Best innings and spell of the 2010s

[Daemon]

Yeah that haul was great but I don't think any Johnson spell stands out in particular from that series. They were just collectively the best performance I've ever seen.

 

[vcs]

Oh yeah that Adelaide spell was the most unforgettable of the lot. Not just the wickets, but the celebrations, and how visibly spooked the entire English lower order was.

 

[Spark]

Yeah that haul was great but I don't think any Johnson spell stands out in particular from that series. They were just collectively the best performance I've ever seen.

Yeah it's probably not the quote-unquote "best" spell but collectively, that entire month or two of bowling was the ****ing scariest bowling I've personally seen.

Just going through the mental list though, it stands out a lot with bowling just how much the most memorable spells are not necessarily the ones that took stackloads of wickets.

 

[Teja.]

My favourite innings of the decade (not the best) was Laxman’s 90-odd in Mohali 2010.

The match seemed genuinely impossible to win at 120-8 on a deteriorating pitch and Laxman batting hunch-backed.

 

[Spark]

My favourite innings of the decade (not the best) was Laxman’s 90-odd in Mohali 2010.

The match seemed genuinely impossible to win at 120-8 on a deteriorating pitch and Laxman batting hunch-backed.

Also famous for the truly ATG moment of a hobbling Laxman threatening to club Ohja over the head with his bat

 

[morgieb]

Yeah that haul was great but I don't think any Johnson spell stands out in particular from that series. They were just collectively the best performance I've ever seen.

Oddly I reckon there's a very good case that his best spell wasn't even in that series. As frightening as he was during the Ashes his Centurion spell might even have Adelaide beat.

 

[Spark]

Oddly I reckon there's a very good case that his best spell wasn't even in that series. As frightening as he was during the Ashes his Centurion spell might even have Adelaide beat.

Johnson said on ABC Grandstand recently (I think in Brisbane?) that ABdV told him after that spell that he was ****-scared throughout that whole innings when playing Johnson. Didn't stop him looking like he was playing Johnson with a door, though.

 

[Daemon]

Also famous for the truly ATG moment of a hobbling Laxman threatening to club Ohja over the head with his bat

Umps nearly stole that game too. Ishant had batted ridiculously well until he was wrongly given, following which Ojha was wrongly not given. So much drama.

 

[Teja.]

Looking back at the fall of Harbhajan’s wicket, India was paying $27 to win and Australia was at 1.03.

It was a truly miraculous innings.

 

[Spark]

Umps nearly stole that game too. Ishant had batted ridiculously well until he was wrongly given, following which Ojha was wrongly not given. So much drama.

Still should have won the game then because Ohja had randomly wandered out of his crease again and should have been stone-dead run out by Steve Smith of all people (whose rep as a gun fielder and very accurate throw had already been established even at that very early stage of his career). Ended up being four overthrows instead IIRC and tied up the game.

Utterly surreal 15 minutes of cricket that was.

 

[honestbharani]

I honestly think that Centurion performance by AB has to be one of the best batting performances of the decade.

 

[Spark]

It would certainly rank highly on any "pure batsmanship" rankings.

 

[honestbharani]

There was a 40 odd Lara made in Barbados in 1998 against India. Where India were shot out for 81 chasing 120 for a win. I tend to rank it at a similar zenith.

Batsmanship can be so hard to define even. For instance, is it greater batsmanship to score 90 off 140 against a rampaging fast bowler on an extremely fast and bouncy pitch with fielders in catching positions than to score at a 75+ SR in a test on a low slow wicket against a bowling attack of accurate spinners and dibbly dobblers with extremely defensive fieldsets? Isn't it more of a challenge to find ways to score boundaries in the latter situation than the former?


All of which makes cricket such a fascinating sport to follow. For a game that is so full of numbers, its sometimes amazing how easily you an argue a 40 was as good as a 100, or a 2fer was as good as a 6fer.

 

[Logan]

I honestly think that Centurion performance by AB has to be one of the best batting performances of the decade.

Smoothest batting performance I have seen in recent times

 

[OverratedSanity]

Best innings this decade, purely on the quality of strokeplay/entertainment :

KP vs SA at headingley
AB vs Australia centurion
Any of Clarke's doubles vs SA in 2012
Amla 196 in the same series
Stokes 258

 

[OverratedSanity]

Of the smaller innings, Tendulkar's 73 at the MCG in the 4-0 whitewash was glorious. Everything from the ovation to him coming to the crease, the strange Warner full toss and then all those glorious shots was great to watch. Apart from a weird 10 minute dol before the break, he looked back to his very best. Never looked that good again sadly.

 

[Spark]

Best innings this decade, purely on the quality of strokeplay/entertainment :

KP vs SA at headingley
AB vs Australia centurion
Any of Clarke's doubles vs SA in 2012
Amla 196 in the same series
Stokes 258

Clarke 151* IMO. Was bigger than the next two team innings combined.

Yes, I'm biased here.

 

[Teja.]

Best innings this decade, purely on the quality of strokeplay/entertainment :

KP vs SA at headingley
AB vs Australia centurion
Any of Clarke's doubles vs SA in 2012
Amla 196 in the same series
Stokes 258

Sachin Capetown 2010 imo.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Sachin Capetown 2010 imo.

Played and missed like 50 times. Which made it an entirely different kind of great knock tbh.

 

[Spikey]

A B de Villiers† 33R 220BF 0 0 15.00