Lanka fail to nail down a first win

Sri Lanka vs India 2009-10, First Test, Day Five, Motera, Ahmedabad

Scorecard

A combination of Sangakkara's lack of confidence and underestimation of the opposition, Mahela Jayawerdene's distinct lack of urgency while batting in the quest of some milestone only he comprehends, and the coming together of Indian batting finally, put paid to Lanka's ambitions of registering their first test win on Indian soil. Instead, they will have to remain satisfied with their other passion - registering records - a principle espoused and entrenched into their cricketing psyche by their former skipper and team-builder, Arjuna Ranatunga.

Ranatunga believed records were necessary for a fledgeling Sri Lanka to look at itself in a more worthy way therefore paving the way for winning performances. Curiously, Ranatunga himself solicited and followed records at the expense of any chance of victory - be it through flat wickets or failure to declare at the right time and attack.

This Sri Lankan team appears to have learned those lessons well, for they didn't even suggest that they'd be going for a win in this match once they had gone ahead. Rather, they expected India to lay down and die to hand over a win on a platter without any further fight. If Welegedera wouldn't knock them over, Murali would surely consume them on a pitch where Sachin and Sehwag made the ball spin at right angles and more. And weren't India supposed to be the worst and most overrated team? At least if the GMing Yardley's suggestions and insinuations from the commentary box are to be believed, India were the meanies and lowlies.

I mean a team which came back strongly early on Day Two, knocked off the remaining Indian bats in no time at all, and were set off on the chase by the piping hot batting of TM Dilshan, then meandered into the wastelands of meaninglessness. In fact, Yardley's heartburns notwithstanding, Sachin's persistence in batting on towards the end is less meaningless than Mahela's tuk-tukking after a point in his innings. The need for him was to step on the gas and get his team into a position from which they could attack after accounting for the pitch and certain revival of Indian batting at home. Sachin, on the other hand, kept the Lankans at bay and took the match away from them...his claim to meaningless batting is less than Mahela's. What a waste of Dilshan's and the Lankan bowling efforts in the first innings!

Indian batting redeemed itself under some pressure, and rather easily in the end considering all the travails it encountered in the first essay. The pitch proved a strange one. Not sure if this is what test cricket wants. Indian bowlers will have to perform better in the matches ahead. I am shaken by Harbhajan and Mishra's bowling performances but I'll stick with both for the next test. I expect Ishant to perform better. He has to. If the pitch suggests, maybe Sreesanth could be added at the expense of a spinner.

India's batting has shifted to test match mode and now it will ne doubly difficult for Sri Lankan bowlers. I'll go on record with that. It will be bowling, better strategy and sustained aggresion which will win the series for one team or the other. Lanka continue to hold the edge in bowling, for they have capable bowlers sitting on the benches. Kulasekara and Mendis to name two. I am sure Mathews will make way for one of the two...maybe Prasada too, for Kulasekara can bat a bit as well.

Otherwise, get ready for a drawn series.

Everybody is worrying about test cricket and dwindling attendances. Most vocal of all have been the Australian ex-players, who are born with ( at least they believe so ) with such a right as to opine for one and all. And here was a crowd watching on all days despite the home team being on the backfoot almost throughout the match!...A crowd which encouraged both teams without reservations....and Yardley wanted to deny them the icing on the cake after having braved through the test match? He wanted to skip a mere 14 overs remaining, and peeved up just because Sachin was getting to another century? And a more deserved one than Mahela's creeping and crawling to his triple! Ask the Lankan spectators...they'll tell you they'd have preferred Mahela to have been a little more assertive as his innings grew. The crowd could have been gifted this one little cheap toffee for five days of support and he wanted to snatch it away. Who is pushing people away? Who is opining for others? This kind of opining is the as-per-convenience kind. And by the way, if 7 percent of Indians watch test cricket it is perhaps about 70,000 more than the 10 percent figures or such quoted by people. 7 percent of a billion and a half is distinctly larger than 15 percent of ten million or so.

