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Battle of the Test Innings
- Thread starter LongHopCassidy
- Start date
silentstriker
The Wheel is Forever
Wow - would have thought Bannerman would have been the one going away with this. That holds some records too, you know. No other person has scored a larger percentage of a team's total...ever. That has to count for a lot, in my opinion.
Too bad I can't vote, because I don't think it deserves to be a clean sweep.
Too bad I can't vote, because I don't think it deserves to be a clean sweep.
FaaipDeOiad
Hall of Fame Member
Interesting battle this one.
I think there are a handful of innings in test history that stand apart as the perfect example of a particular type of great innings. You've got the match-saving rearguard like Hanif's triple century or Border's twin tons, carrying the team to a fourth innings total like Lara, turning a game with an aggressive innings like Botham or Laxman, or surviving against all odds to make runs when nobody else can like Gooch or Waugh's 63.
Bradman's 334 IMO is the definitive example of utter domination of a bowling attack. The greatest batsman in history at the peak of his powers, simply dominating a quite capable bowling attack for a whole day like nobody else ever has or ever will. Three hundred runs on the first day of a test is simply amazing, and for all the great Gilly or IVA or Sobers knocks you could name where they tore apart the bowling, none of them ever did it to quite that degree. By all accounts it was a virtually chanceless innings as well. Bradman's finest, along with the 270 on a horror wicket that was knocked out in the first battle by Laxman.
Bannerman's innings is obviously legendary in its own right, but holding the oldest record in cricket only takes you so far. A great knock, but it's difficult to judge the attack or the rest of the context in which the innings was played, and in terms of being the sole representative of an entire side with the bat, there's perhaps better innings, though not many.
Bradman's is more unique in my mind, so it's Bradman for me.
I think there are a handful of innings in test history that stand apart as the perfect example of a particular type of great innings. You've got the match-saving rearguard like Hanif's triple century or Border's twin tons, carrying the team to a fourth innings total like Lara, turning a game with an aggressive innings like Botham or Laxman, or surviving against all odds to make runs when nobody else can like Gooch or Waugh's 63.
Bradman's 334 IMO is the definitive example of utter domination of a bowling attack. The greatest batsman in history at the peak of his powers, simply dominating a quite capable bowling attack for a whole day like nobody else ever has or ever will. Three hundred runs on the first day of a test is simply amazing, and for all the great Gilly or IVA or Sobers knocks you could name where they tore apart the bowling, none of them ever did it to quite that degree. By all accounts it was a virtually chanceless innings as well. Bradman's finest, along with the 270 on a horror wicket that was knocked out in the first battle by Laxman.
Bannerman's innings is obviously legendary in its own right, but holding the oldest record in cricket only takes you so far. A great knock, but it's difficult to judge the attack or the rest of the context in which the innings was played, and in terms of being the sole representative of an entire side with the bat, there's perhaps better innings, though not many.
Bradman's is more unique in my mind, so it's Bradman for me.
thedarkmullet
School Boy/Girl Captain
Bradman
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
Don
silentstriker
The Wheel is Forever
Well, my plea falls on deaf ears and you degenerates have spoken. Bannerman isn't making a comeback.
Bradman sweeps it 9-0, and moves into the next round.
Next Battle:
Ian Botham 149* v Australia, 1981
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1980S/1981/AUS_IN_ENG/AUS_ENG_T3_16-21JUL1981.html
vs.
Graham Gooch 154* v West Indies, 1991
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1991/WI_IN_ENG/WI_ENG_T1_06-10JUN1991.html
Bradman sweeps it 9-0, and moves into the next round.
Next Battle:
Ian Botham 149* v Australia, 1981
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1980S/1981/AUS_IN_ENG/AUS_ENG_T3_16-21JUL1981.html
vs.
Graham Gooch 154* v West Indies, 1991
http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1991/WI_IN_ENG/WI_ENG_T1_06-10JUN1991.html
wpdavid
Hall of Fame Member
Nice Headingley pairing, but very different innings of course. Botham's innings was the greatest slog seen in tests - magnificently defiant, and more obviously thrilling than Gooch's knock, but still a slog nonetheless. Gooch, on the other hand, produced a master class, and the WI attack was a little better, imo.silentstriker said:
Bye bye Beefy - it's Gooch for me.
silentstriker
The Wheel is Forever
wpdavid said:
Remember, its not often that the side following on wins
. England actually had the lead in the 1st innings when Gooch first came on. The pressure is very different IMO.
alternative
Cricket Web Content Updater
Gooch i reckon
FaaipDeOiad
Hall of Fame Member
Gooch for me.
Botham's innings was hugely significant, but we're comparing the best of the best right now, and Gooch's innings was something truly special.
Botham's innings was hugely significant, but we're comparing the best of the best right now, and Gooch's innings was something truly special.
