Sidhu would have been more worried about getting rogered in prison, wouldn't he?Actually all 3 Indian centuries, made by Manjerakar, Shastri and Sidhu, in that 88-89 India - West Indies test series were very courageous. All of them took so many blows to the body. There was just no place to hide. They just remind me of what it was to bat against the Windies in the 80s.
Batting against the Windies in the 80s sort of "separated the men from the boys". The physical courage factor slowly went missing from the mid-90s onward (success against Australia and RSA were poor substitutes). Sidhu made a 116 in the last test at Jamaica. Below videos of Sidhu and other Indian batsmen in that 88-89 series give a hint what sort of courage it took.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqa2Ldpkhgs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slC9JKk2oXw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7PgPUSDdJU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWpEgS8cTPU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZWwAbnW97A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ldclf26Qty4
With the introduction of bouncer restriction rule in the 1991-92, and Umpires/officials slowly getting more strict, combined with fading away of West Indies bowlers, focus moved from hostile fast bowling to accurate fast bowling from mid-90s onwards.
Not that, the likes of Donald, Akram or McGrath were incapable of bowling short-pitched deliveries, but even the hostility of these bowlers at their best in the 90s paled in comparison to the relentless hostility of the Windies bowlers of the 80s. Those Windies bowlers had mastered the skill of bowling short-pitched deliveries.
It is one of the reasons why I put Gooch's 154* even above Lara's 153*. Lara's might have been more flamboyant innings, but the courage factor was significantly higher in Gooch's case.
Allan Border's performance against the Windies in 83-84 when he scored 500+ runs is also under-rated. Same applies to Viv Richard's performance against Pakistan in 80-81 (to my eyes, far tougher performance than any of his exploits against England).
Honestly, at the time, it looked to me as if he would have fancied his chances in prison better than facing Marshall's persistent bumpers from around the wicket. The video reinforced my thought.Sidhu would have been more worried about getting rogered in prison, wouldn't he?
Don't think that performance is underrated to be honest.... most people recognize it as probably Kallis' finest effort. It was amazing, no doubt, because Harbhajan was getting vicious turn and bounce from the pitch, and Kallis just reverse swept him with ease.Kallis' twin centuries at Cape Town' 10 with a bad back against the then number one side with the series on the line.
I think they got a lot of praise. His efforts in Pakistan that lead to series win were not given enough recognition. I think he hit 3 hundreds and a fifty in 4 innings.Kallis' twin centuries at Cape Town' 10 with a bad back against the then number one side with the series on the line.
Which series are you talking about? Or are you talking about the 1978 series in India?I think they got a lot of praise. His efforts in Pakistan that lead to series win were not given enough recognition. I think he hit 3 hundreds and a fifty in 4 innings.
Pretty sure Kallis hasn't played 35 years of international cricketWhich series are you talking about? Or are you talking about the 1978 series in India?
Yet.Pretty sure Kallis hasn't played 35 years of international cricket
Results | Global | ESPN CricinfoWhich series are you talking about? Or are you talking about the 1978 series in India?
After that knock everyone started putting Kallis ahead of Ponting on CricketWeb. Its probably underrated now in that people have forgotten it as time as gone by (its been less than 3 years though lol) but at the time everyone was like "HOLY **** KALLIS IS A BEAST!"Kallis' twin centuries at Cape Town' 10 with a bad back against the then number one side with the series on the line.
Don't forget him spreading the field to Boucher too.As good as Kallis was though, I will never forgive Dhoni for what he did that day... we would have won a historic series if we'd got kallis out, but MS for some inexplicable reason went on the defensive and allowed Kallis to get away. Probably just the fear of winning, I guess... just complete **** captaincy
I reckon both these innings are pretty underrated, particularly the latter. It's easy to forget that the biggest reason for India holding on to number one for a long while was not only because of several circumstances falling in together but as much due to Laxman doing something absolutely miraculous whenever we appeared ****ed.69 V.V.S. Laxman 73* Australia Mohali 2010 Won 17.03
123 V.V.S. Laxman 96 South Africa Durban 2010 Won 15.71
Totally agreed that they're great innings, particularly the Durban knock. That pitch was a really tough one to bat on, no one apart from Laxman looked remotely comfortable. I don't really know if it's underrated though... I consider it one of Laxman's finest efforts overseas and many other people do as well and Cricinfo did name it innings of the year.I reckon both these innings are pretty underrated, particularly the latter. It's easy to forget that the biggest reason for India holding on to number one for a long while was not only because of several circumstances falling in together but as much due to Laxman doing something absolutely miraculous whenever we appeared ****ed.