The greatest ever Test innings under pressure of the modern era

[Kev]

If anything, Australian players are under more pressure then any other country, because the expection and hatred towards us is allot higher then any other cricket country in the entire world.

I dunno about being the most hated team, OK the team I most want England to beat is indeed Australia. But I don't hate the Australian cricket team, I've always had a great time when I've been watching cricket with Australians - usually costs me a packet in lost bets and beer but its good fun. When I'm following a neutral test series I don't always want Australia to lose. Can't say I really hate any national team but I do have one I really dislike although it serves no purpose to state it here.

 

[Insomniac]

Oh my god. You completely take what I say and twist it into something different. :

I'm talking about the situation that VVS Laxman was in, not under some other circumstance, like you are trying to make out. In Laxman's situation, you naturally bat normally (you bat as you normally would in the first innings of a Test Match) and see what comes out of it. When you're trailing by 300 runs & following on, then it's almost impossible to try and plan something, like you're trying to say. You just can't plan out innings' the one that Laxman played that day. You can just block for 3 days and not make any runs because the chances are you'll get bowled out anyway, you've got to make runs. You play normally.

You can obviously not comprehend what I am trying to say and your insecurity on this topic is showing because you are being proven wrong and you are just taking shreads of the truth and writting out irrelevant information to the arguement.

Ben, let me ask you this - have you ever played cricket? :

Possibly you have. In all likeliness you have. Let me ask you this then - if there's a ball to be hit, you hit it, don't you? If its a good ball to be defended, its defended.

I can't comprehend what you say because your posts are illogical and completely baseless. And please once again, learn to spell. And what kind of excuse is "Australia are the most hated team, so the pressure is higher"

Honestly, most or all of your posts in this thread have been a big pile of crap.

 

[fisch]

One thing I would like to point out is that if, for example, Laxman wasn't under pressure at the beginning of the innings (following on, 222 runs behind) due to lack of expectation.......if this was true, then surely, as he and Dravid clawed their team back into the match, as Australia's lead got gradually cut down, as the scores became level, and then finally as India surged ahead, surely at some point they would have realised that they were back in the match, and then the pressure would have been back on them. At that point, they would still have had work to do to ensure a defendable lead, but the pressure of expectation would have returned.

VVS had to cope with this ambivalence of emotion, from facing the dauntingly impossible to the pressure of new-found expectation, for 10 hours and 31 minutes.

 

[nightprowler10]

One thing I would like to point out is that if, for example, Laxman wasn't under pressure at the beginning of the innings (following on, 222 runs behind) due to lack of expectation.......if this was true, then surely, as he and Dravid clawed their team back into the match, as Australia's lead got gradually cut down, as the scores became level, and then finally as India surged ahead, surely at some point they would have realised that they were back in the match, and then the pressure would have been back on them. At that point, they would still have had work to do to ensure a defendable lead, but the pressure of expectation would have returned.

VVS had to cope with this ambivalence of emotion, from facing the dauntingly impossible to the pressure of new-found expectation, for 10 hours and 31 minutes.

Even though I disagree that VVS would not have been under pressure coming in almost 300 behind, this post completely destroys Ben's argument.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Ben, let me ask you this - have you ever played cricket? :

Possibly you have. In all likeliness you have. Let me ask you this then - if there's a ball to be hit, you hit it, don't you? If its a good ball to be defended, its defended.

I can't comprehend what you say because your posts are illogical and completely baseless. And please once again, learn to spell. And what kind of excuse is "Australia are the most hated team, so the pressure is higher"

Honestly, most or all of your posts in this thread have been a big pile of crap.

LOL

Mate, I bet a million dollars that I play in a higher/difficult grade then you play in or ever have played. Don't get me started.

Secondly, you've turned this into something completely different then what was originally intended. You've been proven wrong, by me, by King_Pietersen and by anyone who has told you that you are under far more pressure in the last innings' of the match, where you are in a position to win or save the match then you are if you are following on or the team is struggling in the first innings' of a match.

