5 instances when cricketers silenced their critics

They were told that their days were over. They were dropped from the team and shown the door. The critics wrote them off and fans started giving up on them. But they did not give up.Slump in form may have been the reason for being dropped, but these cricketers toiled day and night to emerge as winners. Finally, when they made a comeback, ther averages were through the roof, highlighting how much the setback had meant for them.Here is a look at five examples, when cricketers gave strong performances to silence their critics.

#1 Sourav Ganguly

Dada’s scintillating comeback in Jo’burg

One of the most successful Indian captains of all time, Sourav Ganguly made a comeback to Test cricket in style in 2006, with his unbeaten 51 in Johannesburg, after being dropped almost a year before, to steer India to their maiden win in South Africa. He then went on to score his first double hundred and also became the second-highest run-getter in Tests in 2007, before hanging up his gloves.

The stylish left-hander was dropped from the ODI team in November 2005 and in early 2006, he was dropped unceremoniousy from the Test team, following the widely publicised Chappell-Ganguly spat. Slump in form and unimaginative captaincy led to his exclusion and critics wrote that he was past his prime.

The Prince of Calcutta proved the world wrong. In 2005, when he was dropped, Ganguly had scored 249 runs in seven matches, averaging at 24.90 with one solitary century in tests.In his comeback year in 2006-2007, he had scored 1106 runs in 10 matches averaging at 61.44 with four test centuries in his kitty.

If that’s not a fairy tale comeback, then what is?

#2 Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma after his first double ton in Bangalore

One of the most talked about young talent in modern day Indian cricket has to be Rohit Sharma. He was selected for his elegant strokeplay and technical efficiency. A lot of hopes were pinned on him from day one. Sharma could not back his performances with good scores and continued to fail in the middle order, inspite of being given umpteenth number of chances.

The elegant batsman from Mumbai had a nightmarish outing in Sri Lanka in 2012. He scored just 10 runs in five ODIs. After having been in and out of the team, captain M S Dhoni changed his batting position and made him open the innings in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

This was possibly what the talented youngster needed. He went on to score 65 in the first match against South Africa in the Champions Trophy. His good form continued in the home series against Australia when he scored an 141 not out in Jaipur and 209 runs in Bangalore.

In 2012, he had played 14 ODI matches to score only 168 runs at the average of 12.92. But he surprised the critics by coming back in 2013 with 1196 runs in 28 matches with an average of 52.00 in ODIs.

Sharma is also the only batsmen to have two double hundreds in ODIs, both of which he got after he began opening the innings.

#3 Albie Morkel

Albie Morkel’s experience fetched him 3 for 12 in his comeback match

The gifted all-rounder from South Africa was a regular feature in the shorter versions of the game before he was dropped. With age not on his side, the 34-year old all-rounder thought that his days of representing his country was over.

An injury to South African David Weise resulted in a call-back for the experienced campaigner for the T20 internationals between India and Australia in October, 2015. Morkel grabbed this opportunity with both hands and took three wickets for 12 runs in his comeback match, guiding his team to victory in the first T20 game at Dharamshala.

When the world has almost forgotten Albie Morkel, he came and walked away with the Man of the Match award.

#4 Misbah-ul-Haq

Misbah-ul-Haq has led Pakistan to many memorable Test wins

The Pakistan Test skipper, never even featured in one test match between 2003 and 2007, after debuting in 2001. But, since his comeback to the Test team, he has been a phenomenal batsman with an average of close to 50 and has also led Pakistan to memorable Test series wins.

The 41-year old had made his test debut in 2001 against New Zealand, where he had scored 28 off 88 balls in the first innings, but did not make an impression.

Five years later, Misbah returned to international test cricket and scored his first Test hundred against India at Kolkata in the second test of the 2007 series. After India managed 616 in their first innings, Pakistan were at 5 for 150 in reply and in danger of following on when Misbah and Kamran Akmal put together a match saving 207 run stand. Misbah finished on 161 not out.

In the third and final Test of the series, Misbah made another century and finished on 133 not out.

From here on, there has been no looking back for him.

#5 Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson’s swing wrecks havoc on the pitch

Mitchell Johnson first burst onto the scene, during the 2009 tour to South Africa. Johnson unleashed fiery deliveries from his armoury and the ability to consistently swing the ball into the right-hander, easily distinguished him as a special talent. During the First Test, he scored 96 not out, to help Australia post 466 all out. and took eight wickets with the ball.

However, during the 2009-2010 Ashes, Johnson completely crumbled under the pressure. His position as spearhead of the Australian seam-attack was called into question, with match figures of 3/200 in the second Test at Lords.

Between March 2010 and November 2013, he played just 17 of 46 Tests. In those Tests he took just 50 wickets at an unflattering 39.9.

Then he joined the losing 2013 Ashes tour for the one day international leg, bowled like never before and made sure the critcs wrote that he was nowhere close to his end. Compared to his previous average, post-2013, he has taken 94 wickets at 20.70 – a sustained period of excellence, considering that the bulk of those matches were played against England, India and South Africa.

The 33-year old speedster is one of the most successful and reliable bowlers in the present Australian team.