But I like Bruce Yardley being there in the commentary box. He actually makes you listen because he keeps pinching you wih the odd word, suggestion or tone he employs. Can spice up dull passages of play. Ranjit Fernando long stopped pinching for he was too predictable. He isn't here but I can't say I am pining for him. Yardley has chosen to sit on one side of the boat, we have chosen to sit in a way to balance it up...that's all.

Coming back to the match, I hope Indians learn some lessons from this, their think tank works meaningfully for correct selection and plans and play in the matches ahead. And hopefully, the pitches will be with juice for all and also utilized better by the bowlers. Bowling has to work, Harbhajan and Mishra have to figure this out better. The batsmen must keep up their rediscovered test form and imrpove upon it. a good hand by Gambhir, Sachin and Laxman. Also Viru, but I'm rather miffed with him. India will be going to Kanpur looking up to improve while Lanka will have a few doubts creeping around after this test.

Kudos to Mahela Jayawerdene, Dilshan, P Jayawerdene and Welegedera. They kept India under the pump almost throughout the game.

Mumbai, to me, appears the only test which will produce a result other than a draw in this test series.

EDITED TO ADD:

I lost the wager Mr.Gavaskar, for the pitch didn't turn a shrew. It just lost interest in the proceedings instead.


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FIRST TEST ARTICLES (working back in time):

Lanka fail to nail down a first win

Gambhir wasn't jabbing and pushing at balls

I am willing to wager Mr.Gavaskar

Two Tons of Pure Unalderated Bilge

If you play with Dil, Shaan is sure to adorn you

Killing time with Cricket Stats

India's spirit, grace and genius

Anil Kumble will be missed

I reiterate, Sreesanth must evolve like Taresh did...

Read More......

Gambhir wasn't jabbing and pushing at balls

Sri Lanka vs India 2009-10, First Test, Day Five, Motera, Ahmedabad

Scorecard

The thing which stood out in a positive way, in India's play yesterday, was that Gautam Gambhir wasn't jabbing and pushing at deliveries. Neither was he tentative in moving his feet into position. The test player of the previous year had lapsed into such uncertainities. But there was a smoothness about his play in the second innings, absent till as late as the first innings of this match. Always feel, Gambhir's form issues are often a matter of the mind. Perhaps he was distracted since he scored that double...

There is no superstition to it other than mere coincidence, but it has been observed that whenever I speak well of Indian players, they exert, as a spinal reflex, to disprove me instantly. But what has to be said has to be said regardless of the consequences. Between the two, Gambhir has shown the greater application and willingness to get out of the rut; Viru, on the other hand, continues to be at the mercy of that one inevitably fatal shot which must come sooner or later. But that's the way he has played for India always. I expect, Gambhir today, to continue in the same vein.

Pressure does funny things to people's games, it does even funnier things to dodgy games: I am inclined to believe, in the manner of Nathan, that despite the pressure, Yuvraj's still dodgy game to spinners, my own optimism of ominous portends, the fifth day pitch and eleven swarming Sri Lankans, that India might yet sneak out of this one with a difficult draw.

The greater possibility is of an Indian heartache, either of sudden precipitation or a drawn out suspense. But it would be foolish to discount the Indian's ability to play three sessions of intense cricket. It could well be that at the end of the day Sri Lanka may feel shortchanged by their captain's late declaration.

For make no mistake, this is the best and final chance the Sri Lankans have of winning a match in this series. The Indian batting is working its way back, albeit in individual drips rather than a cohesive sheet of rain, into test match form and that can only complicate Lanka's quest for their first test win. For starters, Amit Mishra may want to repay the Lankans through his first EMI. He's no mug with the bat and he should be looking for an individual fifty as the first instalment.

It must be recalled that India is in the position it is in mainly because of the failure of its bowlers and average captaincy.

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I am willing to wager Mr.Gavaskar

Sri Lanka vs India 2009-10, First Test, Day Four, Motera, Ahmedabad

Scorecard

That this docile pitch you are speaking of in your commentary stint, will somwhow wake up to be a spiteful witch when the Indians come on to bat.

