5 defiant, match-saving innings of this decade
There are numerous factors that make Test cricket special. The fact that, at times, a hard-earned draw is more credible than a victory is one of the many reasons for the greatness of the sport.
Test cricket history is full of memorable knocks by batsmen through which they saved their team from defeat and achieved a draw that was probably sweeter than even a win. Some of those great performances have come in this decade.
While most of these efforts come in the fourth innings, sometimes the situation of the game results in the third innings of the game witnessing such heroic exploits.
Here is a list of five magnificent performances from batsmen in this decade that secured a very satisfying draw for their respective teams.
#5 Roston Chase – 137* vs India (Jamaica, 2016)
Roston Chase's knock of 137* denied India victory in the Jamaica Test
When the Indian team arrived on Caribbean shores for a four-match Test series, they were the overwhelming favourites. An easy victory ensued for the visitors in the first Test and the Windies side looked all set to lose the second Test in Jamaica also when they ended day 4 at 48/4, trailing the Indians by 254 runs in their second innings. The match seemed all set for an early finish on the final day.
But then rose to the challenge a new entrant into the West Indian team – Barbadian all-rounder Roston Chase.
Coming in to bat at No 6, Chase shared a 93-run partnership with Jermaine Blackwood, then a 144-run partnership with Shane Dowrich to give West Indies hope. A 103-run partnership with skipper Jason Holder then followed.
The pitch was docile and very slow but still the fragility of the West Indian batting line-up didn’t provide any reason for their fans to be optimistic. The Indian spinners, especially Ravichandran Ashwin, looked lethal and the vulnerability of the Caribbean batsmen to spin made their downfall seem very likely.
But Chase used his height and the long reach it provided to great effect. He played Ashwin off the backfoot by using the depth of the crease but also came a long way forward when he bowled a fuller length. This blunted the Indian ace spinner and made sure that he got only one wicket on the final day.
Chase remained not out on 137 off 269 balls and was, unsurprisingly, the Player of the Match.