Zaheer Khan (Source: AFP)
Former World Cup champion pacer, Zaheer Khan, led the frontline of India’s pace attack in the ODIs. He was also one of the vital cogs in the wheel in India’s title-winning journey in the ODI World Cup 2011. Besides that, Zaheer Khan produced a lot of iconic spells in the 50-over cricket that are still fresh in the memories of the Indian cricket fans.
In his 200-match ODI career, Zaheer picked 282 wickets in 197 innings, with a brilliant economy rate of 4.93. He bagged seven four-wicket hauls and a five-wicket haul in his ODI career of more than a decade from October 2000 to August, 2012. These four or five-wicket hauls included some matches, when Zaheer took India out of trouble with his bowling. Therefore, here’s a look at the five best spells bowled by Zaheer Khan in the ODIs.
Zaheer Khan’s five best spells in ODIs
5/42 vs Sri Lanka - Margao ODI, 2007
India and Sri Lanka faced off in the third ODI of the four-match series in early 2007. The visiting skipper, Mahela Jayawardene, won the toss and asked his batters to take charge. India’s then new-ball in-charge Zaheer Khan ran through Sri Lanka’s top order. He dismissed Sanath Jayasuriya and Upul Tharanga on the first and fourth balls of the third over.
In the fifth over, when Zaheer came to bowl again, he left the wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Sangakkara clueless and dismissed him on a duck off four balls. Furthermore, Zak dismissed the lower-order batters Farveez Maharoof and Malinga Bandara to complete his ODI career’s only five-wicket haul, picking five wickets for just 42 runs in his quota of 10 overs. Zaheer’s five-wicket haul restricted Sri Lanka to the score of just 230 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the entire 50 overs.
Later in the second innings, Rahul Dravid’s 66-run knock and MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 67, following Sourav Ganguly’s 72-ball 48, helped India comfortably chase the target in 46.5 overs, scoring 233 runs for the loss of five wickets and winning the game by five wickets to level the series at 1-1.
4/19 vs Bangladesh - Dhaka ODI, 2003
India and Bangladesh were taking on each other in the tournament opener of the TVS Cup 2003. The visiting skipper Sourav Ganguly opted to bat first after winning the toss. Virender Sehwag’s half-century (63 runs off 51 balls) and Yuvraj Singh’s brilliant century (85-ball 102) helped the Men in Blue score 276 runs before getting all out in 49.3 overs.
While defending the target, India’s pace trio of Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar, and Aavishkar Salvi completely dismantled the hosts’ batting lineup. Zaheer ended up as the leading wicket-taker for India in the second innings, picking four wickets for just 19 runs in 7.3 overs, with an outstanding economy rate of 2.53, including a maiden over. Besides him, Agarkar and Salvi picked three and two wickets, respectively, in their seven overs each.
Eventually, India bundled out the hosts at the double-digit score of just 76 runs and won the game by a massive margin of 200 runs to start their TVS Cup campaign on a winning note.
4/42 vs New Zealand - Centurion ODI, World Cup 2003
After defeating Sri Lanka by 183 runs, the Sourav Ganguly-led India faced New Zealand in their last super-six game at the ODI World Cup 2003. The match was crucial for India to prove themselves after the Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming had questioned their ability to play the pace just a few months earlier in New Zealand.
However, India responded brilliantly with their fantastic performance to answer Fleming’s remarks. India’s bowling attack, led by the then-young pacer Zaheer Khan, bundled out the Blackcaps at the score of just 146 runs in 45.1 overs.
Zaheer scalped four wickets for 42 runs in eight overs, with a decent economy rate of 5.25. Furthermore, India comfortably chased down the target, scoring 150 runs for the loss of three wickets in 40.3 overs owing to the unbeaten partnership of 129 runs for the fourth wicket between Mohammed Kaif (68) and Rahul Dravid (53). Zaheer Khan won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his game-defining performance.
4/42 vs Zimbabwe - Sharjah ODI, 2000
India and Zimbabwe were locking horns in the fifth match of the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy Tri-Nation series in Sharjah in October 2000. The then-India skipper Sourav Ganguly won the toss and asked Zimbabwe to bat first. Zimbabwe's batters were utterly dominated by Zaheer Khan, the then-young pacer, who made his ODI debut earlier in the same month.
It was Alistair Campbell’s valiant century knock (105 runs) that took Zimbabwe to the score of 218 runs for the loss of nine wickets in the allotted 50 overs amidst Zaheer Khan’s bowling heroics. Zaheer scalped four wickets for just 42 runs in his quota of 10 overs, alongside Venkatesh Prasad’s two wickets for 38 runs in 10 overs.
While chasing the target, India crossed the line in 48.3 overs, scoring 219 runs for the loss of seven wickets to win the game by three wickets.
4/21 vs Sri Lanka - Dambulla ODI, 2008
After losing the first ODI by eight wickets, India faced Sri Lanka in the second ODI of the five-match series. The then-India skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and invited the Islanders to bat first. Subsequently, Zaheer Khan destroyed the entire top order of the hosts, dismissing their four batters within the first seven overs of the innings.
Zaheer ended up taking a sensational four-wicket haul, picking four wickets for just 21 runs in 9.5 overs, with an astonishing economy rate of 2.13, including three maiden overs. On the back of his spell, India bundled Sri Lanka for just 142 runs. Later in the second innings, India chased down the target, scoring 143 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in 39.4 overs, and won the game by 3 wickets.
Zaheer Khan won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his sensational bowling performance to help India level the series 1-1.
