Top 10 outstanding performances in 2015 Cricket World Cup

The just-concluded 2015 Cricket World Cup saw some high-quality cricket being played with many players raising their game to put up a brilliant show. Here, we look at some of the best individual match performances by players:Honourable mentions: Virat Kohli (India vs Pakistan), Shikhar Dhawan (India vs South Africa), Sean Williams (Zimbabwe vs Ireland), Mahmudullah (Bangladesh vs England), David Miller and JP Duminy (South Africa vs Zimbabwe), Paul Stirling (Ireland vs West Indies)

#10 Lahiru Thirimanne (139*) and Kumar Sangakkara (117*) Sri Lanka vs England

Chasing a target of 310 against an attack that boasts the likes of James Anderson and Stuart Broad looked a tricky task for Sri Lanka even on a batsman-friendly wicket, but the manner in which Lahiru Thirimanne and Kumar Sangakkara went about the chase made it look like child’s play.

A century stand between Thirimanne and Dilshan set the foundation for the chase; following Dilshan’s dismissal, Sangakkara joined Thirimanne in the middle and the left-handed duo added 212 runs for the second wicket in just 28.2 overs against a clueless English bowling attack.

It was Sangakkara’s second century in as many games and he went on to score two more centuries in the following games to become the only player in World Cup history to score four back-to-back centuries.

#9 Rohit Sharma (137) - India vs Bangladesh

The Indian batting clicked well as a unit in the group stages, with most batsmen stepping up when required. But the much talked-about point was the inability of Rohit Sharma to score runs against good bowling attacks.

Coming into the match, Bangladesh were on a roll with an upset win over England and a fighting display against the eventual runners-up New Zealand. And their bowling attack had restricted India to 115-3 with Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane all back in the pavilion. Rohit, however, allayed fears by rising to the occasion in the quarter-final game to score a match-winning century for his team.

Rohit’s ODI career highlight will be the double centuries he has scored, but it’s possible that his mature knock of 137, which helped India avoid a potentially embarrassing defeat, may turn out to be the most crucial one by him for his team given the circumstances.

#8 Chris Gayle (215 and 2-35) West Indies vs Zimbabwe

Despite a largely underwhelming run in the World Cup, Chris Gayle ended his campaign with a respectable runs tally of 340 – and this was primarily due to the fact that 215 of them came in a single game.

Coming into the game with almost 19 months without an ODI century, Gayle spared no Zimbabwe bowler in his 147-ball knock as he smashed 16 sixes and 10 fours to become the first male player to score a double century in World Cup history. Ably supported by Marlon Samuels (who scored 133*), Gayle was the major contributor in the world record stand of 372. The 35-year-old continued to have a good game as he picked up two wickets in the second innings.

#7 Wahab Riaz (2-54) Pakistan vs Australia

Stats often give a good idea of a player’s performance in a match, but the bowling returns of 2 wickets for 54 runs do anything but represent the quality of bowling by Wahab Riaz in the quarter-final against Australia.

The Aussie batsmen, known to be good players of fast bowling, struggled big time against Wahab who consistently bowled with speeds in the range of 150 kmph while defending a modest total of 213. A combination of some solid batting by Steven Smith and some bad luck – two easy catches dropped, with Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell being the lucky survivors – meant that Wahab was unable to add to the wickets of David Warner and Michael Clarke and ultimately ended up on the losing side.

Wahab’s bowling was praised universally, and it included compliments from Watson and Maxwell – the two batsmen who were at the receiving end of an outstanding spell of fast bowling.

#6 Steven Smith (105) - Australia vs India

Steven Smith had been India’s nemesis throughout the Aussie summer. As if scoring 4 centuries in the Test series in December-January wasn't enough, he returned to provide the knockout punch in the semi-final of the World Cup – where his highest ODI score (105) resulted in the elimination of the Indian cricket team.

Smith arrived at the crease after the early dismissal of David Warner and he made batting look so easy in a game where most batsmen struggled. Aaron Finch scored a scratchy 81 and there was a fighting 65 by MS Dhoni, but Smith’s knock that came at a strike-rate of more than run-a-ball was the standout performance of the match.

Later in the game, when Dhoni threatened to chase down the target in the company of Ravindra Jadeja, a brilliant direct hit by Smith from backward point ran out Jadeja and ended India’s hopes of an unlikely victory.

#5 AB de Villiers (162*) South Africa vs West Indies

After smashing the fastest ODI century earlier this year against the West Indies at Johannesburg, AB de Villiers returned to haunt the Windies bowling attack once again. De Villiers showed his liking for the West Indian bowling as he scored his third century against the side in as many World Cup games – one each in 2007, 2011 and now 2015.

The South African captain added one more to his ever-growing list of batting records, registering the fastest 150 in ODI history (off only 64 deliveries). The blitzkrieg from the 31-year-old helped his side score a mammoth 408 from 50 overs, an innings in which the Proteas scored an incredible 222 runs off the final 15 overs.

