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Test cricket is undisputedly and definitely the ultimate. One not only has to play well but play well for five days.
It is easier to play well when one’s team is doing well. However, it would be extremely difficult to summon unknown reserves of energy and resolve to play well and eke out a fighting draw when all seems lost.
Test cricket has given us several such instances where dour performances have resulted in fighting draws from positions of near defeat.
Faf du Plessis and AB De Villiers
Interestingly Faf was seen as a T20 Specialist. Injury to JP Duminy saw him make his debut. A debut in Australia against the tough Aussies is probably the ultimate challenge for a batsman.
Faf rose to the challenge. In the first innings he scored 78. However in the second it was an unreal effort.
South Africa were 77/4 and with Jacques Kallis injured it seemed only a matter of time before Australia wrapped up proceedings on the fifth day.
However tremendous application was seen from Faf who batted for over a day to score 110 runs in 466 balls. AB de Villers too played a memorable part with just 33 of 246 balls which helped SA save the Test in an extraordinary display of character.
Faf said later that before Adelaide he didn’t believe that he could bat for four sessions. Now, he has to believe.
Mike Atherton
He batted for 643 minutes and faced 492 balls to score 185 not out against a fiery South African attack led by Allan Donald.
This was one of the best Test innings played by any Captain. England saved the Test by scoring 351/5 in 165 overs. At the end of the fourth day England were already four wickets down and it seemed Donald, Shaun Pollock, Brian Macmillan and Meyrick Pringle would skittle them out.
Atherton had other ideas and with Robin Smith and Jack Russell played a masterclass act to take England to a famous battling draw.
Gautam Gambhir
If Faf batted for four sessions and Atherton for five, then Gambler batted for seven. His stellar opening partner Virendra Sehwag was out at the end of third day. It was after India had been asked to follow on at Napier, New Zealand.
Gambler says that he spoke to a friend at the end of the third day’s play and had said that he will bat for the next two days to save the Test. He did so, scoring 137 runs in 436 balls and batting for 643 minutes.
Gambler recalls that during one tough period of play he had scored one run in one hour. He then told his batting partner Sachin that he was worried that runs drying up will not help the situation.
Sachin told him that here the team is benefiting and this could be his best innings for India. Gambler says that this helped him recover his concentration as otherwise he was trying to break the shackles which might have resulted in his losing his wicket. India batted for over 180 overs to score 476/4 and draw the Test.
Hanif Mohammed
Faf batted for four sessions, Atherton for five and Gambler for seven. However Hanif Mohammed outdid them all by batting for 970 minutes, which is over eight sessions to score an epic 337 on a deteriorating pitch.
The Test venue was Barbados which has seen many great batsmen failing to do well. In this Test, Conrad Hunte played a super knock of 142 on debut and Everton Weekes hit 197 with Collie Smith and Sobers chipping in with 50s to take a strong West Indies team to 579.
Pakistan then was shot out for 106 in the first knock with Roy Gilchrist taking four wickets. They had to survive three and half days to save the Test, which was a six day Test.
They did survive, helped by this epic knock which even today is the longest ever innings in the history of Test cricket. At the end of the fourth day Hanif was unbeaten on 61 with Pakistan 162/1.
He got a bedside note from his skipper Abdul Hafeez Kardar saying “You are our only hope”. The next day Hanif batted the entire day to score exactly 100 runs to remain unbeaten at 161.
At night he got another bedside note “You can do it”. Hanif finished the fifth day at 270 not out and Pakistan at 525/3.
The third note was “If you can bat until tea tomorrow, the match will be saved.Hanif was on 297 not out at lunch on the sixth day.
At tea time he was still there at 330 not out, keeping his skipper’s wish. After scoring 337 he was out. The match was saved. It was one of the greatest innings in the history of cricket.
Roarers, do you have any dour innings you’d like to add?
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