3 Best ODI bowling figures in a losing cause
Cricket as a sport has changed drastically over time, especially with the advent of shorter formats and the alterations of the rules that have changed the nature of the contest between the bowlers and the batsmen. However, one thing that has remained constant is that cricket is a team sport, where all the 11 players have to contribute in their respective domains to achieve victory.
That said, there have been numerous instances when a player has taken the game away from the opposition with his lone stupendous performance. Interestingly, these spell-binding performances have not always been able to take their team across the finish line.
Here are three phenomenal bowling performances in one-day international cricket which had all the attributes to be a match-winning performance but unfortunately ended up on the losing side.
#3 Mitchell Starc - 6/28 against New Zealand, World Cup 2015
Mitchell Starc grabbed eyeballs when he took a four-wicket haul in his second ODI match, against Sri Lanka in 2010. While the effort came in a losing cause, Starc gained immediate stardom.
The lanky fast bowler with the ability to swing the ball at pace was looked at as a successor to Brett Lee, and became a regular feature in the Australian limited overs side.
But Starc's best one-day performance came against arch rivals New Zealand in the World Cup of 2015, when he dismissed six Kiwi batsmen while giving away a mere 28 runs in nine overs.
Australia elected to bat first after winning the toss and set a measly target of 152 for the Kiwis in a low-scoring encounter. Starc with his deadly late swing brought Australia back in the match, but the Black Caps managed to reach the target with a solitary wicket to spare.