Batters have shown their power and resistance while dragging down bowling assaults with outstanding defensive measures in Test cricket. However, some cricketers have defied this mentality by playing a bold type of cricket in the game’s longest format.
In 2022, some batsmen played with abandon, bringing the opposition’s bowling attack to the cleaners. But there were a handful who took their batting to another level and lit up the Test arena with their jaw-dropping efforts.
Here are the top five counter-attacking Test innings in 2022.
Number 1. India vs Bangladesh 2nd Test, Mirpur (Rishabh Pant)
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At the last game of the two-match Test series, India will face Bangladesh in Mirpur in December 2022. The Bangla Tigers batted first and scored 227 runs, with Mominul Haque (84 runs off 157 balls) leading the way.
In response, India was struggling at 72 for 3, with Taijul Islam causing mayhem. The Men in Blue then lost Virat Kohli, exacerbating the problem. Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, was ready for the task. He launched an assault on the opponents immediately away, putting them under pressure. The southpaw hit 93 runs off 104 balls to put India back in the contest. His inning had seven fours and five sixes.
Shreyas Iyer batted well as well, scoring 87 runs off 105 balls. India scored 314 runs in their first innings, taking an 87-run lead, thanks to half-centuries from the pair. KL Rahul and company won the game by three wickets.
Number 2. England vs New Zealand 2nd Test Nottingham (Jonny Bairstow)
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In June 2022, England faced New Zealand at the second game in a three-match Test series in Nottingham. The Blackcaps set a target of 299 runs for Ben Stokes and company, and the Three Lions responded with a score of 93 for 4.
Jonny Bairstow rose to the occasion and demolished the strong Kiwi bowling attack. He slammed 136 runs in 92 deliveries, hammering bowlers all over the field. The wicketkeeper-spectacular batter’s effort included 14 boundaries and seven maximums.
England easily knocked down the target with five wickets in hand, with to Bairstow’s counter-attacking effort. For his magnificent knock, the flamboyant hitter was named Player of the Match.
Number 3. Australia vs England 5th Ashes Test, Hobart (Travis Head)
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In January 2022, Australia faced England at the last game of The Ashes 2021-22 in Hobart. The visitors won the coin toss and chose to field. England’s bowlers were on target from the first delivery and had the Aussies reeling at 12 for 3.
Travis Head came to the plate and put on a display with his bat. The southpaw was an aggressive cricketer who took down every bowler that came his way. He scored 101 runs off 113 balls, with 12 of them being boundaries. Cameron Green, too, was in top form, scoring 74 runs off 109 deliveries.
Australia scored 303 runs because to great knocks from the pair. In response, England only managed 188 runs in their first innings. Pat Cummins and company eventually won the match by 146 runs. Head was named Player of the Match for his spectacular century.
Number 4. India vs England 5th Test, Birmingham (Rishabh Pant)
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India will take the field with England in the postponed fifth Test at Birmingham in July 2022. Stokes and company won the toss and elected to bat first. Jasprit Bumrah and company got off to a shaky start, losing five wickets for only 98 runs.
Pant came up when India needed someone to rescue them out of a hole. The wicketkeeper-batter put on a show of his swashbuckling stroke play and annihilated the opposition. He hit a stunning 146-run knock in 111 deliveries to help shift the tide in his team’s favour. Ravindra Jadeja (104 runs off 194 balls) provided an excellent foil to the wicketkeeper-batter and also hammered a magnificent tonne.
The Men in Blue scored 416 runs thanks to the magnificent centuries from the southpaws. In response, England scored 284 runs in their first innings. The hosts won the game by seven wickets after a five-day battle.
Number 5. England vs New Zealand 3rd Test, Leeds (Jonny Bairstow)
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In the last game of the three-match Test series, England met New Zealand in Leeds. Kane Williamson and company batted first and scored 329 runs. In response, the hosts got off to a bad start and were in trouble at 55 for 6.
It seemed to be one-way traffic, but Bairstow had other intentions. With his strong bat, the wicketkeeper-batter demolished the Kiwi bowling attack, bringing his side back into the game. He scored 162 runs in 157 deliveries to help England reach 360 in their first innings. The star batter’s spectacular knock included 24 boundaries.
New Zealand scored 326 runs in their second innings, setting England a target of 296 runs. Bairstow excelled once again in the second innings, thumping 71 runs in 44 deliveries to assist his side over the finish line.
