DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has picked the top match-saving knocks in the ICC World Test Championship 2023 (WTC23) cycle thus far, Pakistan’s all-format captain Babar Azam and the wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan also featured in the list.
Pakistan’s top-ranked batter Babar, who played a crucial and match-saving knock against Australia in the Karachi Test and forced the match to end as a draw, has got his name in the top match-saving knocks of the ICC WTC23 so far.
Coming out to bat at 21/2 just after the Lunch on day four, the right-handed batter showed his class and scored 196 off 425 balls, that is also the seventh-highest individual scored in the fourth innings of a Test match.
Set a target of 506 for a win, Pakistan endured the second-longest fourth innings stay in history to salvage a draw, thanks to the gritty knock of Babar.
Another Pakistani batter Rizwan, who also played a crucial knock in the hard-fought draw in Karachi Test, also featured in the list. The right-handed batter scored a gritty 104 not-out on 177 balls.
The wicket-keeper batter put on an important 115-runs partnership with Babat before the latter perished after missing on his maiden double century by a mere four runs. Babar’s dismissal triggered a mini-collapse but Rizwan remained calm and batted with the tailenders to endure a hard-fought draw.
The West Indian captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s marathon knock of 160 and 56* runs against England in Barbados, was also added to one of the top match-saving knocks.
Kraigg Brathwaite played the knock of his career when he scored 160 against England in the second Test in Barbados. West Indies scored 411 runs in response to England’s first innings declaration of 507/9, thanks to Brathwaite’s marathon knock facing a mammoth 489 deliveries.
In their second innings, the visitors declared at 185/6, setting a target of 281 runs for the West Indies. The home side was then unable to counter well, and victory appeared to be in England’s grasp. But, with another determined batting display, the skipper Brathwaite halted England’s push for a win, with a valiant 56* in 184 balls, forcing the second Test to end as a draw.
New Zealand’s debutant spinner Rachin Ravindra’s gritty unbeaten knock of 18 against India in the Kanpur Test, has also been added among the top match-saving knocks. Despite the knock not a big score by any means but had vital importance in terms of the touring side’s perspective.
Indian spinners, defending a target of 284, wreaked havoc over New Zealand’s batting line-up but the debutant Ravindra stood firm and played a determined knock to defy India the victory. He batted for 91 deliveries and remained unbeaten for the last wicket with Ajaz Patel, enabling New Zealand pull off a remarkable comeback.
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