7 outrageous cricket records in the past decade

Joe Root and James Anderson celebrate their record stand
Joe Root (right) and James Anderson celebrate their record stand

Given below is a list of 7 of the most outrageous cricket records in the past decade.Feats such as Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 international centuries aren’t taken into account as they are spread over a longer period of time. Records that are created during the specified time span are given preference.

#1 James Anderson and Joe Root\'s 10th wicket stand

Joe Root and James Anderson celebrate their record stand
Joe Root (right) and James Anderson celebrate their record stand

Granted, it was on one of the deadest Trent Bridge pitches of all time, one on which India’s last-wicket pair of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammad Shami had already added 111, but Joe Root and James Anderson went onto break the world record of 163 by putting together a 198-run stand.

England were in trouble when the pair came together at 298 for nine in reply to India’s 457, but, by the time Anderson had been caught off Bhuvneshwar for 81, they had a 39-run lead and the match was as good as drawn.

The stand not only broke the England Test record of 130, compiled way back in 1903 by Wilfred Rhodes and Reginald Foster, but also breezed past the world record of 163, put together by Ashton Agar and Phil Hughes at the same ground only a year earlier. On that occasion, Agar spent the next game at number eight – perhaps a truer reflection of his worth as a batsman, whereas Anderson – most definitely a true number 11, having never before passed 50 in first-class cricket – stayed put at the foot of the order for the second Test at Lord’s.

#2 AB de Villiers 31-ball ton

When Corey Anderson broke Shahid Afridi’s 17-year-old record on New Year’s Day 2014 for the fastest ODI century, many thought that it wouldn’t be broken for a while. But just 12 months later, AB de Villiers had other plans and slammed the record by a whole five deliveries.

During the knock, he also bettered the previous record for the fastest 50 which was held by Sanath Jayasuriya who had hit a fifty in 17 balls against Pakistan in 1996.

De Villiers finished his innings with 149 off just 44 balls, at an unbelievable strike-rate of 338.63. He hit 9 fours and 16 sixes during his knock.

#3 Highest scores by a No.11 batsman in Tests

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No.11s in Test cricket aren’t supposed to be giving bowlers nightmares. Yet, in the last decade, these notions have vanished quickly. In 2004, Zaheer Khan’s 75 against Bangladesh broke a 30-year old record.

In 2012, Tino Best, whose batting ability only made one remember Flintoff’s ‘mind the windows’ jibe, surprised everyone with an attacking 95 against the same team whose player had mocked him in the past.

England were not safe from the threat of No.11 yet. Next year, in the home Ashes, a certain Ashton Agar played the innings of his life. Drafted in the squad as a specialist spinner, the No.11 walked in on his debut on probably the biggest stage of them all in this format, with his side struggling at 117/9. In the company of Phil Hughes, he then frustrated and astonished everyone in equal measure to break Best’s record, but was dismissed agonisingly short of a historic hundred on 98.

Agar never touched those heights again, but in terms of utter shock, it was one of the biggest of the last decade.

#4 Chris Gayle\'s 175* in a T20 match

Records tumbled in Bangalore on 23rd of April 2013 as Chris Gayle smashed 175 not out off just 66 balls in the Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Pune Warriors. His knock was the highest by any player in a T20 match, beating Brendon McCullum’s 158 in the IPL’s very first game in 2008. He reached three figures off only 30 balls to displace Andrew Symonds (34 balls) as the quickest to 100, while his 17 sixes was also a record for a T20 match.

Reflecting on his astonishing achievement after the match, Gayle said, “"Words can't explain how I feel, I think later on tonight when I am by myself I can look back and reflect on what I've done today. I'm grateful, overall from a team point of view, I'm really happy with the win, that put us on top of the table, just one of those innings, one of these days when you come out and things go according to how you want it to."

#5 Yuvraj Singh\'s 12-ball 50

Yuvraj Singh became the first man to hit six sixes in a single over in a World T20 game, against England in 2007. Garry Sobers and Ravi Shastri had both achieved the feat in first-class cricket, while Herschelle Gibbs had done so in ODIs at the 2007 World Cup.

Yuvraj also smashed the record for the fastest ever fifty in T20 internationals by reaching the landmark in just 12 deliveries in the same match. Stuart Broad was the unfortunate English bowler and has been taunted mercilessly by a section of Indian supporters about his role in the record ever since.

#6 First double centurion in ODIs

Saeed Anwar’s record of 194, the highest ever individual innings in ODIs, stood for almost 13 years. There were instances when batsmen seemed to be on the path of breaking it, but then were either undone by a great delivery, a lapse in concentration, or just poor luck.

Sanath Jayasuriya reached 189 and had 2 overs to aim for the record before he was stumped by Vijay Dahiya in 2000. Herschelle Gibbs in that memorable Johannesburg match in 2006 was batting at 175 in the 32nd over when he was dismissed.

Sachin Tendulkar came close twice in 2009, once against New Zealand in Christchurch when he had to retire hurt due to muscle soreness at the end of the 45th over, when on 163, he looked set to break the record. Later that year, he almost steered his side home in an amazing chase, when his 175 brought India so close to victory against Australia in Hyderabad, before he was dismissed trying to play a paddle scoop.

Then in February 2010, the seemingly unbelievable barrier was finally breached. On the flattest of decks, Tendulkar played a great innings, not just breaking Saeed Anwar’s record, but also going on to score the first double hundred in ODI cricket. Since then, the 200-mark has been breached twice, by Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma, but the first instance remains the most shocking one till date.

#7 The 438-434 game

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In a public voting by ICC a couple of years ago, the 5th ODI between South Africa and Australia in 2006 was voted as the ‘greatest ODI match of all time’.

When it comes to providing the shock factor, this was cricket’s finest moment. In a closely contested series, Australia posted 434 on board batting first, breaking Sri Lanka’s 10 year old record, and becoming the first team to breach the 400-run mark in ODIs.

It took more than 1200 ODIs for Sri Lanka’s record of 398 to be broken. Nobody in their wildest imaginations thought that Australia’s record wouldn’t even last one innings.

South Africa did the unthinkable though, chasing down the target and ending up at 438/9 at the end of the innings. It is the greatest chase in ODI cricket’s history, and a story that’ll be passed on one generation to the other.

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Edited by Staff Editor