5 big ODI knocks that didn't contain a single boundary

Ricky Ponting
Ponting’s ton against India in 2003 at Bangalore contained a single four but seven sixes

#2 Zaheer Abbas 84 off 113 vs Australia, 1982

Zaheer Abbas
After a blazing ton at Sydney, Zaheer Abbas showed the other side of his game at Melbourne

The Asian Bradman stood a little higher from his peers in the 70s and 80s, not because of gargantuan scoring abilities in Tests but having adapted to the shorter format well too. Abbas was prolific in List A cricket and the elegant batsman took to the shorter format like a duck to water for Pakistan as well. His strike rate of nearly 85 is a testament to that.

However, the huge size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground challenged even Abbas when he strode out to bat at the fall of the first wicket in the 9th match of the Benson & Hedges World Series Cup against Australia. Facing Lillee and Thomson, and Alderman in his prime, Abbas dug in.

Three weeks ago, Abbas had lit up the Sydney Cricket Ground with a sparkling and almost run a ball ton against the same attack. But, the match and the situation were different this time and Abbas showed his flexibility when he cut down on aggressive shots recognising the occasion.

His boundary-less 84 would prove to be match winning and would even fetch him the man of the match award. Probably tucked beneath a number of great knocks the Pakistani played, this knock proved that a good cricketer is one who knows how to adapt to different situations.

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