Adam Gilchrist has saved Australia many times when Australia have been in a similar situation as to what Akmal was. Just go and ask Gilly_Fan, he'll provide you with some statistics.

Calm down and stop making yourself look a complete bathoon.

aussie_ben91 added 13 Minutes and 17 Seconds later...

One thing I would like to point out is that if, for example, Laxman wasn't under pressure at the beginning of the innings (following on, 222 runs behind) due to lack of expectation.......if this was true, then surely, as he and Dravid clawed their team back into the match, as Australia's lead got gradually cut down, as the scores became level, and then finally as India surged ahead, surely at some point they would have realised that they were back in the match, and then the pressure would have been back on them. At that point, they would still have had work to do to ensure a defendable lead, but the pressure of expectation would have returned.

VVS had to cope with this ambivalence of emotion, from facing the dauntingly impossible to the pressure of new-found expectation, for 10 hours and 31 minutes.

Even though I disagree that VVS would not have been under pressure coming in almost 300 behind, this post completely destroys Ben's argument.

I'd imagine that it'd be harder to deal with pressure when you've just walked to the crease and haven't faced a ball yet opposed to have already had a 100 under your belt and have already gotten your eye in.

Ponting & Hayden's innings' had far more pressure on their shoulders (which is what this topic is about), but Laxman's innings was greater.

 

[nightprowler10]

Adam Gilchrist has saved Australia many times when Australia have been in a similar situation as to what Akmal was. Just go and ask Gilly_Fan, he'll provide you with some statistics.

Really? Aside from Hobart (which was a wonderful knock), could you name a few situations where Gilly did the same in series decider? Where his team was playing in their own backyard and the opposition had withered away your top order (that averaged something like 140 combined) with a hat trick and completely dismantled your middle order with ease putting your team on 39/6 on the first day?

You are criminally under rating Kamran Akmal's ton and its almost sickening. I don't know if you saw the knock, but it was one of the most sublime pieces of batting I've ever seen, and I've seen some great knocks in my time. Even the commentators were forced to compare him to Sunil Gavaskar during that ton. Not only did his inning take Pakistan to a semi-respectable total, it gave confidence to our bowlers to answer back with some fiery bowling.

nightprowler10 added 6 Minutes and 20 Seconds later...

I'd imagine that it'd be harder to deal with pressure when you've just walked to the crease and haven't faced a ball yet opposed to have already had a 100 under your belt and have already gotten your eye in.

By that logic, where would you rate Akmal's inning in Mohali, where he faced his first ball when Pakistan had already been skittled away for 313 in the first, India took a 213 run lead and reduced Pakistan to 6 down with 144 behind? He went on and scored an incredible 109 on a cracking pitch with Indian spinners bowling at him. Took Pakistan to safety when Pakistan were favorites to lose by a great margin.

 

[Sureshot]

Can't say I really hate any national team but I do have one I really dislike although it serves no purpose to state it here.

It's Antarctica, isn't it? Those pesky penguins.

Ben, Mario, please stop the petty bickering. It's painful.

 

[aussie_ben91]

By that logic, where would you rate Akmal's inning in Mohali, where he faced his first ball when Pakistan had already been skittled away for 313 in the first, India took a 213 run lead and reduced Pakistan to 6 down with 144 behind? He went on and scored an incredible 109 on a cracking pitch with Indian spinners bowling at him. Took Pakistan to safety when Pakistan were favorites to lose by a great margin.

Would've the repucusions for Akmal been as severe as they would've been for Ponting or Hayden had they failed?

Ponting's captaincy would've come under great scrunity had he failed (he later did when Australia lost the series) and Hayden's career would've been over.

Whilst I doubt that Akmal wouldn've of be targetted in any shape, form or fashion if he had've failed because he had 6 batsman before him that had already failed along side him.

 

[nightprowler10]

Would've the repucusions for Akmal been as severe as they would've been for Ponting or Hayden had they failed?

