Best knock of the world cup final?

[Mark Rance]

Mark Rance Trial Post

Hi There! My name is Mark Rance I am new to the forum. Is there a newbies page??

Many thanks

Mark Rance

 

[Engle]

I always look beyond the obvious.

Dhoni led from the front by taking a risk and promoting himself. Came off beautifully. And he finished the WC final with a winning 6.

So for leadership and well calculated risk management, I vote for Dhoni

 

[cnerd123]

Mahela's knock was the best to watch, most technically pure and correct, some really glorious strokes and looked so effortless.

But Gambhir's was fantastic in the way he absorbed all the pressure, and same must be said for MSD who came in at a tricky juncture, put himself in the firing line, and took the team home.

I'd pick Gambhir's, but very hard to choose.

 

[ankitj]

Wonder if Dhoni's knock is rated low by some because he made it ridiculously easy in the end, winning with 10 balls to spare. If he had scored 75 off 79, instead of 91 and scrapped to victory with 1 ball to spare, it would have got more accolades perhaps. Does happen often with effortless performances.

The point is independent of the comparison with Mahela's and Gambhir's knocks of course which were pure, pure class (especially Mahela's).

 

[Bun]

No difference really between Dhoni's and Mahela's. But considering Dhoni's came in a cup winning cause and under the pump, went for it. Mahela's was a delight for the connoisseur. .

 

[cnerd123]

Honestly expected this poll to be tighter tbh. A great innings isn't just based on the quality of the stroke making, but also the conditions under which it came. The pressure, the context, what was on the line. Gambhir and MSD's innings may not have been as technically pure and beautifully pace as Mahelas, but they were absolutely fantastic innings given the pressure they both would have been under. 2 early wickets down, Sri Lanka pumped, the weight of expectations of a whole nation on his back, especially given that said nation doesn't react well to losing at all. And then there is the added pressure that this match is something they have been building up to for a year and a half, the anxiety they've suffered throught the tournament. And that's just Gambhir - MSD had all that + the burden of most of the blame if they didn't win. And he sent himself up, instead of hiding back, and absorbed all that pressure, faced it, chewed it up and spat it out.

Incredible innings from the both of them, just as good, if not better, than Mahela's

 

[_Ed_]

Mahela was under pressure as well, though. Wickets were regularly falling at the other end, and he had to hold SL's notoriously shaky middle order together after Sangakkara got out.

It annoys me how first-innings knocks are often said to not be made under as much pressure just because they aren't chasing a total.

 

[Jono]

Wonder if Dhoni's knock is rated low by some

No one is rating it low. It's an amazing knock.

Mahela's was just slightly better in some people's opinions.

If someone came here and actually said Dhoni's wasn't a good knock, then they are nuts.

 

[ankitj]

No one is rating it low. It's an amazing knock.

Mahela's was just slightly better in some people's opinions.

If someone came here and actually said Dhoni's wasn't a good knock, then they are nuts.

Jono, my friend, respond to what I said and not what I didn't.

 

[Jono]

I agreed with the rest of your post, so didn't really feel the need to respond.

 

[pup11]

Its has to be Mahela and that too by some distance he just paced his innings so well despite the pressure of the situation, GG and Dhoni's knocks were also pretty good but they had the luxury of batting depth which Mahela clearly didn't.

Also on the day the Indian bowling for the most part of the innings was pretty tight whereas in comparison the Lankans were all over the place with their bowling.

 

[Himannv]

Wonder if Dhoni's knock is rated low by some because he made it ridiculously easy in the end, winning with 10 balls to spare. If he had scored 75 off 79, instead of 91 and scrapped to victory with 1 ball to spare, it would have got more accolades perhaps. Does happen often with effortless performances.

Similarly, if India had actually lost the game I think these knocks may have been viewed differently.

 

[Blaze 18]

Its has to be Mahela and that too by some distance he just paced his innings so well despite the pressure of the situation, GG and Dhoni's knocks were also pretty good but they had the luxury of batting depth which Mahela clearly didn't.

Also on the day the Indian bowling for the most part of the innings was pretty tight whereas in comparison the Lankans were all over the place with their bowling.

Did you watch India's death bowling?

 

[Spark]

He said "most part" tbf. His point is well made, as soon as Malinga's spell ended SL couldn't go an over without half of it being pressure-releasing tripe.

 

[Jono]

Indian bowling finally being praised

 

[Xuhaib]

Indian bowling and fielding was really good in the knock out phase was probably the best fielding side in the last phase of the tournament.

 

[ankitj]

Indian bowling finally being praised

To make other batsmen look good, yes. Otherwise you have "India has worst bowling attack" thread

 

[Nate]

Agree with Spikey.