Records & Stats
5 best spells by Indian bowlers in ODIs
Indians and six-wicket hauls have become a common occurrence in recent times. Over the last two decades, Indian bowlers have picked six-wicket haul ten times. This can be credited to the increased exposure to the international experience due to various leagues as well as the improved infrastructure.
Over the years, Indian fast bowling and limited over bowling have improved a lot owing to the Indian T20 League. The Indian National team has found a set of fast bowlers which has drastically improved the standards compared to 20th-century Indian bowling.
Owing to the stupendous bowling over the last two decades, the Indian Cricket Team has been consistently able to stay at the top despite having one ODI World Cup and Champions Trophy to their name. In other major ODI tournaments, India has been able to reach the semifinals/finals consistently.
Here are the top five ODI Spells by Indian bowlers:
5) Kuldeep Yadav – 6/25 – 2018
Kuldeep Yadav: (Image Source: Twitter)
At Nottingham, India were up against England in a bilateral series. England got a flying start to the game as they raced to 73 without a loss of a wicket. However, the joy did not last long for England as Kuldeep Yadav spun a web around their batting lineup with his left-arm chinaman action. Kuldeep Yadav’s six-fer helped India to restrict England to a modest 268. In his ten-over spell, Kuldeep Yadav conceded just 25 runs at an economy of 2.5.
4) Ashish Nehra – 6/23 – 2003
Ashish Nehra: (Image Source: Twitter)
Ashish Nehra is known for his contributions to Indian cricket across Test and ODI formats. The performance against England in the semifinals of the 2003 Cricket World Cup remains etched in the memories forever as Ashish Nehra battled through the injury to achieve an impeccable record.
Bowling at Durban, it was a must-win game for India to qualify for the next round of the campaign. Defending 251, Ashish Nehra’s spells unsettled England’s top order as India restricted the Three Lions to 168. Ashish Nehra picked six wickets by conceding 23 runs in his quota of ten overs.
3. Murali Karthik – 6/27 – 2007
Murali Karthik: (Image Source: Twitter)
The left arm finger spinner was known for bowling on turning tracks as well as flat tricks. He was the backbone of the Indian team and he proved that against Australia at Wankhede.
Bowling first at Wankhede, Murali Karthik led the charge with his six wicket haul. In his quota of ten overs, he picked six wickets by conceding just 27 runs. The spell also involved three maidens.
In the same game, Murali Karthik bailed the team out with his batting as he scored 21* from 34 balls to take the team over the line in distressed times.
2) Anil Kumble – 6/12 – 1993
Anil Kumble: (Image Source: Twitter)
Also known as jumbo, Anil Kumble holds multiple records with both bat and ball at the international level. He also has the second-best bowling figures for India as he conceded just 12 runs in his 6.1 overs against West Indies alongside picking six wickets. West Indies were chasing 226 at Eden Gardens in the Hero Cup finals and Anil Kumble bamboozled them with his consistent leg breaks and googlies.
1) Stuart Binny – 6/4 – 2014
Roger Binny: (Image Source: Twitter)
Probably, this record is one of the most improbable records to break by any Indian bowler soon. Stuart Binny holds the best bowling figures in ODIs for India as he picked six wickets for just four runs. In his spell, he bowled 4.4 overs and had two maidens to his name. The Karnataka player turned the game on his head when India were heading towards a loss. India had scored just 105 runs and Binny’s spell helped India to restrict Bangladesh to a meager 58.
