1) Kyle Jameison 11/117 off 41 overs; 14 maidens, Economy Rate: 2.85 vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Hagley Oval, Christchurch, 2020-21.
New Zealandís pace attack ripped through Pakistan in the 2nd Test at Christchurch earlier this year. In particular, Kyle Jamieson wreaked havoc with the ball picking up 2 five-fors for the match. Jamieson used his height to his advantage. He got an extra bounce off awkward lengths and generated swing and movement off the Hagley Oval pitch.
In the end, that was just too much for the Pakistani batsmen to deal with. In the first innings, Jamieson kept bowling the right lines and making the batsmen play. His delivery to dismiss Fawad Alam in the first innings was a brute of a delivery. The ball kicked off a short length and was close to unplayable. Alam tried to duck out of the way, but he gloved the ball to BJ Watling. Alam was lying on the pitch in complete shock. Jamiesonís 1st innings figures read 5/69 off 21 overs; 8 maidens at an economy rate of 3.28 runs per over.
Jamieson was near unplayable in the 2nd innings.
The delivery he bowled to Mohammad Rizwan was a peach of a delivery. The ball pitched outside off the stump and it swung as well as seamed back into the stumps. Rizwan missed the ball while Jamieson hit the stumps. It was an excellent delivery. The Aucklander completed his 4th Test five-for in his brief career so far and picked up his 1st Test match 10-wicket haul. Jamiesonís 2nd innings figures read 6/48 off 20 overs; 6 maidens at an economy rate of 2.40 runs per over. 6 of his wickets for the match came from a good length and 2 from a full length. 2 of his wickets came from a short of a good length, and 1 wicket came from a short length. Pakistan lost the match by an innings and 176 runs and lost the 2-Test series, 2-0.
2) Nathan Lyon, 10/118 off 47.3 overs; 14 maidens, Economy Rate: 2.48 vs New Zealand, 3rd Test, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, 2019-20.
New Zealandís tour of Australia back in 2019-20 ended horribly with a 279-run thrashing in the 3rd Test at the SCG. The Kiwis lost that series, 3-0. Australian off-spinner, Nathan Lyon gave the Kiwis a horrid time at the SCG. He changed his pace well and bowled excellent lines and lengths. In the first innings, Lyon got rid of Tom Latham, and Jeet Raval at crucial points in the innings.
The pair established a 49-run partnership for the 2nd-wicket and got New Zealand to 117/1 off 49 overs. Nathan Lyon then dismissed both batsmen in the space of 3 balls to set the game up for the Aussies. He then cleaned up the tail to complete his 17th Test five-for. Lyonís 1st innings figures read 5/68 off 30.4 overs; 10 maidens at an economy rate of 2.21 runs per over.
In the 2nd innings, Lyon used his guile and variations to pick up Test five-for no.18 and complete his 3rd Test 10-wicket match haul. Even though Colin de Grandhomme was scoring runs freely, Lyon still tossed the ball up and tempted de Grandhomme to come out of his crease. Lyon had de Grandhomme caught in the deep and won that battle. Lyonís 2nd innings figures read 5/50 off 16.5 overs; 4 maidens at an economy rate of 2.97 runs per over. 2 of Lyonís wickets came from a full-length, 6 wickets came from a good length, and 2 came from a short of a good length.
3) Axar Patel 11/70 off 36.4 overs; 6 maidens, Economy Rate: 1.90 vs England, 3rd Test, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, 2020-21.
India lost the 1st Test against England by 227 runs in Chennai, but India came back in the 2nd Test at the same venue, winning that Test by 317 runs. Axar Patel made his Test debut in that Test and picked up his maiden Test five-for in the 2nd innings. In just his 2nd Test, he picked up his 2nd and 3rd Test five-for, and his maiden Test 10-wicket match haul.
