Published: Sep 09, 2015, 07:54 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 09, 2015, 07:55 PM (IST)
Brad Haddin, who retired from international cricket on Wednesday after hanging up his boots in the shorter formats following Australia’s triumph in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 in March, became the fifth player from the nation after Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris to retire since the commencement of their tour of England in July. Haddin’s last game for Australia was the first Test of the Ashes 2015. He skipped the next Test, owing to a family matter involving his ailing daughter Mia, but on making himself available for the third Test, was controversially left out in favour of wicketkeeper Peter Neville. READ: Brad Haddin: The quintessential servant Australian cricket needed in tough times
Last summer, when India played the Border Gavaskar Trophy Down Under, Haddin’s two all-time classic catches had made him only fourth Australian wicketkeeper to claim 250 career dismissals. Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara became his 249th and 250th Test victims. After that series, New South Wales went on to add another 12 catches before playing his last Test last month in Cardiff.
Here are the nine best catches from Haddin’s career:
1. Australia vs India, Third Test at Melbourne, 2014-15
The superb catch was taken during the third Test between India and Australia at Melbourne during the 2014-15 series. After losing Shikhar Dhawan in the 15th over, the hosts posted a massive first innings total of 530. Murali Vijay and Pujara were trying to get India back on track. Just then, Haddin’s stunning dive to his right side to dismiss Pujara for 90-ball 25 changed the momentum of the game.
2. Australia vs New Zealand, Second ODI at Auckland, 2010
Haddin has taken numerous diving catches and this was no different. While chasing 266 according to Duckworth-Lewis method after Australia had posted a total of 273 in Auckland, Brendon McCullum needed to score big for New Zealand to win. However, Haddin did not let that happen when he caught him in the fifth over off Mitchell Johnson’s bowling. The hosts lost the contest by 12 runs.
3. Australia vs India, Third Test at Melbourne, 2014-15
After Pujara’s catch in the third Test at Melbourne in 2014, Kohli was Haddin’s next victim: a historic one in fact as that dismissal went on to be his 250th career catch making him the only fourth Australian wicketkeeper to do so.
4. New South Wales vs Victoria Bushrangers, Pura Cup final, 2008
A flying catch from Haddin in the final of Pura Cup 2008 between New South Wales and Victoria Bushrangers to dismiss his former teammate Peter Siddle for a duck was probably one of the moments from the match. Eventually, Haddin’s went on to triumph in the tournament.
5. Australia vs West Indies, First ODI at Melbourne, 2010
Chasing Australia’s 280, West Indies were looking comfortable tlil Kieron Pollard and Lendl Simmons were at the crease. Simmons got out in the 26th over when the visitors required another 146 runs with five wickets in hand. While the batsman tried to sweep the delivery towards the third man, the bat got a thick edge towards the wicketkeeper and Haddin claimed the catch by diving towards his right.
6. Australia vs South Africa, Third Test at Centurion, 2013-14
Graeme Smith, who is considered to be one of the best Test batsmen, also finds himself on Haddin’s list of best catches. In his final series for South Africa, Haddin portrayed the excellence of a wicketkeeper to the retiring cricketer, Smith. That catch in the third Test during the tour of South Africa had brought Haddin into the top-10 of wicketkeeping dismissals of Test history.
7. Australia vs England, Second Test at Adelaide, 2013-14
The 2013-14 Ashes was one of the best series for Haddin, both with both bat and gloves. One of the most memorable dismissals in those weeks was that of Joe Root’s, when the latter provided a fighting innings of 87, while his teammates succumbed to the Australian bowling attack. Until, Haddin dived forward and grabbed the unbelievable catch and dismissed Root.
8. New South Wales vs Queensland, Pura Cup 2002
Haddin had taken an excellent low catch in the match against Queensland in the Pura Cup 2002 to dismiss the centurion Brendan Nash for 176. The four-day match had ended on a draw.
9. India vs Australia, Fourth Test at Nagpur, 2008-09
This catch was one of the most dramatic catches in the history of Test cricket. When Zaheer Khan had gloved it behind, Haddin tapped the ball to the off side, swung around, took a step and flung himself to take the catch. It was the fourth Test between India and Australia of 2008-09 Border Gavaskar trophy.
Meanwhile, Haddin said, “I put myself in that position to not come back, my performances with the bat probably hadn’t been where they should be. I made the decision for my family that I was unavailable for the Lord’s Test. We’re playing a professional sport and I understand the consequences that come with that. My performances with the bat over the last little bit put myself into that position.” The New South Wales cricketer played 66 Tests for Australia: all of them coming after he turned 30 following the retirement of Adam Gilchrist. Only Ian Healy, Gilchrist and Rod Marsh have played more Tests for Australia as wicketkeeper.
(Sakshi Gupta, a reporter with CricketCountry, is a sports fanatic whose mantra in life is “do only what you enjoy.” Her Twitter handle is @sakshi2929)
