Batsmen to have scored 300 or more runs - The 300 club - Opinion
At one point in time, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brian-Charles-Lara-c48471’s 375 at Antigua in 1994, stood unparalleled as the best Test match innings of all time. It has been more than a decade since that record breaking feat and quite a few names have appeared in the prestigious 300 club,
which not only rival Lara’s achievements, but also ooze with class as individuals.
Names, such as the great Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Sir Donald Bradman, Mahela Jayawardene and Inzamam Ul Haq, are one of the most prestigious icons in world cricket. Some have already retired, yet are lauded by those who have witnessed them bat with impunity.
Others are still playing and continue to ramp up the ranks in terms of run scoring. The unique aspect about the players that are in the 300 club is that each of them had contrasting styles of application, yet achieved something significant. Scoring 300 runs
and above in modern times is considered to be prestigious. With Lara’s 400 standing tall and above the others in terms of runs scored in a single innings, it is perhaps unsurprising that many of the players in the 300 club are considered to be the classiest
batsmen to have ever embraced the pitch.
One can think of the likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/V-Sehwag-c2739, with his flashy wrists, powerful cut shots and brutal hitting. His pugnacious approach and powerful hitting ability has led to numerous match winning accolades coming his way which is remarkable because he plays
for a country which worships Tendulkar. His 319 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Multan-c819 goes down as one of the best innings ever played by an Indian in the history of the game and ironically, his contemporary Tendulkar, does not have a triple century to his name.
In terms of Calypso beats, the Jamaican http://www.senore.com/Cricket/CH-Gayle-c1221 is not too far behind. Regardless of being fallaciously dubbed as a brutal basher, Gayle’s thunderous hitting has a serene touch to it and has helped him gain notoriety for either being dismissed early
or going on to score something quiet special for his side. Gayle’s strangely languid, but uniquely poised play, has helped him score 300 twice in the space of six years, where his 333 against Sri Lanka at Galle was one of the best innings ever from a West
Indian player.
The brutality of Gayle and Sehwag is in stark contrast with the combined wit and skill of other triple centurions. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757 was as monumental as it was instrumental in achieving his team’s objectives. Jayawardene shared
a partnership of 624 runs with http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 was invincible at home and not walkovers for any stretch of the imagination. Similarly,
Inzamam Ul Haq’s thunderous 329 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-Zealand-c754 at Lahore was one of the most selfless innings in Pakistan’s history. He guided his side to a thumping innings and 324 runs victory over the Kiwis on a flat deck. His innings stands as the second highest
score ever for a Pakistani batsman and went down well with those who wanted to see Pakistani dominance in their own den.
Not many in contemporary times would have seen the great http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Donald-George-Bradman-c54397 play, but the dashing, flashy and flamboyant Brian Charles Lara stands out as a household name. No one since Bradman himself has managed to amass huge scores with such brazen frequency
as Lara did in his prime. His 400 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Matthew-Lawrence-Hayden-c75233 in 2003. The brutality of that innings, which was characterized by silken cover drives, back foot
punches and towering sixes, is etched into the minds of those who were there to witness it.
The 300 club is thus a unique combination of players who have dished it out against some of the best in the world in taxing conditions. In a format which is the ultimate test of one’s skill, these batsmen stand out as exhibitionists.
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