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« January 2007 |
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February 23, 2007
Posted by Siddhartha Vaidyanathan at
in
There’s a lot more to Kapil Dev than mere numbers, which were impressive in themselves. He arrived at a time when India relied primarily on spinners, he defied convention with his daring hitting and did the unthinkable by lifting the World Cup, an outcome which not even the most optimistic of fans would have foreseen. Plying his trade primarily on flat, dusty pitches at home, he surged to the world record number of wickets. He was supremely fit and when abroad did the bulk of the bowling.
A Test average of 31.05 doesn’t indicate what a good batsman he was, capable of playing that one blinding knock which can stun the opposition. Some of his centuries are forgotten epics, largely because he never managed it on a consistent basis. Yet, he must be judged on the circumstances he played in. He didn’t have the bowling support that Imran Khan enjoyed and didn’t enjoy the seaming conditions that Richard Hadlee and Ian Botham thrived in. He rose against the tide and defied convention.
February 7, 2007
Posted by Peter English at
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Adam Gilchrist is the modern-day master blaster - even Viv Richards loves watching him bat. Add in his fine wicketkeeping skills and he is not just a valuable, multi-skilled contributor, but one of the game's greatest allrounders. Australia have flown to new levels with Gilchrist in the side and he continues to provide outstanding and breathtaking performances.
In the third Ashes Test in Perth he blasted a 57-ball century, narrowly missing Richards' world-record mark, and he has made useful contributions at the top of the one-day order throughout his career. In a team of champions, Gilchrist stands out as the side's crucial allrounder, which is a rare description for a gloveman.
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