5 Test batsmen with most runs scored in losing causes
Cricket is indeed a rather strange game. It is a sport in which a team is of the utmost value, but its very essence lies in the individual player’s ability to churn out runs or scalp the wickets. However, on the flip-side, if the cricketer is unable to receive some support from the other side, his heroic feats often lead to a situation where he is better than the team he plays for.
Often, he might be the lone man standing amidst the ruins and though some performances might translate to match-winning spells, on most occasions he might find himself being the sole warrior for his squad - notching up runs, whilst the team around him falters.
The top five batsmen with the most number of runs scored in a losing cause all have one thing in common. Though they were legends in their own rights, at some point or the other, the teams in which they featured were defined by inconsistent streaks and below-par results.
As the youngsters were settling their nerves after the departure of stalwarts, most of the cricket-playing countries were being bogged down by the rebuilding phase. Hence, the victories reduced but the icons present still carried on with their magnificent work; often to be undone by the lack of help from the other members of the squad.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul; West Indies
Out of the 164 Test matches that West Indian batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul played, 77 ended in defeat for the team. However, he, along with Brian Lara were the sole stars for the line-up that often looked a pale shadow of the champion side that West Indies had once been.
In 153 innings that ended in losses for the team, Chanderpaul scored 5370 runs at an average of 40.07, with nine centuries and 32 half centuries. Even though his team-mates were unable to withstand the onslaught in England and in the sub-continent, the maverick remained notorious in his run-making, averaging an impressive 67.58 in losses in England, along with three hundreds in the country.
He, in fact, averaged 42.33 in defeats overseas as compared to his average of 37 at home, once again displaying his technique in moments of crisis; only to be undone by the lack of it from the other members in his team.