Ponting's captaincy would've come under great scrunity had he failed (he later did when Australia lost the series) and Hayden's career would've been over.

Whilst I doubt that Akmal wouldn've of be targetted in any shape, form or fashion if he had've failed because he had 6 batsman before him that had already failed along side him.

Akmal was fairly new so his spot in Tests was nowhere near certain. People were still talking about bringing Moin back.

I think that whole side of the discussion is pointless though. You don't seem to believe that there is such a thing as pressure created due to the match situation whilst playing for your country, which is ludicrous to say the least.

 

[metallics2006]

Would've the repucusions for Akmal been as severe as they would've been for Ponting or Hayden had they failed?

Ponting's captaincy would've come under great scrunity had he failed (he later did when Australia lost the series) and Hayden's career would've been over.

Whilst I doubt that Akmal wouldn've of be targetted in any shape, form or fashion if he had've failed because he had 6 batsman before him that had already failed along side him.

Mate, Akmal was the only weak link in that batting order and if a change had to be made in case of a defeat to bring in a better player, he would have been made a scapegoat for sure. So there was pressure on him to perform no matter what at that stage of his career. For example if Symonds is waiting to get into the side after coming out of a dip in form
and Cameron white is covering up for Symonds and he plays badly, he will be the most likely one to be out of the side even if there were other failures in a match.

 

[Leicester Fox]

Was there any need for the ever Anyway my mind went straight to KP's. I can think of a few good ODI ones. Not that I can be bothered starting the new thread lol

 

[Insomniac]

LOL

Mate, I bet a million dollars that I play in a higher/difficult grade then you play in or ever have played. Don't get me started.

Secondly, you've turned this into something completely different then what was originally intended. You've been proven wrong, by me, by King_Pietersen and by anyone who has told you that you are under far more pressure in the last innings' of the match, where you are in a position to win or save the match then you are if you are following on or the team is struggling in the first innings' of a match.

Adam Gilchrist has saved Australia many times when Australia have been in a similar situation as to what Akmal was. Just go and ask Gilly_Fan, he'll provide you with some statistics.

Calm down and stop making yourself look a complete bathoon.

I want a million dollars, right now

You've proven nothing, if anything, your posts have been made to look foolish by fisch.

Also, please show us what Gilly has done, other than Hobart? Great keeper-batsman, but he definitely has not achieved what Kamran and Laxman have.

And have Australia ever been 39-6? And you're telling me Gillys done it so many times. Utter lies in your post.

 

[Cricketman]

If Laxman had not hit that 281, he probably would have been dropped soon after that.

 

[nightprowler10]

If Laxman had not hit that 281, he probably would have been dropped soon after that.

Indeed. His place in the team was solidified purely on his two knocks against Australia for the longest time. Otherwise there were several people vying for his spot IIRC.

 

[aussie_ben91]

I want a million dollars, right now

You've proven nothing, if anything, your posts have been made to look foolish by fisch.

Also, please show us what Gilly has done, other than Hobart? Great keeper-batsman, but he definitely has not achieved what Kamran and Laxman have.

And have Australia ever been 39-6? And you're telling me Gillys done it so many times. Utter lies in your post.

I would give it to ya, but the chances are you don't play in a higher grade then me and you're definately not a better cricketer then me.

Bottom line, I believe that Hayden was under more pressure then Laxman or Akmal because there was major repucusions for him if he had've failed rather then if they had've. The conditions, the weather and the form of the bowlers all taken into consideration.

As I have said in the previous posts, I believe Laxman's innings was the most superior but how you can argue that he were under more pressure opposed to Hayden's innings at the oval is beyhond me.

Considering, he was batting in bowler friendly conditions, against a form bowling lineup, when it was truly his last innings to produce a 100 and if he had've failed then it would've surely been the end of his career. He was almost 35 years of age.

To think that you, zMario originally scoffed at the idea of mentioning Hayden's innings in this thread is purely laughable. How you can overlook a gritty, determined innings like Hayden's at over, when he was truly fighting for his career, is beyhond me.