Top 5 six-wicket hauls in ODIs that ended in defeat
It's a widely accepted belief that 50-over cricket is more about showcasing one's batting maestro. Over the period of time, this format of cricket has witnessed a list of changes including an increased quota of Powerplay overs, improved pitches for batting, shortened dimensions of boundaries, usage of 2 new balls etc.
Most of those changes have tended to favor batsman more than the bowler. In a scenario where the bat generally dominates the ball, it is immensely difficult for the bowlers to mark their impact in the game. However, sometimes we feel lucky to witness some of the most lethal performances getting delivered by the bowlers.
In ODIs, bowlers have to make their presence felt within their allotted quota of 60 deliveries. Claiming a 6 wicket haul in that allotted quota is a daunting feat. And it becomes a heartbreaking moment for the bowler when despite all his efforts to put up a majestic performance, his team ends up tasting defeat.
In this article, we will talk about some of the greatest 6 wicket hauls claimed by the bowlers which were still not enough to record victory for their sides.
#5 Ajit Agarkar (Ind), 6/42 vs Australia at Melbourne - 2003
After a strong opening partnership between Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, Ajit Agarkar removed both the Aussie openers in his consecutive overs and later dismissed Damien Martyn for a 'Golden Duck’. Australia however, recovered from these early blows given by Agarkar when Andrew Symonds and Michael Clarke added 143 runs for the 5th wicket, with both of them scoring their respective half-centuries.
Agarkar, although managed to claim Symonds but not before the latter has done enough damage. He completed his 6 wicket haul by getting Brian Williams caught off Yuvraj Singh. Being set a target of 289, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag responded well by adding a century partnership for the first wicket.
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly both scored in excess of 50. But later in the innings, the Indian middle order failed to score runs at the required pace owing to a collective bowling effort from the Aussies. India lost their last 6 wickets for only 13 runs, thereby losing the match by 18 runs.