5 best slow match-saving knocks
No format of the game tests the skills of a cricketer more than Test cricket. Apart from skills, the longest format of cricket also pushes cricketers to show some amount of resolve and have bundles of patience too.The final Test of the recently concluded India-South Africa series saw just that from the South African batsmen for most part of the last two days. But the resolve and patience shown by them, particularly Amla and de Villiers, was not sufficient to get a desired result, that of a draw, as the Proteas lost by 337 runs.However, Test cricket has been witness some highly patient yet heroic knocks from batsmen which helped their team secure a hard-fought stalemate. We take a look at 5 of the greatest slow match-saving knocks:
#1 Faf du Plessis (SA) - 110 not out vs Australia at Adelaide, 2012
Runs / Balls Faced – 110 not out / 376
Strike Rate – 29.25
Faf du Plessis gave batsmen all over the world a crash course on saving a Test match, that too in his debut game. It was the 2nd Test of the 2012/13 series between South Africa and Australia and the latter had posted an improbable target of 430 for the visitors to chase in the 4th innings.
By the end of Day 4, the Proteas were already 4 wickets down for 77 still needing 353 for a victory on the last day. The first session of the day saw Faf du Plessis continue with the repair work from the previous day alongside AB de Villiers as they carried on till lunch without losing a wicket.
The fall of de Villiers’ wicket soon after lunch did not deter du Plessis as he joined hands with another stalwart Jacques Kallis in his effort to save the game. Together they took South Africa to tea with 5 wickets still intact.
Soon after the beginning of the post-tea session, the young South African batsman reached a memorable century but had his work cut out as Kallis was dismissed. However, Faf du Plessis showed extreme determination and batted on with the tail to secure a draw for South Africa.