WORLD CUP – FLASHBACK -1

 

 

As the 13^th edition of the World Cup will get underway next Thursday, 5^th October 2023, in India, we look back at some of the best moments in previous editions, in this part we select 30 greatest batting performances.

 

In this first part we tried to select top 30 batting performances in the ODI World Cup, then finally listing top 10, which indeed was a very tough task as one needs to select among the best of the best.

The list goes in descending order as we pick 11-30 first and then move to the best of the lot:

Top 21-30

Rank	Player	Opposition	World Cup	Date
30	Andy Flower – 115*	Sri Lanka	1992	23.2.1992
29	AB deVilliers-146	West Indies	2007	10.4.2007
28	AB deVilliers-162*	West Indies	2015	27.2.22015
27	Carlos Brathwaite- 101*	New Zealand	2019	22.6.2019
26	Kane Williamson- 106*	West Indies	2019	19.6.2019
25	Andrew Strauss – 158*	India	2011	27.2.2011
24	Sachin Tendulkar- 137	Sri Lanka	1996	02.3.1996
23	Martin Guptill -237*	West Indies	2015	21.3.2015
22	Andrew Symonds-143*	Pakistan	2003	11.02.2003
21	Mahela Jayawardene-103*	India	2011	02.4.2011

 

Top 11-20

Rank	Player	Opposition	World Cup	Date
20	Mark Waugh- 126	India	1996	27.2.1996
19	Ross Taylor -131*	Pakistan	2011	8.3.2011
18	Martin Crowe- 91	Pakistan	1992	21.3.1992
17	Sachin Tendulkar - 90	Australia	1996	27.2.1996
16	Arvinda De Silva - 66	India	1996	13.3.1996
15	Imran Khan -72	England	1992	25.3.1992
14	Chris Harris - 130	Australia	1996	11.3.1996
13	Sachin Tendulkar-98	Pakistan	2003	1.3.1996
# 13	Collis King -86	England	1979	23.6.1979
12	Dave Houghton -142	New Zealand	1987	10.10.1987
11	Grant Elliot - 84	South Africa	2015	24.03.2015
#11	Clive Llyod - 102	Australia	1975	21.03.1975

 

And the Top 10

 

10.  Graham Gooch -115 vs. India at Wankhede Stadium -5^th November 1987- One of the finest ever Innings played in history of the World Cup, Gooch swept all day along which made host India who was favorites, to exit from the tournament.

Gooch Swept Indian spinners all day

09.  Adam Gilchrist - 149 vs. Sri Lanka at Kensington Oval,Bridgetown- 28^th April 2007-Adam Gilchrist was once in a generation cricketer, and during his international days he lit up the stage whenever he used to walk in. In the 2007 World Cup final, he played one of the finest innings of all time with 13 fours and 8 sixes he smashed 149 runs of just 104 balls which led Australia to another title.

Adam Gilchrist played one of the finest innings of all time

08. Sir Viv Richards – 138 vs .England at Lords, London, 23rd June 1979- No list could be complete without Sir Vivian Richards. In the 1979 edition he smashed the English attack in the finals, along with Collis King, the great West Indian flayed the opposition attack to ensure that his team secured second World Cup title.

 

 

Sir Vivian Richards in the final of 1979 World Cup

07. Ricky Ponting – 140* vs. India at Wanderers Cricket Stadium, Johannesburg, 23^rd March 2003-  Another great batsman, another champion team which demolished the opposition in the final of 2003 World Cup. Ricky Ponting played one of the greatest knock in the history of the World Cup.  His 140*of just 121 balls ensured, Australia defeated India to win another World Cup title.

Ricky Ponting's innings blew India away in 2003

06.  Kevin O’ Brien –113 vs. England at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, 2^nd March 2011-  Probably one of the greatest ODI innings of all time, Kevin O’ Brien, was at full pomp on the night and destroyed the English attack, as Ireland registered one of the most memorable victories in their cricket history.

Kevin O' brian played the innings of his life against England 

5. Kapil Dev- 175vs Zimbabwe at Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells, 18^th June 1975-  This was an inning that defined the great all-rounder  Kapil Dev, the cricketer who led India to one of the most famous victory a week after this match, against the West Indies. But on 18^th June 1983 against less known Zimbabweans, when his side was struggling at 17-5, Dev made 175* off just 138 balls ensuring that India avoids any embarrassment from newbie’s.

Kapil Dev during his innings of 175*

4. Steve Waugh – 120* vs. South Africa at Leeds, Headingly, 13^th June 1999- An inning that saved the Aussies by a whisker and crowned them as the World Cup 1999 Champions. The inning is on top because it was played against a high quality attack and under immense pressure.

Stev Waugh brought the Australia from dead end 

3. Mahendra Singh Dhoni - 91* vs Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, 2^nd April 2023- A remarkable innings played under immense pressure ended up being one of the best in a World Cup event. By the time Captain Dhoni ended the Match with a monster six, the Mumbai night sky had erupted with firecrackers as India won their second world cup after a space of 28 years.

Dhoni played the innings of lifetime in 2011 final

2. Ben Stokes – 84* vs New Zealand at Lords, London, 14^th July 2019 – One of the greatest innings of World Cup ensured that England won their First World Cup in 50 overs format. Stokes 84* made England the Champions but broke the million of hearts who were rooting for Williamson’s New Zealand.

Ben Stokes innings broke million of hearts rooting for New Zealand 

1. Brian Lara vs. South Africa at National Stadium, Karachi, 11^th March 1996- These innings were selected as the greatest world cup innings of all time because of various reasons.  The first and foremost this was an inning played against arguably the best team of its time, The South African team led by Hansie Cronje of 1994-1999 was probably the best ODI outfit and the team to beat in 1996 World Cup. They have already beaten every team they have played against and looked all set to reach the semi-final before they bumped into a rampaging Brian Lara. He flayed the South African attack to all the corner, as Karachi’s National Stadium witnessed arguably the best innings played in any World Cup.

Brian Lara at Karachi in 1996 was at his best