Aaron Finch spoke for cricket fans, experts and players alike in his appreciation of Virat Kohli’s unprecedented run of form during the IPL in particular, and in T20 for 2016 in general. Kohli amassed 973 runs at an average of 81 in this year’s IPL, outscoring the second best David Warner by a whopping 125 runs!
This, like Bradman’s tally of 974 vs England in 1930, may remain unbroken for many years. Even Kohli may find it difficult to surpass this tally because batsmen very seldom find form as unbelievable as this again through their playing careers.
But we as fans of the game are so overawed by one prolific streak that others slip out of memory. The memory wheel just keeps rolling this way. In this feature, we recollect 7 unbelievable batting triumphs which prove that batsmen have always been a peculiar, Gluttonous creature.
#1 Ricky Ponting (Mar 2002 – Dec 2006) – Tests- 53, Runs- 6004, Avg- 75.05, Centuries- 24
As one of Australia’s batting bulwarks (Steve Waugh) was nearing the twilight of his career, another one was taking up his mantle and rising to the high sunshine of his career. By 2002, Ricky Ponting had established himself as a batsman of class and substance. He had collected 3235 runs at an average of 43.71, impressive, no matter which lens and angle one sees it through. But Ponting, one believes, wanted to carve a more definitive legacy for himself.
Also Read: Retire in Peace, Ricky Ponting
So, from 8 Mar 2002-1 Dec 2006, Ricky Ponting began a streak which merits comparison only with the greatest of all time. Ponting, during this period, was second only to Don Bradman in terms of highest average sustained over 52 test matches.
Ponting averaged 75.05 over 53 test matches that he played in this period, he also was scoring a century every 3.92 innings; approached only by Mohammad Yousuf (4.2). Cricinfo, in 2011, named Ponting as the player of the decade. No wonder why!
#2 Dilip Vengsarkar (Jun 1986 - Nov 1988) – Tests- 17, Runs- 1706, Average- 100.35, Centuries- 8
Colonel, as he is known as, is one of India’s most under-rated batsmen. In matches that he and Gavaskar played together against the four-pronged pace attack of the mighty West Indies, Vengsarkar averaged 41.41 to Gavaskar’s 40.87 and quite often performed when Gavaskar did not (that a certain Mohinder Amarnath outperformed both on the tour of West Indies in 1983 is another matter), but Vengsarkar deserves more mention that he usually gets.
From 5 June 1986 to 12 Nov 1988, however, Vengsarkar had absolutely no equals in world cricket. He averaged 100.35 over the 17 tests he played in this period, almost 38 more than the second-placed Allan Border. His 8 centuries were also neared only by Allan Border (5).
Part of this dream run were two centuries on India’s victorious 1986 tour to England which remained India’s only overseas series victory until its 2006 win over the West Indies. To top it all, India won 5 and lost only 2 out of the 17 matches during this period. To say that Vengsarkar was the chief architect of most of them is a no-brainer.
#3 Sachin Tendulkar (Apr 1998 – Dec 1998) – ODIs- 24, Runs- 1507, Avg- 79.31, Centuries- 8
The frequency and the genius with which Tendulkar was scoring runs in 1998 remains ODI cricket’s most impressive run making streaks. This is the year which gave Shane Warne nightmares of Sachin clobbering him all over the park, and his comparison with Bradman was brought emphatically to the fore.
Also Read: Sachin Tendulkar's top 7 knocks outside India
Tendulkar broke his own record of scoring most ODI runs in a calendar year (1611 in 1996) when he smashed 1894 runs in 1998, his 9 centuries were also a betterment of his own number in 1996 (6). Within that very year, Tendulkar was in sublime form between 17 Apr 1998 and 13 Nov 1998 when he averaged a whopping 79.31 and was scoring a hundred every 3 innings.
And if his batting wasn’t enough, Tendulkar was also placed 10 th on the list of top wicket-takers for that year (24) and was one of the only 7 bowlers who could muster a 5-for.
#4 Sunil Gavaskar (Dec 1977 – Jan 1980) - Tests- 30, Runs- 3125, Avg- 66.48, Centuries- 13
Sunil Gavaskar, as Viv Richards puts it, was the ‘Godfather of Indian batting’. Sunil Gavaskar based his batting on immense powers of concentration and would almost always be the pivot around whom India’s batting would revolve. Gavaskar scored a record 774 runs in his Debut series vs West Indies in 1971, but struggled to maintain this Bradman-esque standard of form till late 1977.
But starting from India’s tour to Australia in 1977/78, till the end of Pakistan’s tour of India in Feb 1980, Gavaskar played in 6 test series and scored more than 400 runs in all of them. No other player apart from Bradman has maintained such consistency over more than 3 test series.
#5 Garry Sobers (Jan 1958 – Dec 1958) – Tests- 7, Runs- 1193, Ave- 132.55, Centuries- 5
While there have been challenges posed to Don Bradman’s stature as the greatest batsman, Sober’s stature as the greatest All-Rounder has never been under any doubt. To many fans and players, Sobers remains the greatest cricketer to have graced a cricket field. He made his first-class debut for Barbados at the age of 16, and less than 2 years from then, was selected for West Indies to play against England at Kingston in 1954.Sobers retained his place in the West Indies team despite performing below his potential for 4 years, but in 1958, he demonstrated his true potential as a batsman. Gary Sobers scored a record 1193* runs that year, which was broken by Bob Simpson in 1964. Sobers’ average (132.55) nonetheless is the best average in a calendar year amongst Batsmen who have scored more than 1000 runs in a calendar year.
#6 Michael Hussey (Nov 2005 - Nov 2007): Tests- 17, Runs- 1866, Ave- 93.30, Centuries- 7
Hussey made a delayed international debut at the age of 30, but performances in his first 2 years in test matches both made up for that delay and left people conjecturing about what more could he have achieved was he given a chance earlier.
From 17 Nov 2005 (his 2nd test) to 16 Nov 2007, Hussey achieved a batting average of 93.30 in 17 matches, scoring 7 centuries in 27 innings. Since then maintaining such a rein of form was too much of a task for Hussey, who subsequently started to fail a little more frequently and ended his career at a relatively modest average of 51.52.
#7 Andy Flower (Nov 2000 - Nov 2001) – Tests- 11, Runs- 1466, Average- 133.27, Centuries- 5
The only Zimbabwe batsman to have a test career average of 50 plus, Andy flower was the most crucial part of an outfit which was starting to rub-off the tag of push-overs. But his retirement has had a telling effect on the nation’s cricketing ambitions.
Nevertheless, from 18 Nov 2000 to 15 Nov 2001, Andy Flower was at the peak of form, which is amply illustrated by a batting average of 133.27. Andy Flower also scored 20.54% of his team’s runs and averaged 87.66 in 4 matches that Zimbabwe won in this period.
At the end of this period, Flower’s batting average was an astonishing 56.60, followed by his brother Grant Flower (30.28). His retirement in 2002 seemed to have initiated Zimbabwe’s downfall, proving all over again that one man does not and cannot carry a team’s fortunes beyond a point.
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