No, I am not suggesting that the Indian batsmen will be unable to tame the shrew, but I have a feeling that the Lankans know how to make it act up better than India does.

Ravi, you, Siva and GMing Yardley appear to feel that Lanka might have offered India a life jacket, but it is obvious that if they have done that it is for all of India's eleven players to put on to together rather than individual vests of safety, in what the Lankans are promising will be a choppy pitchy-yawy ride. Have your sea-sickness tablets ready then, if you are certain India will not drown before needing them.

I'm looking forward to the commentary as well as India playing out this to an unlikely draw with Viru and Gambhir leading the way. I mean it...leading the way to India achieving a draw, not leading the way back to the pavilion.

Lanka have declared many many many hundred runs ahead...can't be bothered to count how many... and a little short of their 950+ record score, so India have to bat some 130-140 overs out to CTAs.

OK Viru, Gambhir, let it flow! Let's see you play at least 101 overs together and see what you can make of them then!

I shan't venture to say more, for I appear to hex the Indian team when I say so, but if Viru is there at the end of the 101st over of the innings...I'll definitely put out a batting record alert.

And the stats here will be fighting to prevail over each other. Dravid and Mahela have both scored hundreds.

UPDATE @ India 34-0, 300 behind Lanka

Russell Arnold is already into GM mode! I told you, the commentary would be interesting to listen to. And the chaps are only running singles!

Lax Siva's having to ask the poor fellow to relax! Better..give a laxative to send him off the air for a while! Someone there, mix julaab into the tea!

UPDATE India 77-0 @Tea, 257 behind Lanka

Prasanna Jayawedene was the first to show the effects of a needlessly long stint of batting - he dropped Viru in a straightforward fashion first as the ball streaked past him and the first slip, and then could have tried to take a more difficult one in front of the wicket as Murali spoun one across Viru.

He was tired and stiff. maybe the tea will revive him.

Is Russell Arnold having a cup of tea as well? Careful there!

UPDATE @ India 81-1 after Tea, Sehwag trying to hoick Herath into Pluto's orbit soon after his 51. He's a smart cookie, is our Viru. Then maybe he has the runs.....the tea cup intended for Arnold might have reached him instead!

UPDATE @ close of play India 192-2, 144 behind Lanka

Daryl Harper can pick close shaves like Zaheer in the first innings and Dravid in the second but cannot pick a more wholesome P Jayawerdene yesterday.

India in some serious kind of strife.

Dravid the magician is out and one now has Sachin followed by Yuvi and Dhoni to depend upon on the fifth day wicket to bat three full sessions. Mind you, in the first session, it will not be Ishant and Zak bowling, but Welegedera and Prasada.

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Cheeka man, Fgg the dark shades and let Pujara shine through!

This precious little fella, this invaluable diamond, this prince and heir to the throne of Dravid...CoS man, stop freaking out this lad. Look at him! He comes back from a serious knee injury, and some surgery, and blasts a frikkiing unbeaten double ton! In his first innings back from a long injury and recuperation layoff!

Scorecard

What man Cheeka, how many times have we implored with you?...Bring in this brave soldier...in when he is hot or India would have made the same mistake with him as they did with Laxman...delaying his induction just a little too much.

This boy thrives under pressure...scores big against teams stronger than his and keeps his team flag flying.

Imagine if he were playing this test match...we'd still be ahead of Lanka! Imagine what kind of partnership he and Dravid would have had! They'd have broken every heart of the opposition!



Bringing this guy in could be your CoS legacy...like the brainwave that made Vishy bring in Sourav and Dravid at the right time.

Be a man Sir, Cheeka! Don't be an obstruction to the natural flow of this lad's game and destiny.


