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Great Indian knocks - part 2 Wisden CricInfo staff - July 1, 2002
Below are nominees 11 to 20 for the Indian Batting Performance of the Century. For nominees 1 to 10, click here. Adelaide, January 25 and 26, 1981 Sandeep Patil's charisma and flamboyant personality suggested that he might have been perfectly suited to a career in the film world, yet his greatest moment came on the cricket field, against a marauding Australian pace attack. Patil had been felled by a bouncer in the previous Test, but armed with a helmet, played an innings of brutal power at the Adelaide Oval, flaying Dennis Lillee, Rodney Hogg and Len Pascoe. He finished with 174 from just 240 balls, inclusive of 22 fours and a six, helping India post a total of 419 in reply to Australia's 528. Almanack match report
Faisalabad, January 7 and 8, 1983 Sunil Gavaskar's unbeaten 127 in the second innings of the Faisalabad Test against Pakistan in 1982-83 was a splendid exhibition of batting skills under pressure. India trailed by 280 runs in the first innings, but Gavaskar's class shone through in adversity. A bowling attack which boasted Imran Khan at his fiery best and Sarfaraz Nawaz ran through the rest of the Indian batting, but failed to breach Gavaskar's immaculate defensive technique. India lost the match by 10 wickets, but Gavaskar added another feather to his cap, becoming the first Indian to carry his bat in Test cricket. Almanack match report
Tunbridge Wells, June 18, 1983 A match which could have been India's most embarrassing one-day defeat turned into one of their most memorable triumphs, thanks to the virtuoso performance of one man. Kapil Dev walked to bat with India reeling at 17 for 5 against minnows Zimbabwe in a World Cup league match. Defeat would have dumped India out of the tournament. From here, Kapil proceeded to play one of the greatest one-day innings ever. By the time the 60 overs had been completed, Kapil was unbeaten on 175, and India had moved to a respectable 266 for 8, enough to win them the match. The second-highest scorer – Syed Kirmani with 24 not out. Almanack match report
Delhi, October 29, 1983 Sunil Gavaskar's 29th Test hundred was an emphatic answer to all those who had questioned his ability to face up to West Indies' pace battery. Coming off a poor first Test at Kanpur, Gavaskar went on the attack, pulling, driving and cutting with a vengeance which left the bowlers dazed and the crowd in raptures. The West Indian attack included Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Wayne Daniel, but they came off a distant second-best, as Gavaskar raced to his century in just 94 balls, equaling Sir Don's record in style. Almanack match report
Headingley, June 20 and 21, 1986 Dilip Vengsarkar hit the headlines for scoring three consecutive centuries at Lord's, but his best batting performance in England was undoubtedly his undefeated 102 at Headingley. India led by 170 on the first innings, but wobbled in the second, losing their top five wickets for just 70. On a wicket of increasingly unpredictable bounce, Vengsarkar, who'd made 61 in the first innings, dominated the England attack and took India to 237. No other batsman topped 40 in the match – a glowing testimony of Vengsarkar's batsmanship. It helped India wrap up the match and win the series 2-0. Almanack match report
Bangalore, March 15 and 17, 1987 Sunil Gavaskar's last Test innings of 96 was a perfect encapsulation of his genius. On a minefield of a pitch at Bangalore, India were set a fourth-innings target of 216. Most batsmen either hit out in frustration or used their pads as the first line of defence. Gavaskar was different. Marking out the rough spots and judging the line and length to perfection, Gavaskar played with a surety that, given the conditions, was extraordinary. Unfortunately, the rest of the batsmen failed to measure up – the second-highest contributor to the innings was the 27 extras – and India lost by 16 runs. Almanack match report
Barbados, April 7 and 8, 1989 India's tour of the West Indies in 1989-90 was a disaster – they lost the Test series 3-0 – but from the ruins emerged a rare jewel. Sanjay Manjrekar scored a classy 108 at Barbados in his first Test innings since being hit in the eye in the Delhi Test against the same opposition. He came in to bat at 68 for 4 against an attack which included Marshall, Ambrose, Bishop and Walsh but was completely unfazed, displaying technique and temperament reminiscent of his father Vijay Manjrekar. India lost the match, but Sanjay had announced his arrival in style. Almanack match report
Perth, February 2 and 3, 1992 Batsmen from the subcontinent have traditionally struggled on fast, bouncy wickets, but Sachin Tendulkar showed how those conditions could be conquered. On a typically quick WACA wicket, Tendulkar – not yet 19 then – tamed an Australian attack which included McDermott, Hughes, Reifell and Whitney. Adjusting to the bounce with ease, Tendulkar repeatedly got on top of the ball to play the square-cut. No other Indian batsman managed even a half-century, putting Tendulkar's innings of 114 in perspective. India lost, but Tendulkar's two centuries on this tour – the other one at Sydney – embellished a legend that would assume mythical proportions as the decade wore on. Almanack match report
Sharjah, April 22, 1998 Some of the best knocks in Sachin Tendulkar's 13-year career have come against Australia. In 1998, Steve Waugh's team felt the heat in the Coca Cola Cup in Sharjah. Set a daunting target of 285, Tendulkar launched into a savage onslaught, carving out five sixes and nine fours in scoring 143 off a mere 131 balls. A sandstorm held up play briefly, but it only served to whet Tendulkar's appetite even more: the first ball after resumption was deposited for six. India lost the match, but Tendulkar's blitz was enough to propel them into the finals, where another century by him won India the Cup. Almanack match report
Kolkata, March 13, 14 and 15, 2001 VVS Laxman's 281 was much more than a mere matchwinner; it restored a nation's faith in their cricket team and turned around a series in which India were being drubbed by world champions Australia. Trailing by 274 runs in the first innings of the second Test at Kolkata, Laxman walked in at 52 for 1 in India's second essay against a marauding Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie. By the time Laxman had finished, India had batted through an entire day without losing a wicket, and had enough runs on the board and time on hand to force a win. Laxman was sublime in his strokeplay against the fast bowlers, and his twinkle-toed footwork had Shane Warne in a tizzy. The spectators at the Eden Gardens were delirious with joy; the best team in the world had been vanquished. Almanack match report Click here for the first 10 nominees for Indian Batting Performance of the Century. Compiled by S Rajesh.
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