(Jamaica Gleaner) India’s Sachin Tendulkar has been awarded top honours in Test batting at the ESPNcricinfo Awards 2011, which celebrate the best individual performances in the past year by batsmen and bowlers in Tests and one-day internationals (ODIs).
Tendulkar won the award for Best Test Batting for his standout performance against South Africa in the third Test in Cape Town. Tendulkar scored 146 to put India in a position to win. He stood out of the crease, played at nothing if he couldn’t play it under his head, and took 48 off 66 balls in two of Dale Steyn’s best spells of the match.
The ESPNcricinfo Awards were first established in 2007. This year’s awards were voted on by a jury of cricket greats and experts, which included Ian Chappell (former Australia captain), Sanjay Manjrekar (former India batsman), Geoffrey Boycott (former England opener), Ramiz Raja (former Pakistan cricketer) and Russel Arnold (former Sri Lanka all-rounder).
The other ESPNcricinfo Awards 2011 winners are:
Doug Bracewell (New Zealand) was awarded Best Individual Test Bowling Performance for his six for 40 against Australia in the second Test in Hobart.
Special performance
Awards judge Ramiz Raja said, “What was fascinating about that performance was his ability to pick up the front-line batsmen and also the tail. And for a young guy, just starting his Test career, to produce that kind of a match-winning performance was something special. He’s here to stay.”
Kevin O’Brien (Ireland) was awarded Best Individual ODI Batting Performance for his 113 against England at last year’s ICC World Cup in Bangalore. Awards judge Ian Bishop said: “Kevin O’Brien’s knock was exceptional, given the stage and the opponent he was playing against. A World Cup hundred at the best of times is always something to be revered and something special.”
Mitchell Johnson (Australia) was awarded Best Individual ODI Bowling Performance for his six for 31 against Sri Lanka in the first ODI in Pallekele.
