5 of the greatest innings played in the Cricket World Cup

The ICC Cricket World Cup is the biggest tournament in cricket, and every cricket playing nation dreams of winning the coveted trophy. It is the ultimate prize in limited overs cricket, and every player wants to perform well at the biggest stage.

Limited overs cricket is a batsman’s game, and quite naturally, most of the great batsmen have good records in World Cup cricket. Bowlers are mostly in a defensive mode while playing in a 50 over match, and therefore, the batsmen tend to dominate this version of the game.

Some of them have played memorable knocks in World Cups over the decades. We would take a look at the 5 of greatest knocks played in the World Cups:

#5. Sourav Ganguly (183 vs Sri Lanka, 1999 World Cup)

Sourav Ganguly looked in great touch in that match

Sourav Ganguly had just missed playing in the 1996 World Cup held in the subcontinent. He made amends in the next edition of the tournament, which was played in England. India were up against the defending champions Sri Lanka at Taunton, the home ground of county side Somerset.

India won the toss and batted first on a gloomy, overcast day. India lost Sadagoppan Ramesh cheaply and then Ganguly and Rahul Dravid joined hands. They put the Lankan attack comprising of Muttiah Muralidharan and Chaminda Vaas to the sword and added 318 runs in the 2nd wicket partnership.

Ganguly was especially harsh on the Lankan spinners and hit 7 shots over the boundaries in his knock. He also hit 17 fours and made the Lankan attack look like that of a club side. The small ground helped his cause, but no credit should be taken away from the wonderful effort by the southpaw.

The Lankans were bowled out for 216 while chasing India’s mammoth total of 373. Ganguly’s cuts, pulls and drives had won India the match in the first 50 overs itself, as Sri Lanka were never supposed to recover from that mauling. Ganguly also beat Kapil Dev’s record of 175 runs to score the highest number of runs by an Indian in one-day cricket.

#4. Sachin Tendulkar (90 vs Australia, 1996 World Cup)

Sachin Tendulkar is one of the highest scorers of the tournament

Sachin Tendulkar played many memorable knocks in his career, but his best World Cup knock came against the Australians in his home ground in Mumbai. It came in the second innings of the match after Mark Waugh had hit another beautiful hundred for the Aussies. However, Tendulkar’s knock was better keeping in mind the fact that it had come under the lights and against a much better Aussie attack comprising Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.

Batting first, Australia had posted 258 at the Wankhede stadium. India lost Ajay Jadeja and Vinod Kambli very quickly, and Tendulkar combined with captain Mohammed Azharuddin to take the attack to the opposition camp. He played some nice on-drives, pulls and hooks to keep the scoreboard moving.

He was dismissed while stepping out to a wide Mark Waugh delivery, but the 90 runs he scored took India close the Australian total. India lost the match by 16 runs, but Tendulkar’s innings was lauded even by the Australians.

#3. Steve Waugh (120 n.o. vs South Africa, 1999 World Cup)

Steve Waugh in action during the 1999 World Cup

Steve Waugh’s ice-cool temperament and batting skills were on display in a do-or-die super six match against South Africa in a super six match in the 1999 World Cup. Australia needed 272 runs to win the match, and Waugh found able allies in Ricky Ponting and Michael Bevan in a classic run-chase.

Herschelle Gibbs dropped Waugh midway through his innings and Waugh reportedly reminded him that he had dropped the World Cup actually. It was indeed the case, as Australia got the better of the South Africans in the semifinal before going on to clinch the trophy.

Even after Bevan was dismissed, Waugh combined with Tom Moody to finish the job clinically. He hit some glorious on-drives, slog sweeps and cover drives off the bowling of Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, and Steve Elworthy. The whole Australian team gave their captain a standing ovation, as he guided Australia to a memorable victory.

#2. Sir Viv Richards (138 n.o. vs England, 1979 World Cup)

Sir Viv Richards

It is quite obvious that no list of batting heroics is complete without the inclusion of Sir Viv Richards in it. He played his most famous World Cup knock in the final of the 1979 World Cup against England. West Indies had lost 4 quick wickets quite early in their innings, and Sir Viv added 139 runs with Collis King in the 5th wicket partnership.

He hit 11 boundaries and 3 sixes in his innings and batted successfully with a lower order batsman like King. The English attack consisted of bowlers like Ian Botham and Bob Willis, but they could not dismiss Richards. He demolished the English attack and helped West Indies post a total in excess of 280.

England was then dismissed cheaply, as West Indies went on to lift their second consecutive World Cup trophy. Richards was adjudged the man of the match for his otherworldly knock.

#1. Adam Gilchrist (149 vs Sri Lanka, 2007 World Cup)

Adam Gilchrist was absolutely brilliant for Australia at the to

Adam Gilchrist’s incredible innings in the final of the 2007 World Cup should be at the top of this list. Gilchrist inserted a squash ball into his gloves before that innings, and cut the Sri Lankan bowling to shreds at Kensington Oval, Barbados. He hit 8 sixes and 13 fours in that knock, and simply took the game away from the Lankans.

Gilchrist played some great cuts and pulls off his back-foot and also lofted the spinners over mid-wicket and long-on boundaries. The likes of Muttiah Muralidharan and Chaminda Vaas could not contain him, as he put up an exhibition of aggressive strokeplay.

Gilchirst became even more aggressive after reaching his century, and the Lankans had no answer to his audacious strokeplay. He scored 149 off only 104 balls, and batted Sri Lanka out of the match. Matthew Hayden gave him company and those two added 172 in the opening partnership. Hayden made a quick 38, but it was Gilchrist’s day, and he hogged the limelight with his extraordinary innings.