Two eras! How many people forget something during this time. But many still remember Mark Taylor’s 334 * in the Peshawar Test. Egoni is no longer the Australian captain after Sir Don Bradman’s highest innings in Tests.
Taylor declared the innings despite being unbeaten on 334, out of respect for his predecessor. Taylor’s innings is back in the spotlight as Australia return to Pakistan after a long absence of 24 years.
The last time Taylor visited Pakistan was in 1998 under the leadership of Taylor. They did not visit Pakistan in the meantime due to security concerns. The Taylor-Slaters could not be more comfortable during that tour two decades ago.
According to a report by Fox Cricket, Seba was able to entertain the Australian cricketers during his tour of Pakistan, away from people and eat pizza and beer. The British High Commission supplied beer to Australian cricketers before the Peshawar Test. Taylor has been able to go to the American club and have some fun outside of the game.
At the end of the second day of the Peshawar Test, Taylor decided to have a sip of beer at this American club. That decision later put his image in cricket in a unique place forever.
Taylor was unbeaten on 334 at the end of the second day’s play. Such scores are already big on foreign soil, but Taylor thinks otherwise. This is Bradman’s highest run innings in Tests. Almost 60 years later, no Australian has been able to overtake him.
After Bradman scored 334 in the Headingley Test in 1930, only Bob Simpson (311) and Bob Cooper (308) were able to approach him. Surprisingly, Taylor thought of stopping by his side to give him a lazy sip of beer cans, even though he had a chance to go overboard. That is, the innings declared!
Taylor won the toss and elected to bat after winning the Rawalpindi Test by an innings. In those days, his career was watching the twilight, he was not even in the run. But as a captain, Cricket Australia (CA) did not fulfill his need. His start to batting was not so comfortable.
In the words of Taylor’s teammate Mark Waugh, ‘I didn’t think he would score 334 runs in the first hour. Shoaib Akhtar was bowling very loudly in the first session. The work was very difficult. Taylor got his half-century with his personal 18 and 26 runs. After that, there was no mistake in the rest of the way.
Taylor thought of two things at one point in the innings, not to mention Bradman’s record. Declare the innings at the end of the second day or go over him. But in the end nothing happened. With two balls to spare on the second day, Taylor, batting for 334, dismissed the idea of declaring an innings.
The first of the last two balls was a full toss, played straight to Ijaz Ahmed in the mid on. The latter was unable to overtake Bradman as he was blocked by a great fielding in the next square leg. Mark Waugh, however, said Taylor tried to overtake Bradman that afternoon, saying, “No doubt he wanted to break the record. But in no way.
Taylor couldn’t sleep until two in the morning because he was confused about whether he would try to break the record the next day. Talked to his teammates about this. “We need to bowl,” Healy said. After leaving the American club, Taylor spoke to the family on the phone, “My sister and eldest son Will said, ‘Bat, fool.’ But in the end I have to make the decision and the announcement of the innings seemed logical.
Wow was a little surprised after Taylor announced the innings on the morning of the third day, but Healy had already noticed. Taylor himself wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald, ‘By then I understood the significance of Bradman’s 334 runs. People may think, I did not declare the innings as soon as he overtook.
Taylor received an invitation from Bradman after returning to Australia. The two shared 334 runs at Bradman’s home in Adelaide. Bradman should be more proud. No one batted just for him, just to honor him