The South African captain scored 30 runs in the final over of the innings bowled by his West Indian counterpart Jason Holder to finish with an unbeaten score of 162 off just 66 deliveries.

#4 Martin Guptill (237*) New Zealand vs West Indies

It took almost 30 years for a male player to score a double century in a World Cup match. But it took less than a month for the feat to be repeated. Chris Gayle’s knock of 215 was improved just 24 days later by Martin Guptill’s 237*, incidentally against Gayle’s side. What made the knock more special was the fact that it was scored in a knockout game. The West Indies bowling attack, after conceding over 400 against South Africa, had to bear the brunt of some incredible batting once again.

In his 163-ball knock, Guptill hit 11 sixes and 24 fours. The right-hander faced the first as well as last ball of the side’s innings. It wasn’t all-out attack from the word go as he reached his half-century in 64 deliveries and century in 111 deliveries. But Guptill accelerated as the innings went on and scored 120 runs off the final 43 deliveries that he faced, to help the Kiwis to a total of 393-6 in 50 overs.

#3 Tim Southee (7-33) New Zealand vs England

It was the game that started the fall of the English side, which ultimately culminated in their early exit from the tournament. Tipped by some to be the dark horses of the tournament, England looked a strong team on paper with talented batsmen and world-class bowlers.

They were, however, given a reality check by New Zealand’s spearhead Tim Southee who ended with a hugely impressive bowling figures of 7 wickets for 33 runs – statistically the best bowling performance in the World Cup and the best ever by a Kiwi bowler in ODIs.

Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bat. Southee dismissed both English openers in quick succession and later came back to run through the middle and lower order as England lost their last 7 wickets for just 19 runs in eight overs to fold up for a meagre 123.

It was aided by some poor batting and very aggressive captaincy by Brendon McCullum, but full credit must be given to Southee who repaid the faith placed on him by his captain with some brilliant and often unplayable deliveries.

#2 Grant Elliott (84*) New Zealand vs South Africa

The World Cup had 38 centuries scored. But given the circumstances in which Grant Elliott recorded his 84*, I would rate this as the innings of the tournament.

It was New Zealand vs South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland, and a chance for a maiden appearance in a World Cup final was at stake for either team. Both sides have had a reputation of choking at the knockout stages of World Cups, and here was the perfect chance to correct that.

Chasing a target of 298 from 43 overs at a required rate of almost 7 runs per over, New Zealand got off to a blistering start before a flurry of wickets saw them reduced to 149-4 with all their best batsmen – Brendon McCullum, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson – back in the pavilion.

South Africa thought they were finally on the verge of getting rid of the chokers tag, but Johannesburg-born Elliott had other plans. Elliott combined with Corey Anderson to put on a century stand in quick time and kept the target in sight. Anderson’s dismissal with more than 40 runs still required off just 5 overs left the Kiwis on the brink of exit, but some gritty batting by Elliott along with good luck turned the tides for the Kiwi side.

12 runs were required off the final over, which was to be bowled by Dale Steyn, and Elliott ended the match with a six over long-on off the penultimate delivery. Elliott, a player who had left the shores of South Africa fearing quota system would reduce his chances of representing his country at the highest level, was a debatable inclusion in the Kiwi squad for the World Cup. But he justified the faith placed on him by the New Zealand selectors and made the South Africans realise the cost of the exodus caused by their cricketing structure.

#1 Trent Boult (5-27) and Mitchell Starc (6-28) - New Zealand vs Australia

The Pool A match between New Zealand and Australia was arguably the best game of the tournament, in stark contrast to the one-sided final between the two sides. A total of 303 runs were scored with 19 wickets falling, and to quote the cliché, any of the three results was possible at a stage.

Trent Boult and Mitchell Starc, two left-arm fast bowlers who fittingly finished the tournament as joint-highest wicket-takers, triggered spectacular batting collapses in the game between the two co-hosts to share 11 wickets for 55 runs between them in the game.

Batting first, Australia seemed to be in a comfortable position at 80-1 before an incredible spell of 5-3-3-5 by Boult left the Aussies at 106-9 – a loss of 8 wickets for just 26 runs! A valiant knock by Brad Haddin helped the batting side reach a total of 151 – which shouldn’t have been a difficult chase for the Kiwis.

Despite a good partnership between Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson, Starc’s double-wicket left the New Zealand side in a spot of bother at 79-4. Williamson had a half century partnership with Corey Anderson to calm the nerves before another spurt of wickets – led by a triple strike by Starc which included consecutive yorkers to dismiss Adam Milne and Tim Southee – took Australia to the brink of an unlikely victory.

Boult had dismissed Starc earlier in the day, and Starc had a chance to get his revenge and win the game for his side. However, Boult somehow managed to survive the two deliveries he had to face; Williamson, then, completed the job in the following over to seal the victory for the Kiwis. ;