Special Performances in Landmark 100th Test
Not enough foreign tours, no international
cricket at home, no international cricket against India, not enough tests in a
calendar year; despite all this, if a Pakistani cricketer manages to appear in
100 tests, it is an achievement like no other. Definitely a bigger achievement
than it is for cricketers from other test playing nations. Especially the ones
from the so called "Big 3".
Only 62 cricketers have appeared in at least
100 tests, with Younis Khan being the 62nd. England (13) has the
most cricketers who have played at least 100 tests, followed by Australia (12),
India (10), and West Indies (9). That is no surprise considering the amount of
test cricket England and Australia have played, and the amount of test cricket
that India has been playing since the turn of the century. In contrast, South
Africa (6), Pakistan and Sri Lanka (5), and New Zealand (2) have far less
contributions to the 100-test club.
For Pakistanis it is even more special
considering that only 4 cricketers before Younis played in 100 tests - Javed
Miandad, Salim Malik, Wasim Akram, and Inzamam Ul Haq. Even the iconic Imran
Khan (88 tests), despite a career that spanned 21 years, did not manage to play
100 tests. Whereas two other legendary cricketers, Mohammad Yousuf (90) and
Waqar Younis (87), could have easily played 100 tests for Pakistan if it wasn't
for injuries and team politics.
Where it has taken cricketers like Alastair
Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Andrew Strauss, and Michael Clarke around 8
years to play 100 tests, Younis Khan achieved the landmark after 15 years of
test cricket! Almost double the time. Players like Andrew Strauss and Kevin
Pietersen, who debuted after Younis and have left the game several years ago
even played 100 tests.
Younis Khan's test record is phenomenal. Not
many batsmen have scored as many runs as Younis has after 100 tests. Only Brian
Lara scored more. It is so unfortunate that Pakistan do not play enough test
cricket. While Younis could not make his 100th test more special, there have
been other cricketers who have made this special occasion even better by
producing a special performance.
Here are some of these special performances
in 100th Tests:
Javed
Miandad
He celebrated his 100th Test by scoring 145
against his favorite opposition - India - and also became the first cricketer
in the history of test cricket to score a century in his debut test and his
100th test.
Gordon
Greenigde
Missed a 150 by only 1 run against England,
but a score of 149 ensured a win for West Indies and placed Greenidge alongside
Miandad as the only two batsmen in the world to score centuries in their debut
and 100th tests.
It has been 25 years since Miandad and
Greenidge managed this special feat; but no other debut centurion has joined
their ranks yet.
Ricky
Ponting
To date, Ponting remains the only batsman in
the world to score centuries in each innings of his 100th test. He truly made
his 100th test special by scoring 120 and 143* against South Africa and leading
Australia to a test win. He was also captaining his team.
Inzamam Ul
Haq
Inzamam was also captaining Pakistan in his
100th test, which was against India. He produced a remarkable performance by
scoring 184, which remains the highest score by any batsman in their 100th
test. His inning also ensured victory for Pakistan in a test in India. It doesn't
get more special than that.
Greame
Smith, Alec Stewart, and Colin Cowdrey are the other 3 batsmen
who have scored a century in their 100th test.
The spin trio - Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, and Muttiah Muralitharan - are the only
bowlers who delivered special performances in their 100th tests. While Murali
picked up 9 wickets against Bangladesh including a second innings haul of 6-54
leading Sri Lanka to victory, Kumble picked up 5-89 vs Sri Lanka in the second
innings to lead India to a test win. Warne not only managed wickets but scored
some runs as well on his special occasion. Against South Africa, he picked up
2-70 in the first innings and then scored 63 while batting; he followed that up
with 6-161 in the second innings and remained unbeaten on 15 as Australia
chased down the target successfully.
While these 10 cricketers will always be part
of history for their performances in their 100th tests, there are some cricketers
who would want to forget their 100th test appearance forever.
Allan Border (b Ambrose), Dilip Vengsarkar (b
Bracewell), Alastair Cook (b Ryan Harris), Stephen Fleming (c&b Ntini), and
Mark Taylor (b Cork) were all dismissed for a duck in their 100th Test.
Alastair Cook has the unfortunate distinction of being dismissed of the first
ball of the innings. Interestingly, all 5, were also captaining their
respective teams.
Another batsman who would like to forget his
100th test is Justin Langer. He faced the first delivery of Australia's
innings, like he had done for most past of his career as a test opener, from
Makhaya Nitini. The ball was pitched short. While trying to duck, Langer got
hit on the back of the helmet and collapsed to the ground. He was taken to the
hospital for a check-up and did not bat again in the match.
100 test matches are indeed a special
achievement, however only a few cricketers have made their special achievements
memorable by producing performances that will remain etched in memory forever.
While Pakistan has produced only 5 cricketers who have appeared in 100 tests, 2
of those cricketers hold records for 100th Test Match appearances that may
never be broken.
.jpg)
