The year 2014 has provided a lot of interesting matches with lots of excitement and entertainment. Easily the nature and result of a Test match have more scope to get changed on basis of a single session or hour due to either brilliant batting efforts or by an exceptional bowling spell.
Sportzwiki brings you the five best bowling spells in 2014 which had a great scope in helping the team’s win.
5. Dale Steyn vs West Indies, Centurion:
At end of day3, South Africa needed 7 more wickets to win the match after forcing West Indies into following on and with crucial bowler Dale Steyn, pulling off during the first over as he walked off after bowling only 5 balls in the over.
However, Steyn returned on Day 4 morning and started along with Philander. He didn’t show any signs of injury as he was bowling with consistent pace. And soon he found the first wicket of the Day by dismissing Johnson. In his next over, he got the big wicket of Chanderpaul as West Indies looked to fold up soon.
Steyn created hopes of South African win inside first session as he took wickets of Samuels and Ramdin in spare of 3 balls in his next over. South Africa were just another wicket far from win with Morkel getting Blackwell and Steyn getting Taylor as his fifth scalp. Dale Steyn ensured his team’s win by ripping off Cottrell in his next over.
Steyn, ended with a figures of 8.2-2-34-6 with the figures of 4th Day morning spell been recorded as 7.3-2-31-6.
4. M Craig vs Pakistan, Sharjah:
In a must win test match to equal the series against Pakistan, New Zealand found themselves in trouble as they looked like ending up conceding a big first innings total for the opposition. But a fight back from the visitors led by Mark Craig reduced Pakistan from 311 for 4 to 351 all out. It was powered by a spell of 11.4-2-27-5 by off spinner Mark Craig who picked up 7 wickets in the innings.
Craig was brought into attack for his 17th over in the innings’ 104th over. Soon Sodhi at other end picked up Pakistan’s innings’ fifth wicket in form of Hafeez.
Then began brilliant streak of Craig as he ran through middle and lower order of Pakistan inside an hour. He started with dismissing Asad Shafiq and after a quiet time, wicket of Sarfraz. Next he dismissed Talha, Rahat and Yasir in his straight overs to end Pakistan’s innings for 351.
3. Dhammika Prasad vs England, Leeds:
One of the spells Sri Lanka will always remember while touring England, which produced a series win for them after 16 years. Dhammika Prasad’s brilliant opening spell laid foundation to the hopes on win for Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka didn’t get to an expected start after putting a target of 350 in front of England. Captain Mathews finally introduced Prasad in 16th over of England innings while they were facing comfortably.
A terrible shot by Cook gave the breakthrough for Sri Lanka. Prasad capitalized the situation by trapping Ballance in front of stumps with an inswinger off the next ball. Couple of overs later, Prasad’s outside off stump line worked for him as he managed to make Robson nick a delivery into slips. In his fifth over, Prasad knocked off Ian Bell to pick up his fourth wicket reducing England to 52 for 4. His spell of six overs at end of Day 4 read 6-1-15-4.
Later, on Day 5, Sri Lanka managed to strike 6 other wickets to win by 100 runs in a thrilling match.
2. Nathan Lyon vs India, Adelaide:
Australia declared their both the innings’ against India in the first and despite of that they found themselves in a spot of bother as Indians ran behind the target set by Australians. Indian needed 160 runs in last session with two set batsmen at the crease. Both Vijay and Kohli started to change the gears as by 8 overs into post tea session India have scored 37 runs. Nathan Lyon who was given the ball straight after Tea kept bowling on aggressive off stump line which finally gave him success.
Vijay, who was feeling 90s pressure got trapped by Lyon in front of stumps. It just took 4 deliveries for the Australians to rejoice as Lyon struck in the same over sending back Rahane for a Duck. However, Kohli kept wanking with Rohit tried to stay in the crease only till Lyon struck yet again as he managed to make a delivery nick through his defence.
Lyon picked up one more wicket in his next over as Saha who hit a six & four in over couldn’t hold on and went for big shot to get cleaned up. In no time, Kohli holed out to deep midwicket of Lyon as the offie picked up his fifth wicket of the spell and sixth in the innings.
His long spell about 14 overs came to a very end as he got Ishant stumped out and gave his side a 48 run win. Nathan Lyon’s post tea spell figures were: 13.1-5-61-6.
1. Ishant Sharma vs England, Lords:
3 years since a Test win outside Asia. 7 years since a Test victory in England. And 28 years since a win in a Test at prestigious Lords’ ground. And a major thing India need to break all the phobias was a Fantabulous from lanky bowler, Ishant Sharma.
Indians were looking for last 6 wickets to be taken on Day 5 after putting a Target of 319 for hosts England. But the hosts were moving quite comfortably in the morning session and looking to go into Lunch without any loss. England needed another 163 runs to win when MS Dhoni brought Ishant Sharma who picked two quick wickets on Day 4, back into attack expecting same thing just before Lunch.
However, he started poorly conceding 14 runs in the 74th over which had three fours from Root’s bat. But Ishant began short ball plan in last over before Lunch. It looked to be working as Root felt uncomfortable and got off strike to make Moeen Ali, who has poor record against bouncers to face Ishant. And Ishant gave the much needed wicket on last ball before Lunch with a sharp bouncer produced a catch to short leg ending Ali’s innings.
Ishant continued the ‘short’ plan after Lunch which turned to be a very valuable strategy. He struck in the fourth over after lunch as Prior holed out to mid-wicket trying to pull a short delivery. In his next over he dismissed Stokes who tried to go for a slog hit. In the same over he gave death blow for England sending back Root, who pulled straight into hands of deep square leg. Ishant picked up his fifth wicket of the spell by teasing Broad with a short ball. Soon India managed to nip off the final wicket to power India to a 95 run win.
Ishant ended with figures of 23-6-74-7 and figures of the memorable spell recorded 8-1-41-5.