5 batsmen who broke their stereotypes to excel

Elliot

There are a number of factors which separate great batsmen from good batsmen – versatility is one of those factors. We remember the sport’s brightest stars for doing what they do best: for Virender Sehwag it was his trashing qualities that delighted us, while when watching Rahul Dravid, we marvelled at his stoic-like, obdurate approach.But the very best have far more to their arsenals than a single, shining style, and it was when they unfurled those other talents that really dazzled us. There was something quite magical about Shahid Afridi snubbing recklessness for responsibility, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul snubbing defence for destruction.Here are five occasions when batsmen thrived playing in the opposite way they were accustomed to.

#1 Virender Sehwag

First-ball fours and hundred-reaching sixes are the Virender Sehwag trademarks that will live long in Indian cricketing folklore; however it was a much different knock against Australia that perhaps saved the opener’s career in 2008. A high-octane tour was winding to an end in Adelaide, and while India couldn’t secure the win needed to draw the series, Sehwag’s exploits ensured they didn’t succumb to a humiliating defeat on the final day.

Two 500-plus efforts in the first innings meant the match was meandering to a draw, but failure from India’s “Fab Four” – Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman made just 43 between them while Rahul Dravid retired hurt – would have left India teetering had Sehwag not been holding the fort at the other end.

A composed 151 from 236 balls from Sehwag took time out of the game and kept speedsters Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson at bay. Sehwag saved India and never looked back. A terrific 319 against South Africa in Chennai months later set the tone for the most dazzling chapters of the batsmen’s memorable career.

#2 Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla oozed class in the Test cricket for four years before finding a spot in South Africa’s One-Day International team as an opener in 2008. But despite his mounting talents, Amla’s stereotype as a classical long-format batsman left many doubtful as to whether he could be impactful in limited-overs matches.

However, in the seven years that have followed, Amla has proved to all that he is far from one-dimensional. The Proteas batsman has accumulated runs at a record rate (he is the quickest ever to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 ODI runs) and notched up 21 hundreds from only 123 innings.

Amla has been no slouch either. His knack of piercing the field and rotating the strike has given him a career ODI strike-rate of 89.36 (almost 40 points higher than his Test strike-rate). In addition, the 32-year-old’s penchant for a long, anchoring knock to set up the innings for the power-packed has served South Africa wonderfully well. If only they could get over the pesky ‘chokers’ tag.

#3 Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi has frustrated Pakistani supporters for years with his belligerent, but often brainless style. The gung-ho all-rounder arguably possesses more hero-to-zero potential than anyone to ever play the sport. Yet, despite his volatile nature, Pakistan’s 2009 World Twenty20 triumph couldn’t have been achieved without Afridi, who displayed all of his talismanic qualities.

Having struggled woefully with the bat for an extended period, eyebrows were raised when Afridi was promoted to number three in Pakistan’s semi-final contest against South Africa at Trent Bridge. A fervent pro-Pakistani crowd would have expected fireworks, but instead they were delighted with a measured and ultimately vital knock.

On a pitch that offered the spinners purchase, Afridi knuckled down, smacking hittable deliveries around while otherwise biding his time. After taking nine overs to settle in, he drove Pakistan forward with a wise dismantling of Johan Botha. Afridi top-scored with 51 from 34 balls to carry his team to 149, before pushing them to a seven-run victory with two wickets in four overs that yielded just 16 runs.

#4 Shivnarine Chanderpaul

Considering the immense power that the Caribbean produces, it’s remarkable that barring Vivian Richards, no West Indian has reached a century in a Test match quicker than Shivnarine Chanderpaul. But the Guyanese left-hander showed he was much more than a defensive king with a 69-ball blitz against Australia in front of his own Georgetown crowd in 2003.

Chanderpaul found his side in an all-too-familiar dire situation, walking to the wicket with West Indies 47-4 in their first innings. Things became even more perilous shortly after when Brian Lara was trapped lbw. Deciding that a change in approach was necessary, Chanderpaul cut loose, dispatching a fast-bowling attack containing Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Andy Bichel with merciless ease. Spinners Brad Hogg and Stuart MacGill were also subject to a rare Chanders onslaught.

Fifteen fours and two sixes later, Chanderpaul departed after a breath-taking knock. Unfortunately for him, his immense efforts went unrewarded. West Indies still only managed a first innings total of 237 and succumbed meekly by nine wickets inside four days.

#5 Misbah-ul-Haq

Sticking with the theme of eye-popping centuries, it was to the astonishment of everybody when Misbah-ul-Haq gave Richards some company at the top of the fastest hundreds list, with a 56-ball masterpiece of his own in late 2014. The setting? The inconspicuous Abu Dhabi. The opposition? A shell-shocked Australia.

Failing to acknowledge Misbah’s attacking credentials does the Pakistani stalwart a disservice. The 2007 World T20 indicated he is more than capable of playing explosively, but it’s also fair to stay it is not the style he’s become renowned for. But with Pakistan in total command of the Test and Misbah fresh from a century in the first innings, it was the perfect scenario to unleash.

And he did. While Azhar Ali played steadily, the captain was expansive, feeding on a weary Aussie bowling attack wilting in the heat. Misbah whistled past fifty in a record-breaking 21 deliveries, and continued on his merry way. Had he not slowed significantly as the innings wore on, he would have smashed Richards’ benchmark. In the end, two boundaries in the nineties were needed to equal the great Antiguan.

Not that it would have bothered Misbah, who reveled in his finest moment as his country’s captain, as Pakistan cruised to a 356-run win and a first Test series triumph over Australia in 20 years.

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Edited by Staff Editor