In limited-overs cricket, bowlers have a huge task of keeping opponent batters in check. In this bat and ball contest, many bowlers have dominated entire batting lineups, making the lives of batters difficult.
Over the years, we have seen bowlers dishing out splendid performances with the white ball in ODI cricket. In this article, we’ll glance at the 5 best bowling performances in ODI cricket.
Mitchell Starc (Australia): 6/28 vs New Zealand, 2015
In the 2015 Cricket World Cup group stage match, the trans-Tasman rivalry turned out to be a low-scoring nail-biter. After electing to bat first, Australia were strangled by New Zealand to 151-all out.
The target wasn’t big, but Australia’s Mitchell Starc kept the game hanging by the thread with his bowling. He delivered the first blow when the Kiwis were flying fast on the score of 40 in the 4th over.
4 overs later, the left-arm pacer clean-bowled Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot on consecutive deliveries. With New Zealand needing 13 from 175 balls, Starc turned the match on its head.
He got out Luke Ronchi with a bouncer that nicked his gloves and went to the keeper. Then in the next over, Starc left New Zealand on 149 for 9 by dismissing Adam Milne and Tim Southee on ducks with perfect yorkers.
But Starc’s performance went in vain as Kane Williamson took New Zealand home in the next over with a six. Starc bowled 9 overs and conceded 28 runs while taking 6 wickets.
You can watch the AUS vs NZ drama here.
Mohammed Siraj (India): 6/21 vs Sri Lanka, 2023
India’s Mohammed Siraj went on a wicket-taking spree with the brand-new white ball against Sri Lanka. It was the final match of the 2023 Asia Cup in Colombo.
After electing to bat first, Sri Lanka were looking to build a big total. But the Sri Lankan batters had little idea about what was about to hit them.
As Jasprit Bumrah opened the floodgates in the first over, Siraj ran through Sri Lanka’s top and middle order. He opened his spell with a maiden over and followed it up by taking 4 wickets in the next over.
Siraj got Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, and Dhananjaya de Silva caught out, while he dismissed Sadeera Samarawickrama out LBW. By this time, half of Sri Lanka was back in the dugout on 12 runs.
He continued his mayhem in the next over by uprooting Dasun Shanaka’s stumps with an outswinger. Siraj got his sixth wicket in the 12th over as he clean-bowled Kusal Mendis.
He ended up with figures of 7-1-21-6, which helped India wrap up Sri Lanka for just 50 runs — Sri Lanka’s second-lowest ODI total.
Watch Siraj’s cracking spell here.
Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka): 6/13 vs India, 2008
Another classic bowling performance unfolded in the Asia Cup final in 2008. This time by a Sri Lankan bowler against India.
Batting first, Sri Lanka scored a challenging 273 runs, riding on the back of Sanath Jayasuriya’s 125. In the chase, India had lost a wicket but Virender Sehwag was in his usual touch, playing an aggressive knock.
It looked like Sehwag would dash Sri Lanka’s hopes, but their captain Mahela Jayawardene introduced Ajantha Mendis into the attack. Before this game, India hadn’t faced Mendis’ mystery spin, which worked in Sri Lanka’s favour.
Mendis got to work immediately, getting Sehwag stumped out on his second ball. 2 balls later, he cleaned up Yuvraj Singh’s stumps.
Indian batters struggled to pick up Mendis’ spin, which resulted in a terrible fall. He dismissed Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma within a span of 2 overs.
Then the off-spinner got Irfan Pathan and RP Singh out, leaving India in tatters at 154 for 8. Mendis registered match-winning figures of 6 for 13 in 8 overs.
Also Read | 5 Best Off-Spinners in Cricket History
Stuart Binny (India): 6/4 vs Bangladesh, 2014
Stuart Binny’s masterful spell under the lights in Mirpur sank Bangladesh to a total of 58.
Batting first, India’s batters had an underwhelming outing against Bangladeshi bowling, getting bowled out for 105 runs. With not too many runs to defend, India weren’t the favourites.
But Stuart Binny changed the course of the game in India’s favour. He first sent down a maiden over and bowled a wicket-maiden second over.
His third over fetched him 2 wickets, including that of a set Mohammad Mithun. Binny got Mashrafe Mortaza in the fourth over and clean-bowled Nasir Hossain and Al-Amin Hossain in his fifth over.
With that, India bowled out Bangladesh for 58 runs, while Binny bagged the best bowling figures by an Indian bowler in ODIs at that time. He picked up 6 wickets by conceding just 4 runs in 4.4 overs.
Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka): 8/19 vs Zimbabwe, 2001
Another Sri Lankan bowler on this list, and he’s Chaminda Vaas. The former left-arm pacer delivered one of the best ODI bowling performances against Zimbabwe in 2001.
It was the first match of the 2001 triangular series, and Vaas wreaked havoc over Zimbabwe. He started off immediately, getting the first wicket on the first ball of Zimbabwe’s innings.
Vaas then tore apart Zimbabwe’s batting lineup, scalping the next 7 wickets on the trot. He sent back 4 batters on ducks, 3 batters on single digits, and their captain Stuart Carlisle on 16 to the dugout.
Vaas racked up 8 wickets for 19 runs in 8 overs to register the best bowling figures in ODI cricket.
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