Five greatest middle-order batsmen for Australia in ODIs

Dean Jones...

Australia, perennial ODI heavyweights and current reigning world champions, have been facing a slump in fortunes lately, having won just two of their last 12 completed One-Day Internationals. One of Australia's biggest strengths in white-ball cricket was the ability of their middle-order to take the game forward by manoeuvring the spinners and pressing on during the death overs.

Since the retirement of Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey and with Glenn Maxwell, George Bailey and James Faulkner falling off the selection radar, Australia haven't been able to plug the gaps in their batting order. On that note, let us look back in time and rate the top five Australian middle-order batsmen in ODI cricket.

#5 Dean Jones (1984-1994)

Career Stats: Matches: 164 Innings: 161 Runs: 6068 Avg: 44.61 50s/100s: 46/7 S/R: 72.56

Dean Jones, one of the pillars of Australian cricket during their rebuilding phase of the '80s, was one of the best ODI batsmen of his generation. His rollicking approach to batting coupled with outstanding fielding made Jones one of the early trendsetters of white ball cricket.

Seldom before had we seen a batsman shimmying down the track to tonk fast bowlers over the infield. Jones struggled against the spinners during the initial phase of his career, but by the time the Reliance World Cup, jointly hosted by India and Pakistan, had rolled in, Jones had become a seasoned campaigner.

His ability to manoeuvre the spinners during the middle overs coupled with swift running between the wickets made him one of the most successful players of his time. While he scored seven international hundreds in his ODI career, Jones compiled his magnum opus in the final of the Benson and Hedges World Series in 1988-89 against the West Indies 1uartet of Marshall, Ambrose, Walsh, and Ian Bishop.

His brilliant 93 off 82 balls didn't help Australia win the game, but it was the ruthless brand of white ball magic that cemented his place in cricketing folklore.

#4 Michael Clarke (2003-2015)

Career Stats: Matches: 245 Innings: 223 Runs: 7981 Avg: 44.59 50s/100s: 58/8 S/R: 78.99

Having debuted in 2003, Michael Clarke quickly established himself as one of the key figures in the Australian batting line-up. His pristine timing and astute footwork particularly against the spinners set him apart from a lot of his contemporaries. Following Damien Martyn's retirement, Clarke was elevated to number five in the batting order, where he created an instant impact, notching up four consecutive fifties in the 2007 Cricket World Cup which Australia eventually won.

In a career that spanned over 12 years and was glittered with 8 hundreds & 58 fifties, Clarke's finest hour in International cricket came in 2007 in a rain-marred game at the very venue where he had scored an awe-inspiring hundred on debut - M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Australia had been pegged back by India's fast bowlers after deciding to bat in the series opener of the seven-match series in October 2007. Clarke, en route to a pristine 130 off 132 balls, then shared a 144 run partnership with Brad Haddin, propelling the Aussies to a competitive 7/307 in 50 overs. The innings was also testimony to Clarke's temperament and resilience as he had come into the game not fully fit.

#3 Steve Waugh (1984-2001)

Career Stats: Matches: 325 Innings: 288 Runs: 7569 Avg: 32.62 50s/100s: 45/3 S/R: 75.91

Steve Waugh, besides being a World Cup-winner twice (1987 and 1999), was the central pillar of the Australian middle order back in the late '80s and throughout the '90s. Waugh's panache to overcome the odds stacked against him was one of his most admirable qualities, something that was on show in the 1999 World Cup clash against South Africa. Waugh's team had been pushed to a corner, and a defeat would have knocked them out of the reckoning from the tournament.

South Africa had powered their way to 271 thanks to a brilliant century from Herschelle Gibbs. Australia got off to a bad start, and when Waugh strode out with the score reading 3/48, their hopes appeared to be in tatters. However, Waugh showed the way with some punishing shots as he raced away to a fifty in just 47 balls.

The focal point of the game though arrived when, on 56, Waugh flicked an innocuous looking delivery from Lance Klusener straight to mid-wicket and an overexcited Gibbs, in his anxiety to celebrate with a skyward hurl, dropped the catch and essentially the match for the Proteas as a defiant Waugh powered his way to a pristine 120 not out from 110 balls to achieve Australia's most famous victory ever.

That innings from Waugh, amidst the plethora of superlative knocks throughout his career, truly renders him as one of the greatest middle order batsmen the Aussies have produced.

#2 Mike Hussey (2004-2012)

Career Stats: Matches: 185 Innings: 157 Runs: 5442 Avg: 48.16 50s/100s: 39/3 S/R: 87.17

Michael Hussey had to make over 10,000 first-class runs in Australia and England to break into a team that boasted of Ponting, Clarke, Symonds and Damien Martyn. But, he pounced upon the opportunity once it arrived as he established himself as the finisher, a role so magnificently played by his predecessor Michael Bevan.

Even on his debut, Hussey played a valiant knock to round off a five-wicket victory against India. He was awarded the ICC ODI Player of the Year in 2006 and subsequently went on to win the World Cup for Australia in 2007.

Hussey retired in 2012 with an ODI average of 48, but not without earning the title of 'Mr. Cricket' for his awe-inspiring consistency and ability to bat for long hours, thus cementing his place in Australian history as a modern great.

#1 Michael Bevan (1994-2004)

Career Stats: Matches: 232 Innings: 196 Runs: 6912 Avg: 53.17 50s/100s: 46/6 S/R: 74.16

No list of ODI greats can ever be completed without the mention of a certain Michael Bevan. In an era where batting first in white ball cricket was a widely followed practice, Bevan made run-chasing glamorous. With an ODI average of nearly 54, Bevan orchestrated some of Australia's greatest rescue efforts.

Devoid of the six-hitting ability that the modern batsmen possess today, the genius of Bevan was built on swift running between the wickets and astute game management.

Bevan spearheaded a plethora of successful run chases for Australia during his time but his magnum opus truly arrived on New Year's Day against the West Indies in 1996. Australia had been reduced to a mere 6/38 in response to the West Indies' 172 when Bevan walked out. It soon became 7/71 when Ian Healy was bowled by Roger Harper for 16.

Bevan (78) remained undeterred with the carnage around him as he took the attack to the West Indies, cutting and driving with subtle ease. It all came down to the final ball and with four runs required, Harper bowled one of the worst balls he's ever bowled in his career, as Bevan dispatched it straight down the ground to complete one of the most sensational rescue acts in the history of white ball cricket.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram