NOT a debate: best test batsman under pressure:

[Bumper]

Castled, appreciate your enthusiasm. But please keep in mind the below factor when you assign credit for an innings While associating pressure factor with an innings, consider what is at stake for the team/batsman. For Eg: If WI faces a first innings deficit of 400 & are reduced to 30/3 and Lara hammers a ton from there, i dont consider this a pressure knock, rather a knock that came in a lost cause.

[Online]

While associating pressure factor with an innings' date=' consider what is at stake for the team/batsman. For Eg: If WI faces a first innings deficit of 400 & are reduced to 30/3 and Lara hammers a ton from there, i dont consider this a pressure knock, rather a knock that came in a lost cause.[/quote'] What if the ton helps save the match (draw) - it is a pressure knock in that case too In fact, even in WI lost that (imaginary) match u r referring to, if they lost by just 10-20 runs - with Lara guiding them almost all the way - that is a pressure match too.... It's not always as black and white as u r suggesting it to be

[castled]

Thanks for the suggestions. Good points, will keep in mind. @online: You are right, thats why looking at the innings in the context when its played is needed. What do you guys think about this example: Agarkar scoring a century and Astle scoring double century: Were they done under pressure? Were they in lost cause? I think those two were the examples to the points you two guys make!

[Bumper]

What if the ton helps save the match (draw) - it is a pressure knock in that case too In fact, even in WI lost that (imaginary) match u r referring to, if they lost by just 10-20 runs - with Lara guiding them almost all the way - that is a pressure match too.... It's not always as black and white as u r suggesting it to be

There is a diff ofcourse, between knocks that came in completely lost causes (one in which the team suffers a mammoth innings defeat) vs a knock that came in a closely fought game (loss by 10 runs). In the former case, there is very little at stake when the batsman came to bat. Ofcourse this changes, as the chance of salvaging a draw or a win keeps increasing. To quantify what am saying, if a big knock in the 3rd or 4th innings leads to an innings defeat or a loss by over 150 runs, I dont consider these knocks significant in altering the course of the game & hence must not be credited a lot, as the batsman played his knock in a virtual losing cause (= relatively less pressure). Eg: Lara's 153 vs Australia or Tendu's 136 vs Pak, came under pressure, whereas Lara's 226 in his most recent series Down Under, came in a dead rubber, with virtually nothing at stake. I wont count this 226 as a pressure knock.

[fineleg]

Castled, Did you do the research for this thread?

[living]

I would add KP to the list ...

[Ranvir]

All Australians. Even when the top order failed someone like Warne or Lee would provide some valuable runs.

[Keep-It-Cool]

steve waugh, allan border

[dial_100]

Rahul Dravid, SRT......any day.... you chose the order... I feel they are the best two in the world.

[beetle]

Dravid Inzy Sanga

[castled]

Castled, Did you do the research for this thread?

No, not yet! A bit busy at present. Decided to check innings of Dravid, Inzy and Waugh who got most votes. Have to check Tendulkar's anyway! May be Gilly or Ponting as well. I am going to look at innings played depending on the match situation, reports etc to decide on pressure innings and when did well and when failed, instead of arbitrary cut off points! It would take a long time. It would be next year before I post what I found. Thanks for help and suggestions.