I'm hating that I put so many Australians in this list. But I must say they stood out to me.
9. VVX Laxman
Made perhaps the most memorable Test innings in Indian history, and saved a Test and Series that Australia thought they wrapped up.
8. Ricky Ponting
His 2005 3rd Ashes Test innings was the best innings of that decade for me. His 2003 World Cup final innings was amazing too.
7. Stan McCabe
Only made two infamous centuries - one in the bodyline series and another one a few years later which Bradman said was the best he ever saw. Both went into Australian folklore to much that McCabe is often rated, behind Bradman and Ponting, as Australia's best number three.
6. Wally Hammond
Eh... people don't remember them, and I wasn't alive them, but I read about them and they stand out to me. He scored over 900 runs in an Ashes Series against Australia. He sounds like the greatest wet-wicket player of all time. Bradman's average actually goes down a bit on wet pitches, whereas Hammond was apparently much better. His most famous innings was 32*... wow!
5. Gary Sobers
He made a then world record score of above 360+. He once hit six sixes in an over in domestic cricket. He made a courageous stand against Dennis Lillee playing for the World XI.
4. Steve Waugh
Rated higher than I wanted. But we all recall Waugh's double century against the Windies in 1995. He turned the 1997 Ashes back in favour for Australia with a gutsy innings. He scored a century in his last Test on English soil with a bad hamstring. He made that awesome century in the 1999 World Cup against SA, where Gibbs dropped him. And then there was his last ball century where everybody thought he was playing his last Test.
3. Sachin Tendulkar
I rate Tendulkar ahead of Lara, but Lara made more memorable centuries, IMO.
The innings that stand out to me are his ODI innings where he made 200*, his entire 1998 ODI series against England, and his innings in Perth around 1991.
2. Sir Donald Bradman
The innings that I guess stand out the most are from his 1930 tour to England where he scored his 254 (which he rated his best ever innings) and his 334 - his highest score. His last innings is the most famous Test innings in history... but for the wrong reasons. The centuries he scored in the series where he came back from illness, and Australia were 0-2 down before winning the Ashes 3-2, sound pretty amazing.
1. Brian Lara
Yep! I'm call it! Brian Lara made more amazing Test centuries for posterity than Sir Donald Bradman - but only because there's more Test cricket being played these days.
* We remember his 270+ in Sydney in 1992.
* We remember his purple patch of making six domestic cricket centuries in seven innings, plus his awesome 501*.
* We recall when he broke Sobers record for the most runs in a Test innings.
* We recall all his incredible innings in the 1999 series against Australia.
* We recall how he dismantled Murali in 2001.
* We recall his incredible 400* against England - a world record to never be beaten.
* We recall how he broke Border's record for most runs in a Test career in Adeline, by scoring an incredible double-century.
The thing is, I don't even have to think hard about these innings...
9. VVX Laxman
Made perhaps the most memorable Test innings in Indian history, and saved a Test and Series that Australia thought they wrapped up.
8. Ricky Ponting
His 2005 3rd Ashes Test innings was the best innings of that decade for me. His 2003 World Cup final innings was amazing too.
7. Stan McCabe
Only made two infamous centuries - one in the bodyline series and another one a few years later which Bradman said was the best he ever saw. Both went into Australian folklore to much that McCabe is often rated, behind Bradman and Ponting, as Australia's best number three.
6. Wally Hammond
Eh... people don't remember them, and I wasn't alive them, but I read about them and they stand out to me. He scored over 900 runs in an Ashes Series against Australia. He sounds like the greatest wet-wicket player of all time. Bradman's average actually goes down a bit on wet pitches, whereas Hammond was apparently much better. His most famous innings was 32*... wow!
5. Gary Sobers
He made a then world record score of above 360+. He once hit six sixes in an over in domestic cricket. He made a courageous stand against Dennis Lillee playing for the World XI.
4. Steve Waugh
Rated higher than I wanted. But we all recall Waugh's double century against the Windies in 1995. He turned the 1997 Ashes back in favour for Australia with a gutsy innings. He scored a century in his last Test on English soil with a bad hamstring. He made that awesome century in the 1999 World Cup against SA, where Gibbs dropped him. And then there was his last ball century where everybody thought he was playing his last Test.
3. Sachin Tendulkar
I rate Tendulkar ahead of Lara, but Lara made more memorable centuries, IMO.
The innings that stand out to me are his ODI innings where he made 200*, his entire 1998 ODI series against England, and his innings in Perth around 1991.
2. Sir Donald Bradman
The innings that I guess stand out the most are from his 1930 tour to England where he scored his 254 (which he rated his best ever innings) and his 334 - his highest score. His last innings is the most famous Test innings in history... but for the wrong reasons. The centuries he scored in the series where he came back from illness, and Australia were 0-2 down before winning the Ashes 3-2, sound pretty amazing.
1. Brian Lara
Yep! I'm call it! Brian Lara made more amazing Test centuries for posterity than Sir Donald Bradman - but only because there's more Test cricket being played these days.
* We remember his 270+ in Sydney in 1992.
* We remember his purple patch of making six domestic cricket centuries in seven innings, plus his awesome 501*.
* We recall when he broke Sobers record for the most runs in a Test innings.
* We recall all his incredible innings in the 1999 series against Australia.
* We recall how he dismantled Murali in 2001.
* We recall his incredible 400* against England - a world record to never be beaten.
* We recall how he broke Border's record for most runs in a Test career in Adeline, by scoring an incredible double-century.
The thing is, I don't even have to think hard about these innings...
