As we head towards the end of another calendar year, for the cricket fans, this was one to remember with a flurry of impressive displays setting up the 22 yards ablaze in the ODI format. Whether it is with the bat or the ball, the players rocked the shores with one impressive display after the other.
With the year almost ticking away, here’s a quick look at the largest wins for the calendar year in ODI that will come to an end in less than three weeks’ time. These are just the top five who have scored at least 40 runs and of course may not be as good as the ones that you anticipate. If you have a few in mind, please feel free to write them in the comment box.
#1 India won by 317 runs vs Sri Lanka, Thiruvananthapuram
Winning the toss India opted to bat first and their openers were straight into business. Rohit Sharma’s early charge laced with Shubman Gill’s (116) and Virat Kohli (166) set Sri Lanka on the backfoot. India posted a staggering 390/5, leaving Sri Lanka with a mountain to climb. Mohammed Siraj’s early riot left the visitors scorched as his four-fer coupled with braces from Mohammed Shami and Kuldeep Yadav sealed the fate of the contest in India’s favour.
#2 Australia won by 309 runs vs Netherlands, Delhi
The ODI World Cup saw the Aussies returning to their full-blown might and the Orange Army were the most hapless to face a full-blown wrath of the Roos. Batting first Australia scored 399/8 as centuries from David Warner and Glenn Maxwell set the tone perfectly. Logan van Beek did claim four wickets but he conceded at 7.4 runs an over. Despite Vikramjit Singh’s warring 25, Adam Zampa rode roughshod over the Orange Army with a brilliant four-fer.
#3 Zimbabwe won by 304 runs vs United States of America, Harare
The Zimbabweans were on a roll on their turf in this particular fixture as they left behind their shoddy state of affairs for a contest and returned to their glorious past. Joylord Gumbie blasted 78 before Sean Williams hammered 174 from 101 balls that saw him rock 21 fours and five sixes. This knock was followed by Ryan Burl’s quickfire 47 that allowed Zimbabwe post a monumental total of 408. A collective display from the Zimbabwean bowlers rocked USA and left them skittled out for 104.
#4 India won by 302 runs vs Sri Lanka, Wankhede
For the Lankan fans who wanted to avenge their defeat in the ODI 2011 World Cup final, they had to return not just with an empty hand but with a very sour taste in their mouth as the Men in Blue completely demolished them. Batting first, India posted 357/8, thanks to brilliant showdown from three superstars namely Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer. However, the real star of the show was Mohammed Shami who claimed figures of 5/18.
#5 India won by 243 runs vs South Africa, Eden Gardens
This clash was special to the Indian fans for multiple reasons as it was on VK’s birthday and he got a very special century to set the stage for the Indian fans. Batting first India posted 326 with VK scoring 101*. Shreyas Iyer also scored an excellent 77 from 87 balls to keep India in the hunt. However, a free-scoring South Africa who was almost unstoppable until then would soon crumble like house of cards, eventually handing over India a momentous victory.
