Cricket World Cup History: Ranking the top 5 batting performances in World Cup finals

The biggest match of a cricketer’s career is undoubtedly the final of the World Cup and the amount of pressure a player endures in a game of such magnitude can’t be described by words. The World Cup Final is the occasion for a player to become a superstar in their country and in the 11 finals that have been played until now, we have witnessed some unforgettable performances with the bat.

From Clive Lloyd’s partnership with Alvin Kalicharran to rescue his team in 1975 to Dhoni’s helicopter shot to seal the victory for India in 2011, World Cup finals has given us many such moments to cherish for life. With the amount of batting talent that England and New Zealand possess, we can definitely expect another immaculate batting performance on Sunday. This article is a nostalgic trip down memory lane as we look at the top 5 batting performances in World Cup finals.

#5 Dhoni’s 91* off 79 balls vs Sri Lanka, 2011

MS Dhoni

Before this epic innings, MS Dhoni was out of touch in the tournament and therefore many were surprised when he promoted himself ahead of Yuvraj Singh. He later revealed the idea behind this decision was to not allow the Lankan spinners to settle and he made sure that every loose delivery was punished severely. He started off slowly but once he settled in, the runs started flowing freely.

His range of unorthodox shots made life difficult for the bowlers as they could not settle on a fixed line and length. This was a perfectly calculated assault as he maneuvered the good deliveries in the gaps for doubles and singles. Though no Indian fan will ever forget that winning hit over long-on, the shot of the day was an unbelievable cut shot off Thisara Perera over point for a maximum. This innings cemented Dhoni’s status as one of the greatest middle order batsmen in the ODI format.

#4 Ricky Ponting’s 140* vs India, 2003

Ricky Ponting

After Ganguly’s decision to bowl first in the final, Australian openers were off to a flier and the stage was set for Ricky Ponting to take the game beyond India's reach. He allowed himself to settle at the crease as he brought up his fifty off 73 balls. He was a different threat after that as he was ruthless in his approach and the Indian bowlers were left clueless.

After his fifty, he hit two consecutive sixes off Harbhajan Singh and totally hit 8 sixes and 4 boundaries in his knock. He played some scintillating shots throughout this knock but a one-handed six off Ashish Nehra was truly special. The final over from Javagal Srinath went for 18 runs as Ponting smashed two fours and a six to finish the innings on a high note. Australia finished with 359/2 and the game was effectively over by the end of the first innings.

#3 Gautam Gambhir’s 97 off 122 balls vs Sri Lanka, 2011

Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir came out to bat in the first over itself as Virender Sehwag departed for a golden duck and the Wankhede fell dead silent when Sachin Tendulkar was caught behind. But Gambhir kept the scoreboard ticking along with Virat Kohli to restore the hopes of a billion fans. He adopted a low-risk approach as he rotated the strike when the spinners were bowling and attacked the medium pacers efficiently to get India closer to the title.

In his partnership with Dhoni, he was ready to play second fiddle as his captain attacked from the other end. He narrowly missed a century and was dismissed for 97 but his innings steadied the ship and India were in full control of the game when he departed. To be fair, this knock is as important as Dhoni’s 91* but Gambhir’s contribution is not as fondly remembered as he could not register a hundred.

#2 Aravinda de Silva’s 107* vs Australia, 1996

Aravinda de Silva

Even before he came out to bat, Aravinda de Silva had already put up the best performance in the game as he had picked up three wickets for 42 runs to keep the momentum in favour of Sri Lanka. He followed it up with arguably the most elegant knock in a World Cup final as his 107* gave Sri Lanka their maiden World Cup. He walked into bat as both the openers were departed cheaply and his partnership with Asanka Gurusinha restored calmness in the dressing room.

In this magnificent knock, he literally owned the leg side as anything that was too straight was flicked and pulled. The Aussie bowlers had no answer for de Silva’s nimble footwork and classy touch as Sri Lanka won the game easily. He played more flamboyant knocks throughout his career but this one will always remain special in the heart of the Lankans and cricket enthusiasts.

#1 Adam Gilchrist’s 149 off 104 balls vs Sri Lanka, 2007

Adam Gilchrist

Regarded by many cricket pundits as one of the greatest ODI innings of all time, this was an exhibition of destruction from a player who transformed the role of a wicket-keeper batsman. Due to rain, the game was reduced to 38 overs per side and Gilchrist began his assault in the 11th over when he hit Dilhara Fernando for three consecutive boundaries. Then, there were two similar and humongous straight sixes off Tilakaratne Dilshan in the 14th over as the ball landed on the second tier.

After a point of time it looked like Gilchrist was having fun with the bowlers as wherever they bowled, the ball ended up in the crowd. He registered his hundred off 72 balls, the fastest in a World Cup final. When he was finally dismissed, everyone in the crowd stood up and applauded in awe as they had witnessed a very special knock from a legendary opener.