Bowlers play a crucial role in a team's success, especially in major tournaments like the ODI World Cup. India has always been a strong batting side, but the bowlers have also delivered when it mattered the most. Six Indian cricketers have picked up a 5-wicket haul in the ODI World Cup.
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Indian Bowlers with Five-Wicket Hauls in ODI World Cup
ODI cricket is a testing format for bowlers. They must pick up wickets regularly and keep the run flow in check. To pick up five wickets is a proud feeling for any bowler, especially if it happens in the World Cup. The following is a list of Indian bowlers who have picked up a five-wicket haul in the ODI World Cups:
- Ashish Nehra
- Venkatesh Prasad
- Robin Singh
- Yuvraj Singh
- Kapil Dev
- Mohammed Shami
Let us look at in brief the impressive performances of the six players:
Ashish Nehra - 6/23 vs England (2003 World Cup)
Ashish Nehra, the left-arm fast bowler, played his most memorable game in the Indian jersey in the 2003 ODI World Cup group stage fixture against England. Batting first, India posted a decent 250 runs on the board. England never got going during the chase, as Indian bowlers tightened the screws with their disciplined bowling. Ashish Nehra, the wrecker-in-chief, took the key wickets of Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart, Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood, etc., and finished the match with 6/23.
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Venkatesh Prasad - 5/27 vs Pakistan (1999 World Cup)
Venkatesh Prasad was at his best when India took on Pakistan in the 1999 ODI World Cup Super Six clash. India batted first and scored 227/6 in their 50 overs. The Indian bowlers struck early, and Prasad put Pakistan in trouble after picking up key wickets of Saleem Malik and Saeed Anwar before the 20-over mark. He completed his five-wicket haul by removing Wasim Akram, which saw India win the match by a comfortable margin of 47 runs.
Robin Singh - 5/31 vs Sri Lanka (1999 World Cup)
India was eyeing revenge against Sri Lanka for the 1996 World Cup semi-final defeat when the two teams met in the 1999 edition. Batting first, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid thrashed the Sri Lankan bowlers, helping India post a mammoth 373. Sri Lanka found it hard during the chase. All-rounder Robin Singh delivered a superb performance, picking up five wickets for just 31 runs. It included the crucial wickets of Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga.
Yuvraj Singh - 5/31 vs Ireland (2011 World Cup)
Yuvraj Singh was in the form of his life in the 2011 World Cup. He delivered with bat and ball when India met Ireland in the group stage. India put Ireland to bat first, and they were poised for a good total. Dhoni introduced Yuvraj Singh, and the left-arm slow bowler bundled out Ireland for 207. Yuvraj got the prize wicket of skipper William Porterfield and then ripped through the middle-order. The flamboyant cricketer also hit a 75-ball 50 to steer India home by five wickets.
Kapil Dev - 5/43 vs Australia (1983 World Cup)
Kapil Dev is the first Indian player to take a five-wicket haul in a World Cup. In the 1983 World Cup, India met Australia in the round-robin fixture. The Indian captain removed Kepler Wessels early; however, Australian batters piled on runs. With Australia projected to reach 350, Kapil quickly picked up four wickets and restricted the Kangaroos to 320. India failed to match Australia's aggressive batting and lost the match by 162 runs. The all-rounder was the top-scorer with the bat, too, scoring 40.
Mohammed Shami - 5/69 vs England (2019 World Cup)
Mohammed Shami clinched his maiden ODI five-wicket haul in a high-scoring match against England in the 2019 World Cup. England openers battered Indian bowlers in the match, and Shami returned and picked up two wickets in succession after the halfway stage. He also dismissed Joe Root and Jos Buttler in the death overs and ensured England didn't reach the 350 mark. India lost the match by 31 runs despite fighting knocks by Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
Shami has taken three four-wicket hauls, while Umesh Yadav, Yuvraj, Nehra, and Javagal Srinath took four wickets in a match twice.
Concluding Thoughts
The upcoming 2023 ODI World Cup will be one such event where the Indian bowlers will be under plenty of pressure. The Men in Blue's 15-member squad includes experienced players like Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Shami, who all can grab a five-wicket haul.
