5 times batsmen won a match with the ball

It is not often that we see a batsman bowl the last over in an ODI or get the last wicket of a Test Match and win the game for his side. So when it happens it certainly makes for an interesting game.

Let us have a look at five premier batsmen who have turned the course of the match by rolling their arm over.

#1 Glenn Maxwell

It was a dead rubber in Adu Dhabi between Pakistan and Australia. The home side were chasing a modest total of 232. Pakistan looked like pocketing a consolation win after cruising to 154 for 3. One predictable thing with Pakistan cricket is their unpredictability. They started losing wickets in quick succession and were left to chase 2 runs in the last over, with 2 wickets in hand.

George Bailey tossed the ball to Glenn Maxwell. Batting teams are always the favorites to win the game from such a situation but Maxwell bowled a brilliant double wicket maiden to win the game for his side.

#2 Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke

Michael Clarke, the former Australian captain is undoubtedly a match winner with the bat. Though he pulled off an unexpected win with his bowling skills at the SCG in the 2009 New Year's Test. It was the fourth innings of the match and India were set a target of 333.

After a lot of poor decisions from the umpires in favor of the Aussies, India were looking good for a draw with Anil Kumble blocking the cherry solidly. It was the last 20 minutes of the Test Match and Ricky Ponting pulled the rabbit out of the hat as he turned to Michael Clarke and the rest is history.

He removed Harbhajan Singh and RP Singh off consecutive deliveries and almost had his hat-trick, if the ball was not going down leg. However, he managed to get one ball to turn sharply, nick Ishant Sharma's blade and rest in Hussey's hands. Australia completed a historic Test Match win and it was also their 16th win on the trot.

#3 Saurav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly

It was the 3rd match of the five match series between India and Pakistan at Toronto, Canada. The Men in Blue were leading the series 2-0. Batting first, India managed to put on only 182 runs. Defending a low total, India looked like losing the match when Pakistan were 103-3.

That is when a typical Pakistani display took place. Ganguly, who had a very poor day with the bat, was given the ball and he changed the state of the match with his military medium pace. He got his maiden 5-fer and ended up with his career best figure of 10-3-16-5.

India won the game and therefore the series. Ganguly, who has won so many Man of the Match awards for his blistering knocks with the bat, won the Man of the Match award for his bowling performance in this match.

#4 Tillakaratne Dilshan

Tillakaratne Dilshan

Dilshan has the knack of breaking a good partnership with his off breaks. He has many memorable scalps against his name. The first one that would pop up on your mind is the picture of a diving Dilshan in the 2011 World Cup Final.

Though not everybody knows that he picked up his career best figure of 4 wickets for 4 runs in the same World Cup. It was the 26th match of the showpiece event and Sri Lanka played Zimbabwe in Pallekele. Zimbabwe were chasing a humongous 328 and they got off to a good start. At halfway stage of the match, the scorecard read 150 for 3.

That's when Dilshan took over. He claimed 3 wickets in quick succession and ran through the middle order. Sri Lanka won the match comfortably by 139 runs. Having scored 144 with the bat in the first innings, you wouldn't doubt who swept home the Man of the Match award.

#5 Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar

No list in cricket is complete without Sachin Tendulkar. With his handy leg breaks and occasional off breaks, he has been more than a part timer with the ball. It was one such day in Kolkata, the semi finals of the 1993 Hero Cup.

South Africa were chasing 196 and were left with six runs to win off the last over. Tendulkar was trusted with the last over and he did not disappoint. He conceded only three runs and paved way to a famous two runs victory for India, who eventually won the tournament by beating West Indies in the Final.

In an innings that had as many as 7 run-outs due to nervousness and indecision, Tendulkar held his nerve to pull off a nail biting win. He even asked the wicket-keeper to stand away from the stumps before bowling the last ball anticipating that the ball might fly off the inside edge or outside edge for a boundary. That is exactly what happened.