Plenty of cricket was played last week - three Tests to be specific, in three different continents of the world. Each of these Tests gave us some fascinating performances and it was a tough job picking up 7 top performers, leave alone the usual 5 that we pick for the feature each week. The sterling performances came with both bat and ball, in conducive conditions as well as against difficult and adverse situations.
There were centuries, five-wicket hauls and all-round contributions as well. We tried to pick players based on the performance in the match situation, the toughness of the conditions and to some extent, the significance to their own career. Here are the ones we picked. Kyle Abbott’s Man of the Match performance will be spoken about next week as his best performance came in the current week and not the one gone by.
#1 Moeen Ali (England)
Player of the Match in the first Test against India at Rajkot, Moeen Ali walked in at a tricky time when England were 102-3. But, with Root, he added 179 runs for the fourth wicket to lay the foundation of a massive England total. He also took 3 wickets, 2 in the first and 1 in the second innings to give England a solid batting option in the middle order without compromising on his role as a full-time spinner. Ali’s off-breaks and his discipline ensured he didn’t leak too many runs, forming a good partnership with leg-spinner Adil Rashid.
#2 Vernon Philander
In conditions favouring seam bowling, Philander wrecked Australia as the latter were scuttled out for just 85 runs in the first innings of the second Test at Hobart. 48 of those runs came from Steve Smith, who was unbeaten and left stranded. Most of the damage was done thanks to a 5-wicket haul from Philander as he picked up three top-order wickets – those of David Warner, Usman Khawaja and Adam Voges. Philander returned innings figures of 10.1-5.21-5.
Five maidens and five wickets in just 10.1 overs is testimony of his accuracy and skill.
#3 Quinton de Kock
Australia have lost a rare home series 0-2 against South Africa. Credit must go to South Africa’s amazingly fluent and audacious wicket-keeper batsman, Quinton de Kock. South Africa were 76-4 and later 132-5 when de Kock walked in in the first innings of the second Test at Hobart. But he smashed 104 in just 143 balls adding 144 for the sixth wicket with Temba Bavuma, who scored 74 himself.
South Africa managed to score 326 which was more than enough to give them victory by an innings and 80 runs. Bavuma’s 74 was also the second highest score of the Test highlighting how good de Kock really was in the second Test at Hobart on a spicy pitch and under overcast conditions against a decent pace-bowling Australian attack.
#4 Rangana Herath
Zimbabwe were never expected to mount a massive challenge against Sri Lanka, but Rangana Herath ensured their total demolition. Herath returned match figures of 13-152, a five-wicket haul in the first innings and an 8-wicket haul in the second of the second Test between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe at Harare. The 38-year old left-arm spinner reached the milestone of 350 wickets in just 75 Tests proving to be one of Sri Lanka’s greatest bowlers, long underrated despite his consistency, accuracy and guile.
Herath’s 5-for in the first innings ensured Zimbabwe were behind 232 runs after their first innings. A target of 491 was insurmountable and Herath made it impossible as Zimbabwe were skittled out for 233. Herath bowled 23 of the 58 overs in that innings.
#5 Murali Vijay
Much of the credit for India drawing the first Test against England at Rajkot must go to Murali Vijay. Rightly nicknamed, The Monk, Vijay survived some testing overs at the end of the second day adding an unbeaten 63 for the opening wicket with Gautam Gambhir after England posted a colossal 537 runs. Vijay scored 126, having played 301 balls, adding a calm and composed, 209 runs for the second wicket with Cheteshwar Pujara, ensuring India got close to the England total.
In the second innings, Vijay scored 31 and more importantly played out 71 balls as India had to survive 53 overs and lost their other opener Gambhir in just the second over.
#5 Cheteshwar Pujara
Pujara seems to be enjoying a new wind in his Test career, scoring back-to-back centuries after having posted a ton in his previous innings against New Zealand. Having survived an LBW decision thanks to DRS, Pujara scored a brisk 124 in just 206 balls adding 209 with Vijay on a Day 3 pitch.
He had to take three pacy deliveries on the helmet from Chris Woakes but apart from that, surprisingly, Pujara looked not only solid but also fluent scoring 17 fours. Pujara survived an early morning burst on Day 3 and a few overs from the second new ball, eventually getting out in the 92nd over – the perfect No.3!
#6 Ben Stokes
England’s talismanic all-rounder and probably their most valuable player, Ben Stokes showed his X-Factor by smashing 128 off 235 balls having walked in at 281-4 in the first innings of the first Test between India and England at Rajkot. He added 62 for the fifth wicket with Moeen Ali and 99 for the sixth wicket with Jonny Bairstow. Stokes then added 52 for the ninth wicket with Zafar Ansari to frustrate the Indian bowlers.
He then showed his value with the ball by picking the prized scalp of Pujara, a man on 124, breaking a 209-run partnership and letting England back into the game after a deflating 2nd wicket partnership between Pujara and Vijay.
Special mention: Haseeb Hameed (England)
Debuting in India is never an easy job. Nicknamed Baby Boycott, Hameed, who is just 19 years old, showed maturity way beyond his age and a temperament that may help him cement his place at the top of the batting order. Hameed had some early luck when he was dropped in the first innings of the first Test against India at Rajkot, but showed composure during his 82-ball vigil.
Even though he scored just 31, the foundation ensured England didn’t lose too many too early. Hameed was very attractive in the second innings scoring 82 off 177 deliveries adding an impressive 180 runs with his skipper Alastair Cook on the fifth-day wicket to make sure India didn’t dent into England and put them under pressure. That in any part of the world, would count for an excellent debut.
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