Birthday special: John Wright – Top 3 performances in international cricket
John Geoffrey Wright is one of the finest cricketers and coaches to have made a mark in international cricket. While he captained New Zealand during his playing days, Wright was also known for his excellent man-management skills which were evident during his tenure as Team India coach from 2000-2005 when the Men in Blue also made the finals of the 2003 World Cup.
While he worked in tandem with Sourav Ganguly to take Indian cricket to newer heights in his half-a-decade coaching career, Wright also came up with some impactful performances during his career that spanned from 1978 to 1993. Without further ado, here’s a look at three of them as he turns 69 on July 5.
3. 75 & 138 vs West Indies, Wellington 1987
Wright made his bat do the talking exceptionally well during the first Test match against the West Indies at Wellington in 1987. The Windies cricket was slowly declining, but they still had the ‘Four Horsemen’ to give nightmares to the opposition batters.
Wright showed fearless intent during the contest as he went on to score 75 in the first innings and followed it up with a brilliant 138 in the second. Even though the contest ended in a stalemate, the southpaw was adjudged the Player of the Match for his spending batting performances in both innings.
2. 117* vs Australia, Wellington 1990
The one-off Test match between Trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand in Wellington might have witnessed total dominance from the hosts, but it was skipper Wright who single-handedly got his side over the line while chasing a modest total in the second innings. Wright who scored 36 in the first innings followed it up with an unbeaten 117 in the second as the Kiwis successfully chased down a target of 181 by nine wickets to be named the Player of the Match for his dominant performance with the bat.
- 185 vs India, Christchurch 1990
Wright went on to register his highest Test score in the first Test match against India in Christchurch in February 1990 where he led New Zealand from the front. He demoralized the Indian bowlers with his solid batting performance that was instrumental in ensuring that their first innings total was way beyond the reach of the visitors. With a superb 185, Wright outbatted India completely from the Test match as the Kiwis went on to register a comfortable 10-wicket victory to go 1-0 up in the series.
