“This is a guy who you know will climb Everest for South Africa.”
Graeme Smith perfectly Justified the words said to him in his career of greatness. It was 2002 When South Africa was already going through the ups and down of Hansie Cronje one incident. Fans already believed that South Africa cricket won't survive in the cricket for too long.
Then young South African player Gareme Smith walked in to not only just play cricket but to define how to be rescue the team very of losing its existence.
At the age of 22 not having much experience in his cricketing career Gareme Smith was appointed as the captain of South African side. 2003 and still the proteas trying to recover from the match-fixing incident.
The young left-handed flamboyant opener from South Africa started his Captaincy and after then where he had left the greatest South African side at the pinnacle of cloud nine.
The picture and scene was totally different a team who was almost over at one point to the one of the most difficult side to ever beat with some greatest bowler of a decade like Dale Steyn. Graeme smith had done everything a player would dream of about to do.
In a career of sheer greatness he had took his team to the number one test side to the one of the most successful captains in the south African cricket history.
If people talks about the Ashes series then on the other side who can forget some of most nail-biting matches between Australia and South Africa under the captaincy of Graeme Smith.
In his test career, Graeme Smith has amassed 9265 runs in 117 games at an average of 47.76 and led his side to victories in many games. Let us take a look back at top five greatest test innings of Graeme Smith.
1. Graeme Smith 277 Vs England, Edgbaston, 2003:
First tour as a Captain of Graeme Smith, it was somewhere doubt will smith succeed under so much of responsibility at a very young.
After winning the toss South Africa decided to bat first in first hour of batting where Openers do not want to in the hostile weather conditions and with pacers England team had back then.
But Graeme Smith was determined and showed the world how to define Captaincy when a team was struggling to fight back. In the first test match of five match series Graeme Smith first with Gibbs put on 338 run stand partnership for 1st wicket to put his team in a very strong position.
After then Smith went on to score his maiden double hundred of his career while scoring 277 and helped his team to post 594/5 and declared their first innings.
In response, the hosts managed to scored 408 in their first innings. While again in the Second innings tourist declared their innings at 134/4 the hero of First innings Graeme Smith again scored quick fire 85 runs off 70 balls to set the total of 321 to chase in the final innings of a match.
But match was ended in a draw as day 2 and 3 was badly interrupted by rain otherwise South Africa with such performance could won the game easily.
2. Graeme Smith 259 Vs England, Lord's, 2003:
2nd test match of same series and Graeme Smith smashed another double hundred in a same fashion. Back to back two double hundreds and from the opener it was clear the southpaw era has begun.
After winning the toss South Africa invite the hosts to bat first and with the star line up and great performance in the first match the England fans were expecting the same amount of runs in this match.
But followed next was the Graeme Smith camp has arrived as England star line up was bowled out at 173 runs in their first innings before playing even 50 overs in a innings with some top class bowling from the frontline bowler of South Africa Makhaya Nitini who picks up 5/75.
In response to this South Africa declared their first innings at the score of 682/6 with another double hundred from their young flamboyant opener Graeme Smith who score match winning 259 to confirm this time match will not going to be draw and the result was obvious the victory for South Africa.
Once Makhaya Nitini ripped apart the star line up with his amazing bowling spell of another 5-wicket haul in the second innings too and South Africa won the game by 92 runs and innings. Graeme Smith was adjudged with man of the match for his double hundred.
3. Graeme Smith 234 Vs Pakistan, Dubai, 2013:
Another Double hundred towards the end of epitome greatness. Graeme Smith has started in the same fashion against England 2003 and leaving the cricket ground in a pretty same style.
2nd test match of the series after winning the toss Pakistan decided to bat with the hopes of a big score in their first innings but followed was the disaster as they bowled at the score of 99 in their first innings.
With the home condition Pakistan was looking to repeat the form of first test match but Graeme Smith in his own style stood out and took his team into the driver seat with another double hundred to secure the victory of tourist and crushed the dreams of Pakistan to win the series against them.
With the help 234 in the first innings South Africa post on 517 in their first innings.
With the lead over 400 run in the Pakistan team had the option to draw the series but they couldn't managed to do against south Africa bowlers and bowled at 326 in their Second innings which in result means tourist won the game by 92 runs and an innings to the level the series by 1-1. Last big innings from Graeme Smith bat before his retirement.
4. Graeme Smith 232 Vs Bangladesh, Chittagong, 2008:
Another double hundred from the south Africa opener Smith was special talent in many ways and against the good emerging side of Bangladesh with some great talents like Mashrafe Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Rafique and Razzak.
Bangladesh was already trailing by 1-0 in the series and they were looking to make a comeback in the 2nd test match of the series.
South Africa won the toss and decided to bat first and their openers confirm it we will not going to bat again in the second Innings after setting the new record for first wicket partnership of 415 runs and later on post 583/7 and declared their first innings with the magnificent double centuries from the openers Graeme Smith 232 and Neil McKenzie 226.
With such knocks from their openers and the bowler like Dale Steyn in their unit the result was clear already as Steyn took 7 wickets in a match and ended the match with the victory by innings and 205 runs
Bangladesh team never crossed 260 runs barrier in any of their innings and ended up losing test and one day series against the tourist.
5. Graeme Smith 108 Vs Australia, Perth, 2008:
JP Duminy Test Debut
Graeme Smith scores runs against every good test playing nation so how can he miss the chance to score runs against predator Aussies in their own territory.
The teams have started their tour at famous ground WACA Perth – the most fastest pitch in the world. After winning the toss Australian decided to bat first and the hosts has score 375 in their first innings.
In response to this tourist have been restricted to 281 in their first innings with another fiery spell from Mitchell Johnson 8/61.
With the crucial lead in the first innings Australian have score 319 in their second innings while the confirming their victory with the total of 414 to chase in the fourth innings.
The history was about written after this innings as Graeme Smith assure their dressing room before the chase. Australian were confident as no team has chase that total in the fourth innings expect West Indies.
With more than five session to go the tourist started slowly but the fourth innings specialist Graeme Smith 108 not only put the team back into the hunt with the fine century against mighty pacers of Australian.
The Australian fans were shocked to see that innings from south paw and with 187 to go on the final day of the match with 7 wickets in hand.
Australia have tried very hard but they got one wicket as south Africa has chased down the second highest total in history of cricket with 414/4 but all in all the foundation for this massive total was set by magnificent century from the Graeme Smith.
