There is a reason that the best players in cricket can't be kept out of the game for too long. Especial when they have played 150 games, and scored 11000+ test runs, 'bouncing back' is in their DNA.
Alastair Cook's drought had coincided with the England going 0-3 down in the Ashes 2017-18. When your lowest point is coinciding with your team's, the talks of your place in the team are bound to be questioned. More so, when you are on the wrong side of your 30s and are struggling to hit half centuries for 5-6 straight games.
But, Cook isn't another cricketer who would settle with such retirement after a celebrated career for England- being their most prolific run-scorer. On the third day of the fourth test ,with the fate of Ashes urn already decided, Cook showed grit in the face of Starc-less Australian attack, on his way to an endless 244*, as he kept losing partners on the other end. On the first ball of Day4, Anderson departed to Cummins, meaning Cook had carried the bat- first Englishman to do so since 1997 when Atherton did.
Such impacful was his knock that on a single day of marathon innings, he put England into the driving seat of the MCG game. Such long was his innings, that he leapfrogged Mahela Jayawardene, Shivanrine Chanderpaul, and Brian Lara in all time list of most test runs. If he plays for another year or so, then he might jump ahead of Sangakkara, Kallis and Dravid-and finish 3rd on the tally. Even if he doesn't, his name among the legends of the game is a small sign of what he has done for the English fans, who didn't have a legend of their own in the 10k club. Root might get there one day, but Cook is the only Englishman to climb that everest. In the last over of the day, he punched a Mitchell Marsh delivery through covers, to go past Lara- almost as if reminding us all of the Cook of old.
Broad gave him good company, by pressing on to the accelerator and racing to a fifty in no time, and helping England build some quick lead. Broad's dismissal came at the fag end and England opted not to declare at this stage. Next day, Anderson succumbed and Cook remained undefeated, like a lion who walked through the jungle fire unharmed. He had scars to tell the story and a tale of heroics to be passed.
Cook holds the record for the most runs by a batsman who carried bat-244*. No matter who wins the MCG game, Cook's double hundred has kindled fire of hope.
For England. For Cook.
As another cricketing year ends- the one with ICC Champions
Trophy, Ashes, India’s home season year, and the year of Afghanistan and
Ireland getting test status- we look back the best ODI batting performances of
the year. It’s not just a descending order of performances- but a lot of
factors have been kept in mind (This is
till 25th December- so SA-Zim series won’t be included)
Quality of Opposition
Situation in the match
Pitch conditions
Importance of the knock in affecting result of match
So here is the countdown top 10 batting performances in 2017
in 50-over series
Number-10
Q De Kock 168* (145) vs Bangladesh- October 2017
Chasing a considerable total of 278, DeKock’s 168* supported by Amla’s 110* made a mockery of the chase, as SA won by 10 wickets with around 7 overs to spare. By his standards, Dekock didn’t use the aerial mode often and hit 21 fours and 2 sixes in the controlled knock. This was his second-highest ODI score, behind his 178 against Australia in merely 113 balls- his best innings by far. In our list, considering the importance of the knock, impact in the match and the bowling attack- DeKock's 168 off 145 balls, come at number 10.
Number-9
Johnny Bairstow 141* vs West Indies- Sep 2017
Bairstow, brought in the opening role, played an organized 141 off just 114 balls. Not a regular before this series for limited over side, Bairstow hit his second hundred in the series against the visitors. It was the highest innings by an England batter against the West Indies ever, and helped England chase 288 with 12 overs left. Roy missed out on his hundred by 4, as England completed a 4-0 series win stamping their authority. Unlike power hitters, Bairstow's well compiled 141 proves the place of textbook batting in limited overs, and the knock for its impact is at number 9th.
Number-8
David Warner 179 vs Pakistan- Jan 2017
On 26th Jan-Australia Day, in a dead rubber against Pakistan with series in the bag already, Warner made most of the Adelaide track by clubbing 179 against a good Pakistan pace line up- Amir, Junaid, Hasan Ali, and Wahab Riaz. Warner got a partnership going with Head, who himself hit a solid 128. Warner fell 6 six runs short of the highest individual score by an Aussie(185 by Watson). 284 between Head and Warner was the highest ODI partnership for Australia, ever. Considering the match situation, the innings is at 8th among all ODI innings of 2017.
