A pioneer, a warrior, and an artist at the crease!"<br />Let’s rewind to April 1983, in the scenic city of Kandy, where Australia and Sri Lanka locked horns in their first-ever Test match. Amidst the lush green hills, one man stood tall — Graham Yallop.<br /><br />The gritty left-hander crafted a magnificent 98 off 238 balls, staying at the crease for over 5 hours (303 minutes), piercing the field with 14 crisp boundaries and a strike rate of 41.17. He was just 2 runs shy of a memorable century when Ashantha De Mel trapped him LBW, ending what was truly a fine innings.<br /><br />This wasn’t just about the runs — it was about character, patience, and pure cricketing class.<br /><br />🎥 Relive this near-century knock that helped shape a historic Test match. Watch as Yallop takes on the Lankan bowlers with elegance and grit!<br />In 1978, Graham Yallop became the first batsman in Test cricket history to wear a helmet! Facing the fearsome West Indies on a fiery pitch in Barbados, he took player safety into his own hands — wearing a modified motorbike helmet. Inspired by Dennis Amiss from World Series Cricket in 1977, Yallop’s version featured a visor tough enough to withstand bullet fire.<br /><br />He wasn’t just brave — he was ahead of his time.<br /><br />📅 With a career spanning from 1976 to 1984, Graham Yallop scored eight Test centuries and left an unforgettable mark on the game.<br /><br />#GrahamYallop #CricketLegends #TestCricket #AustraliaVsSriLanka #CricketHelmetHistory #CricketPioneer #AshanthaDeMel #NearCentury #1983TestMatch #CricketThrowback #CricketHistory