Patel spun webs around the English batsmen and was close to unplayable on a difficult pitch for batting. He bowled excellent lines and extracted enough turns and bounces to have the English batsmen in disarray. 4 of his 1st innings wickets were of Englandís top 7 batsmen including the big wicket of Ben Stokes. 3 of his wickets in the 1st innings were lbws, 2 bowled, while 1 batsman was caught in the deep by Jasprit Bumrah off Patelís bowling. Patelís 1st innings figures read 6/38 off 21.4 overs; 6 maidens at an economy rate of 1.75 runs per over.
In the 2nd innings, he had 2 batsmen lbw, 2 bowled, and 1 caught behind by wicket-keeper, Rishabh Pant. Patelís 2nd innings figures read 5/32 off 15 overs at an economy rate of 2.13 runs per over. India won the match by 10 wickets and all but sealed their spot in the World Test Championship Final.
The Gujarati all-rounder has had an outstanding start to his Test career. He has played 3 Tests, picking up 27 wickets, averaging 10.59 at a strike rate of 28.30 with an economy rate of 2.24 runs per over. Patel has 4 five-fors and 1 10-wicket match haul to his name in his brief Test career.
4) Hasan Ali 10/114 off 31.4 overs; 4 maidens vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi, 2020-21.Hasan Ali came back to the Pakistani Test team after 2 years. He came back into the squad after a form slump and a serious stress fracture in his back that threatened to end his international career. The Pakistan Cricket Board did not even offer Hasan Ali a Central Contract, hence why the fears of his international career ending seemed more legit.
Ali did not have a great return in the 1st test at Karachi picking up just 2 wickets. However, he showed how lethal he can be in the 2nd Test at Rawalpindi picking up 2 five-fors and his maiden Test 10-wicket match haul. In a Man of the Match performance, the Pakistani pacer ripped through the South African batting line-up in both innings. He bowled 4 batsmen in the 1st innings. He cleaned up the South African tail, picking up 3 out of 4 of the last South African wickets to fall in the 1st innings. Ali finished with 1st innings figures of 5/54 off 15.4 overs; 2 maidens at an economy rate of 3.44 runs per over.
In the 2nd innings, South Africa had an outside chance of chasing 370 runs to win the Test when they were 241/3 after 81 overs. Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma put on a solid 4th-wicket partnership worth 106 runs. Hasan Ali broke that partnership and then dismissed the dangerous Quinton de Kock for a golden duck to swing the game back in Pakistanís favour. The Pakistani pacer earlier dismissed key South African batsmen Rassie van der Dussen and Faf du Plessis before he dismissed Markram and de Kock. He then had George Linde caught by Faheem Ashraf to complete his 5th Test match five-for. Hasan Ali finished with 2nd innings figures of 5/60 off 16 overs; 2 maidens at an economy rate of 3.75 runs per over. Pakistan won the match by 95 runs and completed a 2-0 series win.
5) Stuart Broad 10/67 off 22.1 overs; 5 maidens; Economy Rate: 3.02 vs West Indies, 3rd Test, Old Trafford, Manchester, 2020.
England lost the 1st Test against the West Indies at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton by 4 wickets. One notable factor was Stuart Broadís absence. England brought Broad back into the Test line-up for the 2nd Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, and they won that Test in convincing fashion by 113-runs. Broad picked up 6 wickets in that game.
In the 3rd Test at the same venue, Broad picked up 6 wickets in the 1st innings. The England pacer bowled excellent lengths and lines and picked up his 18th Test five-for. 3 of his wickets were lbw, and he got rid of the last 4 West Indian batsmen. Broad finished the 1st innings with bowling figures of 6/31 off 14 overs; 4 maidens at an economy rate of 2.21.
Broad picked up 4 wickets 2nd time around and completed his 3rd Test 10-wicket match haul. This time around, Broad dismissed the West Indies openers, Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell, night-watchman, Kemar Roach and the dangerous Jermaine Blackwood. He finished with bowling figures of 4/36 off 8.1 overs; 1 maiden at an economy rate of 4.40 runs per over in the 2nd innings. England won the match by 269 runs, and the series, 2-1. Broad received the Man of the Match Award and Player of the Series Award for his excellent bowling performance in the match and the series.
