Top 5 cricketers of the week: 10th January to 16th January
This week, we had three sensational games, all three throwing up results that were rather unexpected.
India prevailed over England in a humdinger that involved more than 700 runs being scored in a match. Bangladesh entered the record books for the wrong reason as the team to score the highest Test total in a loss after their second innings debacle cost them the match, not to mention some brilliant batting by the Kiwis.
Pakistan defeated Australia in the second ODI at the MCG, their first win in Australia against Australia in 12 years. Obviously, great results can only be conjured by great performances and we have singled out five from the three top matches of the week – a Test and two ODIs.
Four of the five performances came in brilliant victories while one ended up, painfully, on the losing side!
#1 Kedar Jadhav
Kedar Jadhav walked into a lost cause in the first ODI against England at Pune. The impossibility of the situation when India were 63 for 4 was so glaring that no one believed India could win, even with Virat Kohli still there.
But Jadhav eased the pressure off his captain in his 13th ODI, scoring his second international century. Jadhav added a blistering 200 for the fifth wicket, matching Kohli shot for shot and at one point dominating the partnership with calculated risks that always kept the run-rate under control.
His 76-ball 120 with 12 fours and 4 sixes amazed even Kohli. Jadhav battled cramps, to score the sixth-fastest ODI century by an Indian. By the time he was dismissed, India needed just 60 off 61 balls, from an original rate of 7. He deservedly won the Player of the Match award ahead of Kohli, who scored a sublime 122 himself. That is some accomplishment!