Cheteshwar Pujara

India

Full name Cheteshwar Arvind Pujara

Born January 25, 1988, Rajkot, Gujarat

Current age 21 years 297 days

Major teams India, India Green, India Under-19s, Kolkata Knight Riders, Saurashtra, Saurashtra Under-16s, Saurashtra Under-19s

Playing role Batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Legbreak

Relation Father - AS Pujara, Uncle - BS Pujara


Batting and fielding averages:
Mat.........Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
First-class 40 64 10 2862 302* 53.00 11 7 19 0
List A .....29 29 6 1063 109* 46.21 1369 77.64 2 8 96 11 8 0
Twenty20 ....4 4 1 110 43* 36.66 64 171.87 0 0 14 2 2

Bowling averages....
....................Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM ..Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
First-class ........40 ...10 153 ...83 ..5 ...2/4 2/4 16.60 3.25 30.6 0 0 0

(These stats do not include the latest unbeaten double ton against Maharashtra)



It's a long time since I was such a child-like fan about anyone in cricket, just before he breaks onto the large stage. Must have been Tendulkar.....maybe Kapil Dev. Yeah, I think it was Kapil Dev, because I saw him in the Abbas Ali Baig benefit match before he broke through. I didn't see Tendulkar before he came into international cricket. Nah, it wasn't Kapil Dev, it was Azza at the Osmania University grounds when he was a U-19.

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Two Tons of Pure Unalderated Bilge

Sri Lanka vs India 2009-10, First Test, Day Three, Motera, Ahmedabad

Scorecard

Having finally reported for work today after an extended leave on medical grounds, I was able to watch only the post tea session of the match. However, I caught the highlights played soon after the day's play to form an opinion on the day's play. without doubt it belonged to the Lankans yet again - Mahela Jayawerdene looks set to overhaul Brain Lara's record, P Jayawerdene is playing the role of Roshan to Mahela's Sanath and looks good for another 200 runs himself, completely enjoying the reprieve Daryl Harper presented him with; the pitch is spinning like a top....OK OK, I exaggerated there...the pitch remained static but spun the ball like a top instead.

I mean it had to be the pitch that spun the ball all across the batsmen for it couldn't have been the bowlers Harbhajan and Mishra who were doing that to the ball. Their stats reveal that both are centurions....pure unalderated bilge on a helpful pitch.


(India's two best spun-tonners on a wicket that is allowing spin)

Harbhajan Singh O- 39 M- 3 R- 151 W- 1



A Mishra O- 43 M- 6 R- 152 W- 0


Whichever way you look at it, two tons for Dilshan and Mahela with another breweing, or three tons already with a fourth and a fifth brewing...Ishant complements with the third Indian ton and there are sure to be a few more tomorrow.

I then caught Bruce Yardley exulting morosely (that's his cursory obeisance to the position of unbiased commenator) about the errors of Dhoni and the mistaken bowling by Mishra and Hatbhajan through the day.

Much as I hate to, I find, from what I saw, that I am in agreement with Yardley's barely concealed glee at India's discomfiture. But we'll swallow that for we are being kicked where it hurts and it is we who are responsible for our predicament. Two spinners on a helpful wicket, albeit a slightly slow turner, who couldn't bowl out a team of nursery kids on it, leave alone the Sri Lankan team.

And yes, it does appear that Ishant and Zak are no Welegedara and Prasada when it comes to taking wickets in the morning session.

Nearly all the commentators were moaning about the intensely unattacking play by the Indians today. Ravi Shastri was clearly experiencing a gas-bloat syndrome over the 200-odd singles given away. I think, away from the mike, he might have been able to belch out the epithets he wanted to a little more freely.

Well, if Dhoni has a well concealed plan, I hope it is one which works and he is able to make his batsmen play out 150 overs of Lankan spin on this track to save their backsides from a comprehensive hammering in their own den. That looks like the only plan here...not taking wickets but chewing Lankan time and overs while imagining, expecting, hoping that his batting order will survive a day and a half.

If India bat this out, kudos to them, however unlikely that scenario is. If Lanka wins, they deserve every bit of it because they were the resolute team applying its talent here while India was a patchwork of committment and non-committment.



Congratulations Mahela, your double ton was a top effort and well played Lanka.

India's bowling attack has been shown up completely. I cannot explain why they are the way they are.

Anybody know why?

And get this into your head India, you will have plenty of batting to do in this series for your bowling is going to be what it is proving to be. So get ready...some of the shirkers, cut the cr@p and get down to real work if you want to stop Lanka rolling all over you. yeah, and you'll have to bat for your bowlers too.

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If you play with Dil, Shaan is sure to adorn you

Sri Lanka vs India 2009-10, First Test, Day Two, Motera, Ahmedabad

Scorecard

I must begin with a brief glossary of Hindi/Urdu terms employed in the title, for those who may not know.

Dil = Heart, Passion, Courage
Shaan = Peace, Pride (similar to Fame and Glory)

Better commentators than I have delved deeply and come up with detailed explanations of the transformation of TM Dilshan into a fearsome warrior with the bat. There is little I can add to all those wonderful commentaries, but I must share with you the sense of déjà vu I am feeling. It was precisely this kind of awe that gripped me more than a decade ago when I saw, a hitherto restless personality, blossom out beyond the shackles which created that restlessness. I speak about the transformation of Sanath Jayasuriya upon promotion to the top spot in the order. Dilshan's is so strikingly similar.

But before we go on to the Dilshan mastercalss in counterdominance, we must relish the way Sri Lanka executed the quick termination of India's innings.

At close of play yesterda, it is possible that the Lankan captain would have had to draw in his dejected troops; just to remind them that even though the scoreboard blared that almost 400 runs were scored on the day, the only batsman remaining was Dravid. The tail remained, and while it could flourish with irritating waves of the bat, it also meant that the wagging could be made use of to push the Indians into quick decimation.

The morning freshness, the groundsman said yesterday, would help the bowlers willing to bend it in the morning session. Welegedara and Prasada did so yesterday before the wicket eased out for the remaining sessions of play yesterday. Even though the Lankan captain might have, while trying to lift the morale of the team, pointed out the availability of the Indian tail as a target to attack on the morning, I am certain that Welegedara had other thoughts as he lay in bed waiting for sleep to catch on.

I am sure he was reliving the morning hour when he wasted the Indian top order. I am sure he drifted off into a pleasant sleep having stashed away a plan for the coming morning.

He turned up and did exactly what he did to the other top order batsmen of India. Slanting the ball across and bringing it back just a shade. The magnificient Wall of yesterday was breached through the gate before he could embark on today's journey. he was destined to rest on yesterday's score and that well executed effort ball inner edged on to the stumps to confirm that Dravid's grand innings was over yesterday. There wasn't to be an encore today.

That score of 500 looked very distant.

Meanwhile Prasada was having his fun with Zak. Harbhajan played a couple of exquisite strokes...a cover drive stood out. What also stood out was his shortening the pitch to prevent the swing Welegedara was extracting. But it had to end and it did. Sri Lanka had, for the second morning in a row, come out running hard from the traps. India, yet again proved the slow plodders in comparison.

The 400-something was something to bowl at but will not be enough. Everybody knew that - this is a different Lankan team touring these parts - even though Jaya retired, Dilshan had replaced him in every way except being a southpaw. Thilan Samaraweera was a rock solid middle order batsman. mathews was the all rounder and nearly everyone lower down could swing the bat. This was all besides the regulars...the veterans in Snga and Jayawerdene. This is a different Lankan team in all respects...from a balanced and good attack, as we mentioned in the preview, to a balanced batting order largely familiar with Indian conditions now, and a unmuted desire to break through to their first win.

In Anil Kumble will be missed, we felt the Indian bowling had relied too heavily on Kumble in past series against Lanka. We were curious to observe how the reconstituted attack would function.

Mishra disappointed mostly. It was only in patches that he would return to the methods which earned him progress. When he wasn't bowling squat, flat and fast, he was troubling the batsman. If not that, forcing them to play him carefully. Zak played some games before close and managed to extract two wickets and lend some heart to a bowling attack which wasn't sure of itself. But that was that....tomorrow they will be slaughtered, for the batsmen at the crease are set and capable.



Dilshan appeared to be a player stifling to express himself. He would get out to 40s, 30s and the odd 50. He appeared to be unwillingly resigned to play with the lower order, pushed as he was to 7 when he was not dropped from the team. T20 offered his caged soul an escape route. He took it from there to ODIs and to tests. Soon he earned the opening slot in all forms and now there is no looking back. the Sri Lankan juggernaut has a rampaging warrior at the top...who like Sehwag can wipe away all plans and abiliti to think from the minds of the opposition. His attacking play is that terrifying at the outset.

Benumbed bowling attacks often end up taking a lot of time to regroup.

At the moment, TM Dilshan, while playing like Viru, is playing with far greater consistency and utility for Lanka in all forms of the games.

He plays the game as his instinct directs him to after detecting the flight, speed and angle of the ball and computing quickly the future flight pattern of it. He may steal a single knocked into a gap. He could step back subtly, shifting his weight backwads and unleash a stinging drive for four which would leave the fielders immobilized. he could sashay down the pitch and leave you already preparing to follow the track of the ball into the stands before the ball is even hit back. It is that degree of certainity Dilshan's batting carries these days. And then he could reverse sweep you out of nowhere, or squat with a bowed head as if paying obeisance to the bowler and the ball he bowled, only to slap the hopes right back, behind and over the keeper. Dilshan has found freedom and he is expressing himself in every which way at the top. he is telling everyone "Take a good look at me...I am more than you thought I ever was."

Today Dilshan unleashed everything he had and at one time was almost run a ball as he charged up the Lankan race to victory with a bundle of dynamite strokes.

The pitch will spin later....after lanka is done with India's bowling attack, India will have a lot of work left to do in the second innings. It is time Gambhir, Sehwag shook themselves out of their mediocrity and others lend a powerful hand as well.

There is a helluva lot of work left to do for India in this match. If India stole away with two sessions yesterday, Sri Lanka made sure it kept all three for itself today. You can bet your final Rupee, Indian or Lankan, India will have alot of batting to do and will have to find some inspiration to ignite its bowling to keep this series level or force out a win.

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Killing time with Cricket Stats

This morning, on the last but one day of my extended leave, I am up early out of habit and anticipation of more runs from Dravid. India needs at least 150 runs to be safe in this match and there is only the tail to go alongside Rahul. To kill time, I was looking up the stats pages of Cricinfo.

I lay no claim to be proficient in stats and their analysis. Just some basic fan stuff. Also, none of these stats are designed to make statements against anybody...I just saw them as they emerged.

*rred players are those currently playing a test match and hence could change in status. These are stats up to Nov 16th, 2009.

The first stats I was looking up was the percentage of centuries individuals have scored in winning or drawn causes. Since centuries are not uncommon, I restricted the list to those who had scored at least 20 or more. I found some interesting results.

PLAYER - 100s - Win+Draw percentage
W Hammond - 22/22 = 100.00
G Boycott - 22/22 = 100.00
G Sobers - 25/26 = 96.15
J Langer - 22/23 = 95.65
J Miandad - 22/23 = 95.65
M Cowdrey - 21/22 = 95.45
N Harvey - 20/21 = 95.24
D Boon - 20/21 = 95.24
G Kirsten - 20/21 = 95.24
K Barrington - 19/20 = 95.00
M Waugh - 19/20 = 95.00
M Hayden - 28/30 = 93.33
D Bradman - 27/29 = 93.10
R Dravid - 25/27 = 92.59*
I ul Haq - 23/25 = 92.00
G Chappell - 22/24 = 91.67
V Richards - 22/24 = 91.67
J Kallis - 28/31 = 90.32
A d Silva - 18/20 = 90.00
R Ponting - 34/38 = 89.47
M Jayawerdene - 23/26 = 88.46*
K Sangakkara - 17/20 = 85.00*
G Gooch - 17/20 = 85.00
S Waugh - 27/32 = 84.38
S Gavaskar - 28/34 = 82.35
A Border - 22/27 = 81.48
S Tendulkar - 33/42 = 78.57*
S Chanderpaul - 15/21 = 71.43
M Azharuddin - 15/22 = 68.18
Md Yousuf - 16/24 = 66.67
BC Lara - 20/34 = 58.82


Wally Hammond and Geoff Boycott, whenever they scored a hundred, their team either won or drew the match. Their teams never lost on the backs of their hundreds.

I did not split the stats further into "only wins" and "only draws", for it is too tedious. If you do that, you are going to come up with very very interesting results. So that's a task for you all.

I suspect Boycott might have more draws to his credit than Hammond.

Notice that some great names have ended up scoring a larger percentage of their hundreds in losing causes instead. Obviously their teams failed them somewhere.

If you have the time and patience, you could examine hundreds in winning causes only etc.

Next, I examined double centuries. I checked out only those who scored 5 or more for brevity and to humour my impatience.

In the case of double hundreds and triple hundreds, I have considered only winning causes out of a player's tally of them.


K Sangakkara - 6/6 = 100.00*
D Bradman - 10/12 = 83.33
M Attapatu - 4/6 = 66.67
R Dravid - 3/5 = 60.00*
W Hammond - 4/7 = 57.14
V Sehwag - 2/5 = 40.00*
J Miandad - 2/6 = 33.33
B Lara - 1/9 = 11.11
M Jayawerdene - 1/5 = 20.00*

Look at Sanga! Every time he scored a double hundred, his team has won! How amazing!

In fact the Lankans have a grand record in this regard...Marvan Attapatu and Mahela add to Sanga's performance.

India have Dravid and Sehwag in the table with 50/50 kind of performaces.

Brian Lara, again, had to play most of his big hundreds to either save his team, or ended up on the losing side. Can you imagine what he might have done if he were part of a team like the Aussies?


Then I looked at triple hundreds.

Only three batsmen scored at least two triples or more and plenty scored once. Since three is too small a group, I had to examine all players. I was curious to see how many of these triple centuries resulted in a win for the player's team. Do they ever result in wins at all, for the common perception these days is that they are mere statistical achievements.

To think that way would be a mistake, for many of these triple hundreds could have been in attritional conditions like Hanif Mohammed's.

The list...those with at least two triple centuries or more scores first

V Sehwag - 1/2 = 50.00
D Bradman - 0/2 = 0.00
BC Lara - 0/2 = 0.00

One of Lara's was a quadruple actually.

Now those with one triple to their name. Makes an interesting read.

J Edrich - 1/1 = 100.00
L Hutton - 1/1 = 100.00
M Jayawerdene - 1/1 = 100.00
G Sobers - 1/1 = 100.00
M Hayden - 1/1 = 100.00
G Gooch - 1/1 = 100.00

These players made their only triple hundreds count....rather their teams helped them make them count in the form of wins.

The remaining players ended up on the drawing side.

A Sandham - 0/1 = 0.00
RM Cowper - 0/1 = 0.00
LG Rowe - 0/1 = 0.00
H Mohammed - 0/1 = 0.00
RB Simpson - 0/1 = 0.00
Y Khan - 0/1 = 0.00
W Hammond - 0/1 = 0.00
C Gayle - 0/1 = 0.00
S Jayasuriya - 0/1 = 0.00
I ul Haq - 0/1 = 0.00
Mark Taylor - 0/1 = 0.00


No side has ever lost a match with a triple century or more in its scorebook for the match.

Following is the list of those who scored double hundreds and yet their teams lost their respective test matches - Statsguru.


While that was fun, I doubt if there is any less tedious way to sift through individual triples, doubles or centuries to further differentiate between those scored under pressure and leading their teams to the safety of draws, and those which were not under a similar pressure, than examining each innings and read the bulletin/almanack report attached. For matches before our time that would be difficult...and, even the Almanack does not report in detail or accurately what the situation was except in Ashes test matches. Not only are the reports on the net very Anglo-centric, they are also more England centric in reporting bias in matches between England and its diaspora around the world. Perhaps West Indies is the only other team which has more detailed match reports of very old series online than others.

So you may have to find an aged individual who recalls matches, or head to the morgues of newspaper offices and examine their microfilms or actual print editions saved there.

In days gone by, newspaper groups encouraged us when we'd visit with a request to examine their archives. Today things have changed very much. From ignoring requests to commercial demands have replaced that encouragement.

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