by Arthur Crabtree » Mon Dec 08, 2014 4:53 pm
4. Murali Vijay, 146 at Trent Bridge.
While watching this from the no alcohol stand, I was reminded of a huge urn I'd seen in Jaipur in which a travelling Indian prince of the Victorian era had transported water to England, in case the adam's ale there was undrinkable. Maybe Murali had brought a batting strip from Ahmedabad in this dignitaries neighbouring state, with similar reservations of what alien conditions he might find on his travels? On completion of the match, the batting strip was condemned by everyone with an opinion.
Yet, for India, only Murali really cashed in, and India were reliant on a big last wicket stand to truly take advantage of this home from home. And it was his first overseas ton. He held India together after a post lunch collapse: leaving a lot, but hitting 25 fours; driving on the off side, and nurdling well to leg. And he was fired out by a ropy LBW decision from Bruce Oxenford. He made a fifty in the second innings too, and with his 95 at Lord's he was one of India's better performers in the series.
4. Shaminda Eranga, 4-93 at Headingley.
After losing the Ashes 5-0 and having their pace attack eclipsed by the Australians', England went into the home series with Sri Lanka in the absolute certainty that their fast bowlers would make the Sri Lankan's look like club bowlers. That narrative was on schedule at Lord's when England scored big in their first innings and Eranga and Nuwan Pradeep suffered. But it was Eranga that saw out an over of Jimmy Anderson in the penultimate over of the game, to allow Prasad to negate six balls of Stuart Broad for the draw. And Eranga took away six wickets from the game.
Through diligence and perseverance, the Sri Lankan seamers gradually got on top, by the finest of margins. In the first innings at Headingley, Eranga took out four England batters, to no great acclaim. And he returned in the second innings to prise out Jimmy Anderson with the second to last ball of the game. His eleven wicket haul in the series was only exceeded, by one, by Anderson. Perhaps never before has English hubris been less warranted, and so unexpectedly exposed.
I always say that everybody's right.