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2014 began with a bang with Corey Anderson scoring the fastest ODI century of all time in just 36 deliveries. The previous year was also good for the batsmen, and we saw some performances like never before. New benchmarks were set as regards consistency, hard-hitting and even tail-enders’ batting skills. Here are a few players who created new records in the year gone by.
He had a good run with the ball in India’s tour of Zimbabwe and was one of the reasons that India emerged winners. He equalled Javagal Srinath’s record of most wickets in a bilateral ODI series, by picking up 18 wickets in just 5 games, while Srinath required 7 games to do so against New Zealand when India played them in 2002-03.
Mishra got there in the process of getting his career best figures of 6/48 in the 5th and final ODI against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo. He got the Man of the Match as India clinched the series 5-0. This record took quite a while to equal (more than 10 years), and might be around for a long time considering the batsman-friendly rules in cricket today.
Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch smashed 156 off just 63 balls against England
His massacre of the English bowling attack was a treat to watch in a game that broke many existing records of T20 cricket. It was the 1st T20 of the series, and the Aussies won the game by 39 runs. Finch smashed 156 off just 63, hitting 14 sixes and 10 fours to get there. This was the highest individual score by any batsman in international T20 so far, and his 14 sixes were also a new world record, bettering Richard Levi’s 13 sixes against New Zealand in 2012.
The Aussies hit 18 sixes in all, which was again a record, eclipsing the previous record of 17 set by South Africa in a T20 against England in 2009. The game yielded 457 runs, to become the highest run-scoring T20 of all time.
Ashton Agar
Ashton Agar scored 98 coming in at number 11 for Australia against England
He became the highest run-getter in a Test innings while batting at no. 11 against England in the Ashes Test at Trent Bridge. The debutant narrowly missed his century when he got out on 98, surpassing the previous best of 95 runs set by West Indian Tino Best against the same opposition (England) in 2012.
He pulled Australia out of a spot of bother along with Phil Hughes at the other end. Both of them added 163 after the Aussies were 9 down for 117, which is a new world record for the 10th wicket partnership. The previous best of 151 was held jointly by Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge for New Zealand and Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed for Pakistan.
The Aussies managed to get a lead of 65 after the 1st innings, however they could not end up winning what was a very closely fought contest, falling just 14 runs short in the final innings.
Here’s Aston Agar’s brilliant innings:
Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to reach 5000 ODI runs, equalling Sir Viv Richard’s record
Hailed by many as the next Tendulkar, he was probably the best ODI batsman of 2013. While it was a good year for Indian batting, what with Rohit Sharma becoming only the 3rd batsman in the world to get an ODI double hundred and Shikhar Dhawan getting Man of the Series in the Champion’s trophy, it was undoubtedly Kohli whose contribution was the biggest of all.
He became the fastest batsman to reach 5000 ODI runs, equalling Sir Viv Richard’s record, both of whom took just 114 innings to get there. What’s more, he scored the fastest and the 3rd fastest ODI centuries by any Indian batsman, both this year- when he got 100 off just 52 balls in Jaipur and in just 61 balls in Nagpur, playing against Australia and helping India chase down targets of 350-plus on both occasions.
Chris Gayle smashed 175 not out in just 66 deliveries in the IPL
This man produced a show that was never seen before. He shattered the bowling attack like no batsman had before. It was dominance of the highest order on display at the Chinnaswamy stadium at Bangalore in the IPL game between the Pune Warriors and the Royal Challengers Bangalore this year. Gayle attacked from the beginning itself, and brought up his century in just 30 balls, the fastest century in the game, ever. He did not stop after that, going on to become the highest individual run-scorer in T20s, having reached 175 not out in just 66 deliveries. He hit 17 sixes, again a T20 world record, to take his team to the highest IPL and T20 total ever, a mammoth 263.
It was probably the most one-sided contest ever, and hardly ever was a match played that was so dominated by just one man. He even picked up 2 wickets in the single over that he bowled as Pune slumped to a 130 run defeat in a format that allows just 120 balls per side. This innings of his is very less likely to be bettered in the future in any IPL or international T20 game, unless he himself decides to do so.
You don’t see Chris Gayle animated or excited while he is batting. He is the calmest guy on the cricket field. He will hit a big six and just stand there as if nothing happened. The fielders and the crowd do the same, the former watching as the ball sails over them, the latter applauding and cheering him on.
Here’s Chris Gayle magnificent innings:
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