Top 10 bowling performances in ODIs
Bowlers dont always enjoy helpful bowling conditions to make full use of their capabilities and feast upon the batsmen, but when they get a slightly favourable pitch more often thannot we can see the best coming out of a bowler.ODI cricket has seen many brilliant bowling performances, and here we have a look at the best 10 of them. On an interesting note India, Australia and Sri Lanka have two representations each. But Pakistan proves their superiority in bowling with as many as three of their players finding themselves intop 10 positions. NOTE: This is a purely statistics-based ranking.
#1 Chaminda Vaas - Sri Lanka
8 Overs – 3 Maidens – 19 Runs – 8 Wickets – 2.37 Economy
The only bowler who has picked up 8 wickets in an innings of a one-day international. The left-arm seamer from Sri Lanka achieved this milestone against Zimbabwe in 2001 at Colombo (SSC), when he picked up the first 8 wickets to fall. Muttiah Muralitharan consumed the last two batsmen that denied Vaas a chance for a perfect ten. Fielding first Vaas helped the island nation restrict Zimbabwe to just 38. Vaas bowled 8 straight overs from the start with the new ball and also picked up a hat-trick in his sixth over the innings. 5 of his wickets needed no help from his teammates with 4 leg-before wickets and one bowled.
#2 Shahid Afridi - Pakistan
9 overs - 3 Maidens – 12 Runs – 7 Wickets – 1.33 Economy
Pakistan’s veteran all-rounder Shahid Afridi has done a bulk of the job for the Men in Green. The premium leg-spinner Afridi further featured in overall 398 ODIs for Pakistan between 1996 and 2015. The leg-spinner in Afridi was in full flow against West Indies at Providence, Guyana, in 2013, when the home side was chasing a target of 225 runs to win. Afridi’s spell helped Pakistan beat the Carribean team comfortably by 126 runs. Afridi was the sixth bowler used and he came on to bowl only in the 23rd over. Straightaway he removed 2 batsmen in 2 balls and kept on taking wickets to end up as the best bowler. Jason Holder who conceded just 13 runs in his 10 overs earlier in the day picking up 4 wickets was unlucky to see Afridi emerge as the Man of the Match.
#3 Glenn McGrath - Australia
7 Overs – 4 Maidens – 15 runs – 7 Wickets – 2.14 Economy
Australia’s star bowler Glenn McGrath represented his national team in 250 ODIs. He bagged 381 scalps at the impressive bowling average of 22.02. The New South Wales-based bowler McGrath not only contained the flow of runs but eventually made things quite miserable for the opposition. Batting first in Potchefstroom’s North West Cricket Stadium, South Africa, at the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Australia’s huge total of 301 seemed too much for Namibia who were dismissed for a paltry 45. Glenn McGrath claimed 7 Namibian wickets with his accurate line and length. Adam Gilchrist, behind the stumps, took 4 catches from McGrath’s bowling to help Australia towards a 256 run win.
#4 Rashid Khan - Afghanistan
8.4 Overs –1 Maiden – 18 runs – 7 Wickets – 2.07 Economy
Rising against the tide, Rashid Khan has shot to fame in no time. The professional cricketer from war-torn Afghanistan delivered goods for his national team before leaving an indelible mark in the global professional leagues. The Nangarhar-born 20-year-old Rashid represented Afghan team in 52 ODIs to bag 118 wickets at the jaw-dropping bowling average of 14.47. Throwing himself into some competition Rashid often walked out as a winner. He sealed his best ODI bowling figures against the Windies at Gros Islet on 9th of June 2017. For his seven-wicket hauls, Rashid sent down 8.4 overs to concede 18 runs at the economy of 2.07. In between, Rashid also bowled a maiden over.
#5 Muttiah Muralitharan - Sri Lanka
10 Overs – 1 Maiden – 30 Runs – 7 Wickets – 3.00 Economy
India’s middle order was not expecting this kind of performance from the Sri Lankan spin wizard who ended any chances of a successful chase after India chose to bat second under lights in Sharjah in 2000. Responding to the Sri Lankan score of 294 that saw Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene score centuries, India were bundled out for 226.
#6 Waqar Younis - Pakistan
10 Overs – 0 Maidens – 36 Runs – 7 Wickets – 3.6 Economy
The Pakistani right-arm pacer bowled out his full quota of overs straight up against England, reducing them to 58/7 by the 19th over in Headingley, Leeds, 2001. Waqar decided to field first and made early inroads to get England all out for 156. Pakistan were at 153-4 in 39.5 overs and were declared victorious as England conceded the game after a pitch invasion.
#7 Aaqib Javed - Pakistan
10 overs – 1 Maiden – 37 Runs – 7 Wickets – 3.7 Economy
The match at Sharjah in 1991, witnessed India struggle against the right-arm pace of Javed and were dismissed for 190 chasing 263. India chose to field first against their arch-rivals, but they must not have predicted the success of the Pakistani bowler who at 19 years of age became the youngest to take a hat-trick. His record still stands.
#8 Winston Walter Davis - West Indies
10.3 Overs – 0 Maidens – 51 Runs – 7 Wickets – 4.85 Economy
In the 1983 World Cup where bowlers were allowed to bowl a maximum of 12 overs in the 60 over format, the West Indian ripped apart the Australian middle order. Choosing to field first Australia ended the match 101 runs short of West Indian total. The match was played at Headingley, Leeds.
#9 Stuart Binny - India
4.4 Overs – 2 Maidens – 4 Runs – 6 Wickets – 0.85 Economy
The Indian playing in his 3rd ODI produced one of the fine spells we can expect from an all-rounder. After being invited to bat first India were dismissed for a poor total of 105 in a rain affected strip that aided fast bowlers. Binny who came on as the first change in 10th over, started with two maidens and ended with match winning performance with his medium pacers helping India to a 47 run win. His explots with the ball overshadowed right-arm swing bowler Mohit Sharma’s vital 4 wickets and debutant Bangladesh pacer Taskin Ahmed’s record breaking five-for. Binny is the only bowler who bowled less than 5 overs and still made it to the top 10 best ODI performances.
#10 Anil Kumble - India
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