Saving Tests Author: Maaz; Views: 605; Comments: ; Date: 26-11-2012, 06:52;

My tweets in tribute to Faf's 110* from 376 to keep the series at 0-0 with 1 to play. I can be followed @maza786

Time consuming match saving unbeaten century in Australia against Australia on test debut with a mountain to climb. @Faf1307, take a bow

It was a display of dogged persistence, enduring discipline, unflustered composure, determined obduracy and he was there to the close

Cracking test at Adelaide. Australia dominated, but RSA fought back more than once when they were pushed into a corner

RSA today showed why they are worthy of being no1. Dug themselves out of a mammoth hole when they had their backs to the wall

He got us into the WT20 semis,but forget that as today he has just played a classic in the format where men become men

Not to forget ABDs contribution – 220 balls of repetitive survival to wear the Aussies down and eat up time

ABDs 33 from 220 is the longest/most crucial 30 odd from memory with Tavare‘s 35 from 240 (81/82) and Bob Taylor’s 36 from 200 (77)

The RSA LOI captain + wicket keeper has turned into Boycott/Mudassar Nazar: 29* from 114 and now 33 from 220 #adaptability

In 10 years time teams will be taking inspiration from innings like @faf1307 ’s today when they need to bat 5 sessions to hang on for safety

Today witnessed the best match-saving innings in my watching career/by a South African, for me this beats Rudolph at Perth and Neil at Lords

Saving Tests

Pride, respect, value you’re wicket as if you’re life depends on it

Play every ball as if it’s you’re first 

Bat Time: Value every minute, hour, session, ball, over played knowing you are contributing towards the desired outcome

Be unflappable:-

-          Keep your temperament and composure if wickets are falling around you

-          If you play and miss put it out of the system and concentrate on the next one without getting worked up about it

-          Don’t let sledging and chirping in your ear by close in fielders affect your game

-          If you are under personal pressure in the press, don’t let that affect your method or approach

-          If a certain bowler has troubled you, don’t let that affect your method in this innings, be clear in your approach

 -         Don’t give in and get carried away if the tempo of your innings is sluggish/circumspect

Be prepared to be slow, long, boring, consistent, and repetitive

Try to greet each delivery as securely and safely as possible

Be prepared to do plenty of grafting, grinding, stonewalling, leaving, and kicking away

Control a limited range, you can’t expect to be bossing the game or completely dominating, therefore just focus intently on a few elements

-          Keeping the ball along the turf

-          Playing straight

-          Reading the movement of the ball and picking the variations

-          Not flirting at anything you don’t need to play at

Make the opposition earn and work for the wickets, don’t help them on the way. Make every effort possible to save the match and put up a fight rather than giving in. This will increase your chances of preventing defeat and frustrating the opposition.

Once you are established and settled at the crease, ensure you maintain you’re composure and focus because 1 ball, 1 misjudgement, 1 lapse of concentration can end your stay and bring a new batsmen to the crease. Remember the analogy of 1 brings 2. Therefore, it’s imperative that those batsmen who are ‘in’ keep plodding along and make the most of it for the team cause.

Defend Positively – with intention and purpose to show you are up for the challenge and are prepared to battle hard, bat long and show you’re difficulties to be dislodged.

Remember the key phrases:

-          Hang in there

-          Grit it out

-          Absorb the Pressure

-          Go through the repetitive processes           

-          Maintain strict discipline

-          Played the waiting game

-          Refuse to give in lightly

-          Dig in long, hard and deep

Key Words – reminder:

-          Patience

-          Concentration

-          Stamina

-          Application

-          Persistence

-          Endurance

-          Resistance

-          Perseverance

What you are trying to achieve is:

-          Frustrating the opposition

-          Grinding them down both mentally and physically

-          Wearing them down into the ground

-          Churning out the runs

-          Overcoming important passages of play

-          Taking time out of the game

This is when you want the following players to stand up and they should relish the challenge and try to prove why they are ‘the most prized wicket’:

-          Grafters

-          Grinders

-          Blockers

-          Crease Occupiers

-          Innings Holders

Take inspiration from some of the outstanding match saving innings that have been played. The following players are fondly remembered for saving the day for their team and it has been one of their career highlights, if not their career highlight. For example, Michael Atherton has dedicated a whole chapter to his Johannesburg epic in his autobiography ‘Opening Up’

-          Hanif’s 337

-          Atherton’s 185*

-          KPs 158

-          Rudolph at Perth

-          Punter at Old Trafford

-          Younis’s 130* in his come-back test

-          Misbah’s 70* at the Basin Reserve

-          Shoaib Malik’s 148* against Sri Lanka

-          Cook’s 235*

-          Collingwood at Cardiff

-          Boycott 100* from 303 Hyderabad

-           Razzaq’s 71 from 260 at Mohali            

-          Atherton 89 from 280

-          Atherton’s 65* at Faisalabad                                     

-          MSD unbeaten one at Lords 2007

Or even cameos like

Following ABDs 29* from 114 at the Gabba this idea came about

Here are some of them

Most as expected are in the 2nd innings (3rd or 4th)

1st innings where indicated

There must have been many others missed

Add if you can

These are the best 21 in my view:

1) Jack Russel 29* from 235 balls 1995
2) Danny Morrison 14* from 133 balls 1997
3) Rahul Dravid 12 from 96 balls 2007
4) Geoff Allot 0 from 77 balls 1999
5) Monty 7* from 35 balls 2009
6) Chris Tavare 35 from 240 balls 1982 (first innings - killed time)
7) Azhar Ali 28* from 135 balls 2010
8) Misbah ul Haq 9* from 86 balls 2011
9) Bob Taylor 36 from 200 balls 1978 (first innings - killed time)
10) Robert Croft 37* from 125 balls 1998
11) Mark Ramprakash 34 from 149 balls 1998
12) Rahul Dravid 11* from 64 balls 2008
13) Asad Shafiq 7* from 55 balls 2011
14) Anil Kumble 9* from 52 balls 2008
15) Paul Collingwood 26* from 99 balls 2009/10
16) Razzaq 25* from 91 balls 2006
17) Matt Prior 12* from 64 balls 2007
18) Darren Gough 12 from 76 balls 1998
19) Chris Tavare 42 from 202 balls 1980 (first innings - killed time)
20) Mudassar Nazar 27 from 133 balls 1977 (first innings - killed time)
21) Geoff Boycott 49* from 161 balls 1980

Attacking players need to try to put the team first and curb their instincts to be more cautious and watchful in their approach for the team, be selfless in this regard

If players are hopelessly defensively, there are only a few of these at test level, and then it might be an idea to play with the analogy of attack is the best form of defence and take a few chances, hoping to dent a bowler’s confidence and remove the attacking fielders

Work hard and ‘switch on’ at the start of the innings the most

-          Bide you’re time

-          Rein yourself in

-          Set out you’re stall for the long haul

-          Curb you’re attacking instincts

-          Content of occupying the crease

-          Put the shutters down

-          Battle for your runs

You are trying to:

-          Close down you’re end

-          Put a high price on your wicket

-          Spend time in the middle

-          See off certain bowlers

-          Carrying the innings through

-          Engage in partnerships

-          Show responsibility, dependability, stability

It's an act of:

- Defiance

- Denial

- Self restraint

- Survival

- Tight line of defence

Relish the role of being a man for a crisis, a match saver, it’s the biggest thing you can do as a batsmen, save the day for your team when the odds are stacked against you. Bowlers win tests; batsmen at best can stop you losing them. The fundamental principle to winning test matches is taking 20 wickets, batsmen can’t do that, but they can deny them

Know that the opposition are under greater pressure to win the game, especially a spinner for a 5^th day wicket and therefore if you spend time in the middle and survive for long enough, they might start to lose the plot with the frustration and start ticking. This is when you have a psychological edge.

If you are to play shots make sure they are controlled and selective with the percentages in your favour. Just try to look for nudge of the hip or another risk-free run option or wait for the predictable/bad ball which you can put away and can earn by good defensive play

The longer you spend in the middle the more runs you will get, the more runs you are giving yourself the chance to get and the more bad deliveries you will face and can then put away. It's natural for a batsmen to be thinking about runs and have something next to his name to show for his effort.