on the leg side which helped him get an easy single. The crowd was cheering like anything when Agarkar completed his single. Interestingly, this one run meant so much to Agarkar that he waved his bat as if he had completed his hundred.

It is pertinent to note that Agarkar is one of those Indian batsmen who have a Test hundred at Lord's. Something which even the God of Cricket doesn't have. But against Australia he struggled to score even one, which was shocking and surprising for everyone. Fortunate enough, he got some runs in Gabba, which gave him confidence.

Interestingly, in the next test match, he bowled a match-winning spell in Adelaide, which helped India take a vital lead in the 4-match series.

To watch the struggles of Agarkar, Click Here.

To watch the match-winning spell of Agarkar, Click Here. 

TEST CRICKET BATTING MANUAL

 

Image Credit – Cricinfo.

Venue – JSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi [March 16-20, 2017].

The Indian Test team is going through a phase of transition as the legends and stalwarts of the game have bid farewell to the gentlemen's game. As a result, the team is struggling like never before. Yes. We did play well in England, but a home whitewash against the Proteas last winter did expose the cracks of our Test cricket. The bowlers are struggling to pick up 20 wickets, whereas the batsmen are struggling to bat for long.

The duo of Bumrah and Siraj do get us wickets in the overseas conditions, but the batting department lacks consistency on tough surfaces. Presently, the Indian team is in dire need of a proper Test cricket batsman who could bat for the entire day and take the pressure off his side. We desperately need someone like Dravid or Pujara who can take a Test match away from the opposition single-handedly. After all, who can ever forget Pujara's double hundred against the Aussies in Ranchi?

In the spring of 2017, Australia toured India to defend the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The Aussies won the first test at Pune, whereas the Indians won the second test at Bangalore. The series was 1-1 when both teams reached Ranchi for the penultimate test. Australian Captain Steve Smith won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a good batting surface.

The decision turned out to be a good one as the visitors piled up 451 runs in their first innings. Steve Smith played a captain's knock (178*), whereas Maxwell also scored a gritty 104 as Indian bowlers went for runs. In response, Hosts were 328/6 when keeper Wriddhiman Saha joined Pujara in between. The match was on a knife-edge. One more wicket and Aussies would have bowled us out in no time.

But this is when Pujara showed his class and played one of the exceptional Test knocks. Pujara batted for more than 11 hours (672 minutes) and scored a magnificent double-hundred (202). It is pertinent to note that Pujara faced a total of 525 deliveries, which makes around 87.3 overs. Along with Saha, who also scored a wonderful hundred, Pujara stitched a partnership of 199 runs as the Indians took a vital first innings lead.

The test match, however, ended in a draw. But it is pertinent to note that if Pujara had not scored that double hundred, we would not have reached the total of 602/9. It was due to the monumental efforts of Pujara that we remained in the test match. The modern Indian Test team needs someone like Pujara who could bat the entire day and take the attack to the opposition with solid defence and stroke play.

The art of defending is vital for survival and excellence in Test cricket. One could only hope that after Dravid and Pujara we will get our next wall very soon.

To watch the Innings of Pujara, Click Here-

Part 1.

Part 2.

Part 3.