5 memorable bowling performances at the ICC T20 World Cup that don't fade away

For a while after the inception of T20 cricket, batsmen ruled the roost. They still do, to a large extent. However, the art of bowling has come a long way in the shortest format of the game.Bowlers are a lot more skilful now, employing both conventional and unconventional techniques to outsmart the batsmen. They have different strategies for different phases of the game powerplays, consolidation overs and death overs.They have different lengths in their armoury to bowl to the batsman. If the batsmen are capable of the Dilscoop and the ramp shots and the reverse sweeps, the bowlers are capable of fast yorkers on the edge of the white marker, slow-ball bouncers, leg-cutters, off-cutters and knuckle balls. Some are even capable of bowling fast inswinging yorkers while some can bowl deliveries which take an eternity to reach the batsman.All of this has made the contest a lot more even. And the ICC T20 World Cup offers a classic case of the underdogs fighting back after years of intimidation. Over the five editions and in the ongoing edition, the bowlers have come up with some scintillating spellsand have given the spectators plenty to cheer about.While it is hard to separate or rank the very best bowling performances given the nature of T20 cricket and the small margins, we try to pick five bowling spells that were so sublime in execution and impact that they will always be remembered. These are performances that don't fade away, not unlike the Axe Signature line of body perfumes.Extra points have been awarded for tough opposition, bowling conditions and pressure. So without any further ado, here's the list!

#1 Rangana Herath 3.3-2-3-5, Sri Lanka vs New Zealand, 2014, Chittagong

Herath was brilliant against New Zealand

On a track that was slow and had some turn, Sri Lanka were scuttled out for just 119 runs in the Group 1 match. Trent Boult was excellent with figures of 3-20, and the Sri Lankans could never really get going in their innings.

However, any hopes New Zealand had of chasing down the small total vanished fast. Rangana Herath got Brendon McCullum stumped in the fourth over, and the procession started after that. Herath ran through New Zealand’s middle order getting Ross Taylor, Jimmy Neesham and Luke Ronchi in the 6th and 8th overs. He finished with unbelievable figures of 5-3, Boult being the fifth wicket, which ended the innings on 60. Herath's heroics gave Sri Lanka a thoroughly unexpected win by 45 runs.

Interestingly, these are not Sri Lanka’s best bowling figures at the World Cup; Ajantha Mendis delivered figures of 6-8 against Zimbabwe in 2012 in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. However, Herath takes the pie for delivering while defending a small total, against a better team, and away from home. Lots of checks there!

#2 Ajantha Mendis 4-0-12-4, Sri Lanka vs West Indies, 2012, Colombo

Mendis tore through the West Indies batting line

Mendis owns the best bowling figures at the T20 World Cup, but that wasn't quite his best bowling performance at the tournament. Instead, we pick his performance in the final of the T20 World Cup 2012 against an explosive West Indies, which came in a lost cause.

Mendis, bowling inside the powerplay, picked the big wicket of Chris Gayle in the 6th over with a straight ball. West Indies then consolidated to reach 73 for 2, but Mendis then scalped the wickets of Dwayne Bravo, Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell, the last two off successive deliveries, to peg West Indies back to 87 for 5 in the 16th over.

Thanks to Marlon Samuels’ cracking knock of 78, West Indies posted 137 and that turned out to be a winning total as Sri Lanka collapsed for just 101. Sunil Narine registered excellent figures of 3-9 as well to help West Indies lift the Trophy, but it was Mendis, who turned in the most memorable bowling performance of the day.

#3 Umar Gul 3-0-6-5, Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2009, London

Gul was incredible against New Zealand

On a lively pitch, Umar Gul caught New Zealand off-guard to pack them up for a double-digit score. The eventual champions won the match by 6 wickets, set up largely by Gul’s fast and accurate spell.

He accounted for Scott Styris and Peter McGlashan in back-to-back deliveries before knocking off Nathan McCullum, James Franklin and Kyle Mills, the last two again off successive deliveries. Gul, known for his ability to move the ball both ways at pace, ensured New Zealand were all out for 99, which Pakistan chased down in just the 14th over.

Suddenly, there hardly seemed to be any life in the pitch, leave alone any spite. It was Gul's magic that turned a fairly comfortable pitch into a memorably difficult one.

#4 Ahsan Malik 4-0-19-5, Netherlands vs South Africa, 2014, Chittagong

Malik was surprisingly great against South Africa

Performances such as this can inspire teams and entire nations, and even change the face of sport. Netherlands ran South Africa very close but fell at the cusp of creating history. Batting first, South Africa posted 145, a decent total on the Chittagong track. But they were slated to score much more, standing on 84 for two in just the 9th over.

It was Malik’s medium fast bowling that proved to be too hot to handle, and he first accounted for Hashim Amla, whose 22-ball 43 gave South Africa a strong foundation. Malik followed that up with the wickets of the dangerous David Miller and Albie Morkel before making sure the tail didn't wag too much.

Netherlands were 82 for 2 in the 9th over and looked all set to chase South Africa’s total down before Imran Tahir turned out with a decisive spell of 4-21 to give the Proteas a 6-run win. Tahir snatched the Man of the Match award, but Malik definitely won many hearts. At that time, these were the best figures by an Associate Team bowler against a Full Member team.

#5 Ravichandran Ashwin 3.2-0-11-4, India vs Australia, 2014, Mirpur

Ashwin (R) celebrates a wicket

Batting first, India set Australia a target of 159, which wasn't by any stretch of the imagination an impossible total to surmount. Yuvraj Singh scored a 43-ball 60 to help India go from 66 for 4 to 159, but the score seemed below-par.

However, India made mince-beat of a batting line-up that boasted of many T20 bigwigs. Ravichandran Ashwin, bowling inside the powerplay, picked the big wicket of Aaron Finch before accounting for David Warner and Glenn Maxwell to break the backbone of the Australian team.

They were eventually all out for 86 with Amit Mishra picking up a couple of wickets. Ashwin’s control combined with his guts to toss up the deliveries against explosive batsmen enabled him to register memorable bowling figures.