The highs and lows of 2008
Stephen Brenkley is optimistic about the future of Test cricket in his review of the year in the Independent on Sunday .
Nishi Narayanan
25-Feb-2013
Stephen Brenkley is optimistic about the future of Test cricket in his review of the year in the Independent on Sunday.
At Edgbaston in August, Graeme Smith of South Africa played a captain's innings of admirable control and discipline to ensure his team won a Test series in England for the first time in 43 years. It was masterful. But for sheer human drama it was surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar's 41st Test century in Chennai which gave India an emotional victory following the horrific slaughter in Mumbai a fortnight earlier, a win that for four days had seemed certain to elude them. Once more, its nerveless control was its most extraordinary feature.
Sachin Tendulkar, India and the beguilingly-named Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslo Mendis lit up 2008 but England's bedding in with Sir Allen Stanford has caused nothing but embarrassment, writes Steve James in the Daily Telegraph.
India and South Africa are challenging Australia's No. 1 spot, while England are a tier down, according to the Observer's Vic Marks who decides to pick a World XI from these teams without including an Aussie.
Nishi Narayanan is a staff writer at ESPNcricinfo