4 Of the best bowling spells in World Cups

#3 6/23 by Ashish Nehra versus England in the 2003 World Cup

Ashish Nehra

It is astonishing to know that a person whose international career that spanned over 19 years had only 120 One-Day Internationals in it for India. Injuries and inconsistency had always pulled him back. However, Ashish Nehra never failed to give his 100% whenever he was given an opportunity in the blues.

He once again won the hearts of one and all with a match-winning spell of 6/23 against England in Durban in the 2003 World Cup.

India would have sealed its spot in the Super 6 if it had won that game. For that to happen, India needed to defend just about a par-total of 250. It required early in-roads into the English top-order by the new-ball bowlers.

At 18/2, England looked to consolidate. That's where Nehra came and bowled 10 overs without a change of ends. He put on a tremendous display of seam bowling by angling the ball across the right-handers from over-the-wicket, Consequently, the batsmen were expecting all the balls to be around off-stump.

However, Nehra surprised the batsmen by suddenly pitching the ball on the middle-stump. The batsmen could not predict that and Nehra took 3 wickets in 9 balls that he pitched on the middle stump.

His figures still remain the best by an Indian bowler in a World Cup game.