Facing their fears: Top 5 innings by night-watchmen in Test cricket
In a 5-day long Test match, there are times when the mainstay batters fail to perform due to inferior batting conditions. In such times, the team promotes the lower-order batsman ahead in the batting line-up to protect the next recognized batsman for the next day’s play. But many a time such players, also known as night-watchmen, have emerged as life-saviours for their teams by protecting their wicket and adding ample amounts of runs to the scoreboard.
In this article, let’s take a look at five such brilliant innings played by night-watchmen in the history of Test cricket.
5. Syed Kirmani (India) – 101* v Australia, 1979
As the Indian batting line-up found it difficult to survive in front of the touring Australians, wicketkeeper-batsman Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani joined Gundappa Viswanath, being sent in ahead of the more established Yashpal Sharma and Mohinder Amarnath. Kirmani displayed a brilliant batting effort as he struck a 46-run partnership with Kapil Dev followed by a 127-run stand with Karsan Ghavri to complete his century (101* runs) after five hours at the crease. Syed’s knock helped India clinch the series 2-0.
4. Tony Mann (Australia) – 105 v India, 1977
Tony Mann, a leg-spinner became the hero for Australia as the home team managed to chase down a target of 342 posted by India at Perth in 1977. Coming to bat at number 3, Mann played some brilliant shots to smash 105 runs and helped his team take a 2-0 lead. However, later India managed to level the series 2-2 but fell short of 47 runs in the final chasing 493 and Australia won 3-2.
3. Mark Boucher (South Africa) – 108 v England, 1999-00
The only player to feature twice in this list is South Africa’s wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher. South Africa were asked to follow-on after being bowled out for 156 in reply to England’s first innings total of 366/9. Boucher came to bat on Day 4 and scored a brilliant 108 to keep the 1-0 lead intact in the 5-match series.
2. Mark Boucher (South Africa) – 125 v Zimbabwe, 1999
While chasing 102 posted by Zimbabwe in their first innings at Harare, South Africa made the decision of sending Mark Boucher ahead of Jonty Rhodes. This proved to be a masterstroke as Boucher played a remarkable knock of 125 runs and the visitors managed to post a humongous total of 462/9. In their second innings too, the Zimbabwe batting line-up crumbled at a paltry total of 141 and lost the Test.
1. Jason Gillespie (Australia) – 201* v Bangladesh, 2006
The home team Bangladesh posted a total of 197 on the back of Rajin Saleh’s 71 runs. In reply, Australia lost Matthew Hayden before stumps and the captain promoted fast bowler Jason Gillespie ahead of Phil Jaques. Gillespie surprised the cricket fraternity that day by smashing his maiden double-hundred in Tests. He added 320 runs with Mike Hussey to take Australia to a mammoth 581/4. Australia eventually won the game by an innings and 80 runs to clean-sweep the home team by 2-0.
