Because nobody ever mentions how important his runs were in a psychological sense in taking the attack to the Aussies and in scoring quickly to ensure results. He gets overlooked in most of the retrospectives about that series, but having an English opener go after Australia’s quicks when we’d spent the previous 15 years just desperately trying to hang on was a big psychological shift.
Actually I could have put Gavaskar in - saw him in this match
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/...f-england-1987
Actually forgotten I'd seen Khan and Dev play too Think Imran might even squeeze McGrath out of my team
LOL! That's where I saw him, too. I remember thinking 'How come this little Indian chap is playing the fearsome Marshall as if he's all the time in the world, when our players are being ripped apart by him?
The answer, of course, was that he was much, much better than them.
I remember Imran's knock in that game, too. Who would have thought he'd end up being Prime Minister of Pakistan, eh?
Nah. It was scoring 407 a/o in just under 80 overs on the first day of the 2nd test that turned things around after the Lords humiliation.
MK got 90 in 102 balls. That set it up for KP and Freddie to continue.
But I haven't watched any retrospectives. I only have my memories from the time. If only we had an opener like him now.