Number-7
Yuvraj Singh 150 vs England- Jan 2017
India rolled back the years and Yuvraj and Dhoni tons helped India win the ODI at Barabati, Cutack. It was a comeback of sorts for Yuvraj- who hit the powerful 150, joined by Dhoni coming at crease when India were 25 for 3- in disarray on a harmless track. The knock came off 127 balls with 21 fours and 3 sixes- to help India setup 381 on board. Dhoni’s 134 helped make a record 256 run fourth wicket partnership helping seal the three match series 2-0. Considering the pitch had no demons, but India were 3 down, we place the innings at number 7.
Number-6
AB De Villiers 176 (121) vs Bangladesh – October 2017
SA sealed the three match series against visitors Bangladesh by ABD’s career best 176, propelling SA to enormous score of 353/6. This was fourth highest individual score for Proteas in ODIs behind Kirsten’s 188* in the 1996 World Cup ,Du Plessis’s 185 and De Kock’s 178. The whirldwind knock was also his 25th ODI ton, and came on the back of a long gap in international cricket.
Number-5
Evin Lewis 176* vs England- September 2017
England won the match by D/L method by a whisker but what stood out, and took everyone by shock, was a certain Evin Lewis- who blasted his way through to 176 before unfortunately retiring hurt from a Jake Ball Yorker. The highlight of the innings was the acceleration beyond 100- which happened in just 36 balls (for 76 runs). The innings was adorned by 17 fours and 7 powerful sixes. However, neither England lost the match nor the series. Lewis did what West Indies's fans didn't expect- create a name for himself at the Oval- and coming in top5 innings of 2017.
Number-4
DuPlessis 185 vs Sri Lanka- Feb 2017
A record second-highest innings by a South African in ODIs, 185 by Faf Du Plessis helped SA stroll to 4-0 against the listless visitors. The 185 came off 141 balls with 16 fours and 3 sixes- almost spanning across the entire SA innings. In a match that saw 694 aggregate runs, Du Plessis showed his capability to play the big innings in the shortest format- in a line-up already boasting of Amla, De Kock, AB De Villiers- each with 150+ scores in the limited format. The enormous innings comes at number 4 for us for its sheer pacing.
Number-3
Rohit Sharma 208* vs Sri Lanka- Dec 2017
In his debut series as captain, Rohit Sharma found Indore as
a perfect venue to register his third ODI Double hundred- out of seven such
milestones ever. Finding support from
Dhawan and Iyer, Rohit’s knock helped India level the three match series with
comprehensive victory. He took only 36 balls for his second 100, as India
clubbed 147 runs in last 10 overs to reach 392 at Holkar Stadium. With 12 sixes
in the knock, Rohit set the record for most sixes in a calendar year,
surpassing ABD’s 63. The double hundred is the third on this list of best ODI innings in 2017.
Number-2
Martin Guptill 180 vs South Africa- Mar 2017
An innings on comeback, Guptill clubbed 180* against the
strong visitors to level the series 2-2 at Hamilton. In an ruthless innings off
138 balls, Guptill made the chase of 288 look a cakewalk, as he finished with
his third highest score by a NZ in ODIs, with the top 2 scores also held by
him- including a double hundred at the World Cup 2015. Racing to his hundred
off just 82 balls, Guptill’s knock displayed raw musclular ability to clear the
fences. The series levelling innings against the South African attack makes it to number 2.
Number-1
Marcus Stoinis 146* vs New Zealand- Jan 2017
A Williamson manufactured run out stopped Stoinis 7 runs short of New Zealand’s 286, as Stoinis stood alone among the debris of Australian batting crumbled around. Arriving on the crease at 54 for 5, when NZ looked set to win the opening game at Auckland, Stoinis played in company of the tail to launch a counterattack on the home side. With 9th wicket gone, Stoinis realized the game situation and racked up 54 runs without giving strike to Hazelwood. What made the innings more special was that it was his second ODI appearance and came on the back of 3 wickets early in the day. The only thing remaining was an Australian victory-in an otherwise perfect movie-like innings.
Considering the inexperience of Stoinis, quality of New Zealand attack, away conditions and match circumstances ( 5 down), its the best knock of 2017 in ODIs for us.
