Top five bravest acts by cricketers on a cricket field

#5. Michael Clarke: South Africa vs Australia at Cape Town, 2014-15

Michael Clarke

When Australia and South Africa play a Test series, batsmen from either side tend to get bombarded with short ones because both teams have quality fast bowlers in their ranks. It was another closely fought Test series, this time in the Rainbow Nation.

Australia started the series brilliantly by winning the first Test but the home side came back strongly to level the series. It was perfectly set up for a humdinger at Cape Town.

On a ground in which Australia were dismissed for 47, Clarke won the toss and decided to bat against a fiery South African pace attack. Opener David Warner scored a whirlwind 135 off just 152 balls but at the end of day one, the entire cricketing fraternity were talking about Michael Clarke’s unbeaten 92.

The reason was how he played through pain from a short ball barrage especially from the tall Morne Morkel. In one such instance, Clarke took a blow on his left jaw while trying to evade a bouncer but continued to stay out there. The Australian captain, who was without a half century in his past 11 innings was very much determined to play through the pain.

In the end, Clarke went on to score an unbeaten 161 that went a long way in Australia winning the Test and with it the Test series 2-1. This innings had to be one of the best Test knocks in this millennium.