Laxman's 281 voted greatest test performance of last 50 years

[Mosher]

VVS Laxman's batting feat against Australia in Kolkata in 2001 has been voted the greatest Test performance of the last 50 years by a 25-member panel of cricketers, writers, broadcasters, historians and statisticians assembled by the Cricket Monthly. 

Laxman scored 59 and 281 in a match where India trailed by 274 runs, in a series they trailed 0-1, against a team on a record winning streak and widely acknowledged as one of the best to have ever played the game. India went on to win the match and the series.

In his tribute to Laxman's performance, Shane Warne recalls: "I was bowling in the foot marks and Laxman was hitting the same ball through cover or whipping it through midwicket. It was so hard to bowl then."

Ricky Ponting remembers that Laxman's "work through the leg side in particular was a source of wonderment to many of us... Ultimately we bowled for near enough to two days at him without even looking like getting him out."

Zaheer Khan, his room-mate during the series, recalls how Laxman slept on the floor through the match because of a bad back. "Everyone could see that he could not stand straight." 

The Cricket Monthly's "50 from 50" exercise looks at batting, bowling and all-round performances in Tests played between 1966 and 2015.  

http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/953117/laxman-s-kolkata-epic-voted-best-test-performance-of-all-time

 

Edited January 4, 2016 by Mosher

[BlueBee]

[adi B]

What a great knock against an ATG bowling line up with the backs to the wall!! Great player laxman 

[Mosher]

That whole series was Epic! Bhajji too bowled brilliantly in that series.

[Mosher]

Lara's 153* vs Aus is another all time greatest innings. Lara vs McGrath confrontation and Lara smacking McGrath with that pull shot was just 

 

Edited January 4, 2016 by Mosher

[Adi_91]

Even the Indian batting combo of Dravid and Laxman's innings in Adelaide in Dec 2003 is one of the finest knocks which resulted in a famous win. That too in Australia.

Edited January 4, 2016 by Adi_91

[Scarface]

VVS 

Sachin's 136 against Pak deserved an entry in the top 50

[putrevus]

Is Ricky Ponting featuring in any of them, this guy if I am not wrong scored 100  and chased down 280 odd in less than 60 overs in fourth innings after scoring 100 in first innings against South Africa.

How is this performance not in top 50 is beyond me, how is Mcgrath not in any top 50. I can understand to some extent why Sachin's knocks are not there,

Ponting and Mcgrath are the two of the greatest match winners and yet they did not find any place in top 50. 

[maniac]

Is Ricky Ponting featuring in any of them, this guy if I am not wrong scored 100  and chased down 280 odd in less than 60 overs in fourth innings after scoring 100 in first innings against South Africa.

How is this performance not in top 50 is beyond me, how is Mcgrath not in any top 50. I can understand to some extent why Sachin's knocks are not there,

Ponting and Mcgrath are the two of the greatest match winners and yet they did not find any place in top 50. 

Azhar ali did that too....Yeah might have just been srilanka but lot of things are taken into factor here.........Ponting also had the luxury to go all out on attack based on who was to follow.......don't know the full context of the innings so may be you have a poinbt so not debating against you but I am sure there are some parameters while judging these

[prinzo]

Graeme Smith 200 plus in consecutive tests against England in England with Nassar Hussein and the rest of the England team having a full go at him enroute to the 200s

[putrevus]

Azhar ali did that too....Yeah might have just been srilanka but lot of things are taken into factor here.........Ponting also had the luxury to go all out on attack based on who was to follow.......don't know the full context of the innings so may be you have a poinbt so not debating against you but I am sure there are some parameters while judging these

Ponting scored 100s in both innings in that match unlike Azhar, what luxury did Ponting have which Indian top order batsmen in fab four era did not have statistically Indian batting line up in fab four era was as good as any line up.

It is the attitude and winning mentality which was different from both teams forgetting bowling strength, Indian teams with fab4 never showed the same spine as the Aussies.

 

[express bowling]

Sanjay Manjrekar, the crowd favourite , was one of the panelists choosing these performances.      

[Deleted_User_1]

VVS is easily the best MVP the Indian cricket team has ever had. Time and time again, he has played knocks that had a direct influence on Indian wins!!!!

Wish I could say the same about another maharathi who received an award that ends with Ratna or something like that!!

Edited January 5, 2016 by dandaroy

[Deleted_User_1]

Where is Tendu in this? Surely he must have had at least ONE knock worthy of being in this list......the greatest batsman of the modern generation??

The genuine Lil' Master has two......what a knock that 96 was!!! 

Edited January 5, 2016 by dandaroy