Sometimes in cricket, the finest individual knocks come in a losing cause. Cricket can be cruel at times as every cricketer representing his nation gives his all to make sure his team ends up on the winning side. There is heartbreak and despair when your best efforts do not materialise into a victory but as lovers of the game we remember those efforts for the longest of times.
A fighting hundred against all odds is something we always cherish as cricket fans. Who could forget the heartbreak in Chennai or Adelaide! Even though these cricketers couldn’t really achieve the desired results for their respective sides, they surely deserve all the praise for their skills, temperament and for all the entertainment they provided thanks to their masterful batting.
We celebrate 5 such knocks in the final innings of a test match that captivated the minds of the people even though their respective teams couldn't register a win eventually.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar 136: India vs Pakistan, 1st Test, Chennai, 1999
It was a case of so near and yet so far for India in one of the most talked about test matches of all time. This is one match every Indian cricket fan will remember! They will remember it for the heartbreak but in equal measure for the sheer brilliance of the great man, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, who batted through pain and almost took India to a memorable win only to be denied at the brink by their arch rivals Pakistan.
After an evenly contested first innings, India were set a target of 271 to win, by Pakistan. India were rocked early by Waqar Younis and Sachin came into bat when the score was a sorry-looking 6/2. He was unbeaten on 20 at the end of Day 3 and began Day 4 with the unflinching goal of winning the game for India. India, however, sank to 86/5 at lunch.
It was now the battle of one man against a Pakistani attack oozing with quality, with the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Saqlain Mushtaq in their ranks. Sachin eked out a crucial partnership with Nayan Mongia and India started inching closer to the target. Tendulkar suffered from severe bouts of back spasms when he reached his 80s but he kept battling through the pain to bring up his century.
He picked Saqlain for some special treatment and got some quick runs in the process. It was not just an innings studded with magical strokes but also one filled with grit and steel. After Mongia (52) fell to a bad shot, Tendulkar started building a partnership with Sunil Joshi.
When India were at a sniffing distance of victory with just 17 runs needed, Tendulkar in his bid to clear the ropes, lofted the wily Saqlain and got a leading edge to a doosra delivery. The ball went high up in the air and was taken safely by Wasim Akram at covers. The game slipped out of India's pockets that very moment as the Pakistani bowling was too hot to handle for the Indian tail and Pakistan went on to win the match by 12 runs.
#2 Virat Kohli 141: India vs Australia, 1st Test, Adelaide, 2014
A deja vu moment for Indian fans! This time, it was not Sachin but Virat and it was not Chennai but Adelaide, and the opponents were the mighty Australians.
Played in the wake of Phil Hughes' sad demise, the 1st test of the Border-Gavaskar trophy turned to be an absolute cliff-hanger with the Aussies emerging victorious by 48 runs. It was Virat Kohli's first test as a skipper and he responded in style by getting a crucial hundred in the first innings but Australia had a decent lead. After scoring 290 in the second innings, the Aussies declared overnight setting India a target of 364.
At 57/2, Kohli and Murali Vijay built a fantastic partnership and Kohli, in particular, took the attack to the opposition. He was severe against Nathan Lyon, driving him against the turn and whipping him with equal control through mid wicket. His sure-footedness and control against the pace of Johnson and Ryan Harris were exemplary. He kept the scoreboard ticking and the steady partnership ensured that India didn’t lose a single wicket in the post-lunch session.
After tea, there was a collapse when Murali Vijay got out for 99. Wickets fell like nine pins and Nathan Lyon was the wrecker-in-chief. Kohli was running out of partners and in his bid to accelerate, he miscued a pull off Nathan Lyon and was caught by Mitchell Marsh at deep mid wicket. Nevertheless, this was probably the best Kohli ever batted and his score of 141 off just 175 balls on a weary 5th-day track showed how good the man is!
#3 Nathan Astle 222: New Zealand vs England, 1st Test, Christchurch, 2002
Astle came, he saw, he conquered – but he couldn't quite get his side over the line. This test match took place at the Jade stadium in Christchurch where the visitors, England, went on to win the test by 98 runs.
The Kiwis lost the test match in the first innings after they imploded for a paltry 147 in reply to the 228 posted by the English. England then rubbed it in by posting a massive 468 in the second essay, with Graeme Thorpe scoring an unbeaten 200. But as it turned out that was not the only double ton of the game.
Nathan Astle, coming in at no. 5, scored the fastest double hundred in test cricket (in 153 balls) and waged a lone battle for the Kiwis. It was absolute carnage and the likes of Caddick, Hoggard and Flintoff were flogged around the smallish stadium with disdain. An injured Chris Cairns batted at no. 11 in that innings and gave excellent support and allowed Astle to play with gay abandon.
Astle went on to score 222 off just 168 balls with a tremendous strike rate of 132.14 and hit as many as 28 fours and 11 sixes in that awe-inspiring knock.
#4 Kumar Sangakkara 192: Sri Lanka vs Australia, 2nd Test, Hobart, 2007
Had it not been for an umpiring howler, this could have been a double hundred for Kumar Sangakkara. He was on 192 when a short ball brushed his shoulders on the way to the 'keeper but umpire Rudi Koertzen felt it took his bat and gave him out.
Coming back to this knock then. Chasing an improbable 507 to level the series, Sangakkara batting at 3 forged an important partnership with Marvan Atapattu at the top of the order. However, after Atapattu's dismissal, there was a massive middle order collapse and Sangakkara at the other end was running out of partners.
He found an able ally in Lasith Malinga and both put on a fine partnership with Sanga dominating the proceedings. Lee, Johnson, and Clark were taken to the cleaners by the Lankan legend, courtesy some textbook cricketing shots sprinkled with a dash of innovation.
He was particularly impressive when it came to changing the strike and going over the infield when the fielders were brought in. He departed for an excellent 192 but had Sanga stayed there a little longer it could've been anybody's game.
#5 Brian Lara 122: West Indies vs Australia, 2nd Test, Port of Spain, 2003
Yet another one with the Aussies at the receiving end! Brian Charles Lara playing in his home ground conjured up some magic in the final innings by scoring a masterful 122, but couldn't stop the Aussies from winning comfortably by 118 runs.
Lara scored 91 in the first innings as well with West Indies scoring 408 in response to Australia's mammoth score of 576. Windies were set a target of 407 and they endured a horror start after losing the first two wickets for just 12 runs. Lara joined Wavell Hinds at the wicket and started off cautiously against the likes of Gillespie and Lee.
He soon got into his groove and started smoking the ball around the park. He drove with panache and wasn't afraid to take the aerial route against spinners – Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg. He notched up his hundred before his entertaining knock was cut short by MacGill. The Aussies were invincible and in their heyday, but the mighty Brian Lara rose up to the challenge and made the Aussies chase leather at will!
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