भिडियो हेर्न तलको बिज्ञापन लाइ हटाउनुहोस
It was good year for one-day cricket, especially for batsmen, as we witnessed a highly successful World Cup in the early part of 2015 in Australia and New Zealand. The neighbours, rightly so, played in the final that was won by Australia. It was Australia’s fifth World Cup title. Apart from that, there were many scintillating contests throughout the year. Here we bring you FIVE top innings of the year….
5. AB de Villiers
162 not out off 66 balls (17×4, 8×6)vs West Indies at Sydney Cricket Ground
AB de Villiers, believed to be one of the most dangerous batsmen to have ever played cricket, was at his menacing best during the Pool B match of the World Cup against the West Indies. AB hit hapless Caribbean bowlers all around the ground at will en route the fastest 150 in ODI cricket and took South Africa to astonishing 408 – highest team total on Australian soil. With that de Villiers owned the records for fastest fifty, hundred and 150 in ODI cricket – all against West Indies.
West Indies, on the other hand, couldn’t even score as much as de Villiers did, getting out for 151 for the joint-worst defeat in World Cups.
4. Luke Ronchi
170 not out off 99 balls (14×4, 9×6)vs Sri Lanka, University Oval, Dunedin
Luke Ronchi smashed a brilliant 170 not out and along with Grant Elliott put on a world record 267-run partnership to help New Zealand recover from 93-5 before thumping Sri Lanka by 108 runs. It was Ronchi’s maiden ODI century, while Elliott was unbeaten on 104 in the sixth wicket stand of 267, which surpassed the 218 that Mahela Jaywardene and Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored for the Asian XI against an African XI in 2007. Ronchi clobbered 170 from just 99 balls, destroying anything pitched up and never failing to send the short balls over the leg-side boundary. He completed his maiden ton in 74 balls. The next 70 runs came from 25 balls.
3. David Warner
178 off 133 balls (19×4, 5×6)vs Afghanistan at Western Australia Cricket Association Ground (WACA), Perth
David Warner had smashed 178 from 133 balls to get the highest score by an Australian at a World Cup and the fifth highest in the tournament’s history against his name. He surpassed the previous Australian record of 158 set by Matthew Hayden against West Indies in 2007. It is also the third highest score by an Australian in ODI cricket — Shane Watson’s 185 not out against Bangladesh in 2011 and Hayden’s 181 against New Zealand in 2007 are ahead of him. Warner’s innings included 19 fours and five sixes. Warner combined for a 260-run stand with Steve Smith, which was also a Australian ODI record for any wicket. Warner had a good chance to go past 200-run mark as he was dismissed in the 38th over of the innings.
2. Chris Gayle
215 off 147 balls (10×4, 16×6)vs Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval, Canberra
The way Chris Gayle bats, an ODI double-hundred was always a match away. And the inevitable happened in the World Cup 2015. Gayle does everything in his own style and he didn’t miss the mark here as well. He not only joined the 200-club, he did it by hitting the fastest ODI double-hundred. It also came as a relief for the flamboyant Caribbean. Before this double-ton, Gayle was without an ODI century for 19 months. Interestingly, it came exactly five years after first-ever ODI double-century hit by Sachin Tendulkar. Gayle finished on 215 from 147 balls. He hit 10 fours and sent 16 sixes flying over the boundary. At the other end, an unnoticed Marlon Samuels also cruised to his highest ODI score of 133 not out and played second fiddle in a partnership of 372 – highest for any wicket in ODIs.
1. Martin Guptill
237 not out off 163 balls (24×4, 11×6)vs West Indies at at Westpac Stadium, Wellington
A double-century was not a rare commodity anymore and, since Chris Gayle had already hit one in the World Cup, it wasn’t also a unique feat. But what gave this innings a reputation was that it came in the quarter-final of the World Cup. Martin Guptill hit unbeaten 237 for the highest World Cup score of all time and the second-highest in all ODIs. But most importantly it took New Zealand to the semi-finals for the seventh time. Though no one had expected it coming from Guptill, no one will ever forget the innings. Nor will Marlon Samuels. who grassed Guptill at square leg in the first over of the match.
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