While ODI cricket is becoming a batsman’s game more and more, cricket in 2017 has seen some balanced contests between bat and ball. As the game evolves, players evolve too. Bowlers who were once clueless against the hard-hitters, developed strategies to curtail the run flow and take wickets.
For instance, India's Yuzvendra Chahal repeatedly outfoxed Glenn Maxwell in the recently concluded ODI series.
Pakistan’s title triumph in the Champions Trophy is a testimonial to the fact that bowlers demand equal esteem even in the shorter formats of the game. Like the good old days, Hasan Ali and M Amir troubled batsman with their spectacular fast bowling. It is no exaggeration to say that the bowlers won Pakistan their maiden Champions Trophy title.
Liam Plunkett, Rashid Khan, Hasan Ali and Chris Woakes deserve a special mention for their consistent performances throughout the year.
Here are the top five matching winning bowling performances of 2017 so far.
#5 Jasprit Bumrah, 10-2-27-5
In 2012, aged 19 and with an unusual bowling action, Bumrah played his first match for Mumbai Indians and took an impressive 3/32 against RCB. Three years later, he made his ODI debut against Australia in 2016.
He started his career as a first-change bowler, but he is now India's new ball and death-over specialist in ODIs and T20s.
In the 3rd ODI of a bilateral series against Sri Lanka in Pallekele, Bumrah picked up his maiden five-wicket haul. He picked up the wicket of Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Mendis with the new ball. He then dismissed Lahiru Thirimanne, Milinda Siriwardana, and Akila Dhananjaya to clean-up the Sri Lanka tail to finish 5/27.
This match cemented his status as India's current ODI bowling linchpin. He stuck to basics with the new ball and used all his variations with the old ball and produced a gem of a spell.
#4 Jason Holder, 9.4-2-27-5
Trailing 2-0 in the series, West Indies were on the brink of losing the 3rd game as India needed just 30 runs in the last 5 overs with 5 wickets in hand.
West Indies needed a miracle to save the series when Jason Holder came on to bowl the 46th over. In his first delivery, he dismissed Pandya with a ripping yorker. He then dismissed Ravindra Jadeja in the 48th over and India required 14 of last 6 balls.
Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Shami fell to Holder in the 50th over and India fell short by 11 runs. Holder earlier accounted for India's best batsmen Kohli as well. Even though he is not pacy, accuracy of Holder's line and length highlighted the spell.
Jason Holder finished with 5/27. In his final spell of 2.4 overs, he produced 4 wickets for just 11 runs.
#3 Hasan Ali, 8.1-1-38-5
During the 2nd ODI of tour of West Indies, Hasan Ali produced one of the best medium pace bowling performances of 2017.
Chasing a target of 283, West Indies could not handle the heat of Hasan Ali and folded for 219. Hasan Ali dismissed Hope and Powell with the new ball and later on in the innings, he dismissed Nurse, Joseph and Holder to clean up the West Indies innings. He ended up with his best ODI figures of 5/38 in 8.5 overs. He is accurate, clocks a good speed, can swing the ball beautifully and has a deadly yorker.
Hasan Ali has been the success story for Pakistan in 2017. He has taken 34 wickets in 2017 at an average of 18 and was key in Pakistan's Champions Trophy success claiming Man of the Series.
#2 Mohammad Amir, 6-2-16-3
In a pulsating Champions Trophy finals at Lords, Pakistan set a target of 339 for India. Indian batting lineup chased more 300+ scores than any team in the world and a riveting chase was on the cards.
Mohammad Amir started the proceedings for Pakistan. He produced a beauty to dismiss Rohit Sharma for a duck in the 3rd ball of his first over. Rohit was clearly beaten by the in-swing and was trapped LBW.
Amir then dismissed India captain Virat Kohli for 5 and inform Shikhar Dhawan for 21, leaving India tottering at 33/3.
He swung the ball prodigiously at pace and Indian top order had no clue to counter his bullets. Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni were barely able to put bat on to the ball and wanted to see him off.
His stunning first spell of 6-2-16-3, demolished India's top order and they never recovered.
#1 Rashid Khan, 8.4-1-18-7
This 18-year-old Afghani leg spinner has taken the cricketing world by storm in 2017. He is the leading ODI wicket taker in 2017, and has mesmerised the best in business all over the world.
In an away ODI game at Gros Islet, Rashid produced a magical spell of leg spin bowing that we have not see in recent times. He bamboozled every West indies batsmen with his leg spin and googly deliveries to claim 7 wickets in 8.4 overs.
Most of his dismissals were bowled or LBW, showing his accuracy and skill. He turned the ball prodigiously, leaving the West Indies batsmen with no clue on which side the ball is going to turn.
He swept the West Indies tail off in a jiffy and finished with the best 2017 ODI bowling figures of 8.4-1-18-7.
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