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Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game for several professionals. 💜It is the Test of patience, strategies, resilience and many other factors, where the team which plays bette🐻r cricket over the five days comes out triumphant.
Therefore, it is a matter of utmost importance that the team fields a formidable ෴batting lineup to withstand the sustained pressure.
Usually, the best batsman forms the top six in the lineup followed by the wicket-keeper and the bowlers. However, 𒐪batting is not a stronger suit for specialist spinners and seamers; therefore, they are tagged as the ‘tailenders’.
As a part of strategy, t💧o protect the besꦏt batsmen in the team, the think-tank and management often send these tailenders as nightwatchmen.
Today, let’s look at the five instances when a tailender went to open the batting for the🍎ir team:
1. Jack Leach against Sri Lanka
Du👍ring the2019 Test series between England and Sri Lanka, the second innings of the second Test marked one of the instances when a tailender walke𒈔d in to take guard at the opening slot.
Jack Leach partnered Rory Burns instead of Keaton Jennings on the final session of Day 2 to play out one over left in the day. Leach was dismissed on one ꦦby Dilruwan Perera.
2. Iqbal Siddique against England
On December 2001, Maharashtra fast bowler Iqbal Siddique took strike as an opener against England in the Mohali Test. With five needed to win, the then Indian captain Sourav Ganguly sent Siddique with Deep Dasgupta in the second in൲nings of th𒁃e Test match.
3. Danny Morrison vs India
Tailender Danny Morrison, during India’s tour of New Zealand in 1990, walked in to face the brand new ball. New Zealand needed just two runs to win the Test match. He remained unbeaten on ඣ1.
4. Martin Snedden vs India
Pairing up with Morrison was another tailender, Martin Snedden. The fast bowler scored three in the first innings before fallꩲing victim to Kapil Dev, who caught him in front of his stumps. It was the third and fourth occasion when a tailender walked in as an opener.
5. Azeem Hafeez vs India
Fast bowler Azeem Hafeez debuted for Pakistanܫ during their tour in 1983/84. Inꦫ the Nagpur Test, Pakistan number 11 walked in as an opener. Hafeez ended up playing 18 Tests and picked up 63 scalps along with four five-wicket hauls.
