Brendan Taylor Returns to International Cricket: Revisiting Top 8 Innings of Zimbabwe Legend

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has returned to international cricket after a three-year ban. This article highlights his top innings across all formats, showcasing his resilience and talent.

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Brendan Taylor makes international comeback

Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor has made his return to international cricket after a gap of three years in the ongoing second and final Test of the series against New Zealand at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Wednesday, August 7.

Brendan Taylor was banned from participating in any competitive cricket by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in January 2022 after he admitted to four charges against him under the anti-corruption code, stemming from a 2019 incident, where he accepted money from an Indian businessman to fix the matches.

As Brendan Taylor has made his international comeback, following an extensive rehabilitation, let’s take a look at the top innings by Zimbabwe legend across all formats.

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1. 105 vs Bangladesh in 2011 (Tests)

One of the best performances by Brendan Taylor came in the second innings of the one-off Test against Bangladesh at Harare in 2011. Taylor played a resilient yet brilliant unbeaten innings of 105 off 175 balls, not only helping Zimbabwe to declare their second innings batting at 291/5 but also setting a 375-run target for Bangladesh, which they defended, securing a 130-run victory in their return to the format after six long years.

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2. 117 vs New Zealand in 2011 (Tests)

Brendan Taylor notched up his second Test century of his career in a one-off match against New Zealand at Bulawayo. Taylor played an innings of 117 off 147 balls and stood tall like a lone warrior in Zimbabwe’s 366-run chase. However, his dismissal dashed the side’s hopes of chasing down the target, as they fell 35 runs short of the target despite a valiant effort, with Taylor’s knock highlighting Zimbabwe’s spirited fourth-innings fightback.

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3. 119 vs Sri Lanka in 2010 (ODIs)

Brendan Taylor played one of the finest knocks in his ODI career against Sri Lanka at Harare in 2010. Taylor played an unbeaten knock of 119 off 137 balls to help Zimbabwe chase down the 238-run target in 47.5 overs. His unbeaten 92-run partnership with Tatenda Taibu, who scored 42 off 55 balls, Zimbabwe’s successful chase, and showcased Taylor’s composure under pressure against a strong Sri Lanka bowling attack.

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4. 128* vs New Zealand in 2011 (ODIs)

Brenda Taylor has often been a player who stepped up in a crucial situation, and one such instance came in an ODI match against New Zealand in Bulawayo in 2011. Zimbabwe were reeling at 12/4 when Taylor stepped up and played an unbeaten innings of 128 off 120 balls and formed a crucial 165-run stand for the fifth wicket with Forster Mutizwa, who scored 69 off 98 balls to help Zimbabwe post a total of 231/6. However, his effort went in as New Zealand chased down a 232-run target in 43.3 overs.

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5. 171 vs 102* vs Bangladesh in 2013 (Tests)

Brendan Taylor scripted history by becoming the third Zimbabwe cricketer to score two centuries in a Test match, the feat he achieved against Bangladesh at Harare in 2013. In the first innings, Taylor scored 171 off 324 balls to help post a total of 389. In the second innings, Taylor played an unbeaten innings of 102 off 146 balls before declaring at 227/6. His two-century innings laid the foundation for Zimbabwe’s 335-run win over Bangladesh.

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6. 138 vs India in 2015 (ODIs)

Brendan Taylor played a terrific innings in an ODI World Cup match against Team India at Auckland. As a captain, Taylor stood tall for Zimbabwe as he played a brilliant knock of 138 off 110 balls to help the side post a total of 287 in 48.5 overs. However, Zimbabwe bowlers failed to complement his effort as Suresh Raina’s 110-run knock and his unbeaten 196-run stand with MS Dhoni (85), helped Team India chase down the 288-run target in 48.4 overs.

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7. 60 vs Australia in 2007 (T20Is)

Zimbabwe pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the T20 World Cup by defeating Australia in the first edition of the tournament in 2007. Chasing a 139-run target, Brendan Taylor played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 60 off 45 balls to hand Zimbabwe a thrilling five-wicket win with a ball to spare in the final over.

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8. 75 vs New Zealand in 2013 (T20Is)

One of the finest innings of Brendan Taylor in his T20I came against New Zealand at Hamilton in 2013. Taylor played a brilliant knock of 75 off 43 balls and formed a crucial unbeaten 79-run stand for the second wicket with Elton Chigumbura, who scored 29 off 16 balls, to help Zimbabwe post a total of 200/2. However, his effort went in vain as New Zealand chased down the 201-run target in 19.4 overs.