5 memorable 5-wicket hauls by Indian bowlers in World Cup history
The World Cup is the pinnacle of cricket and various Indian bowlers have made their presence felt on the sport's biggest stage.
From Zaheer Khan finishing the 2011 World Cup as the joint-highest wicket-taker to the Indian bowlers' collective efforts in the 1983 World Cup final, we have seen some outstanding individual and team efforts with the ball in hand.
Only 56 bowlers have taken a 5-wicket haul in the World Cup and Australia's Mitchell Starc leads the pack with three to his name. 6 Indian bowlers have taken 5-wicket hauls across all the editions of the World Cup.
In this article, we take a look at the 5 most memorable ones.
#5 Kapil Dev (1983 World Cup vs Australia)
Captain Kapil Dev's all-round performances in the victorious 1983 World Cup campaign are the stuff of legend, but few people realise that he took a 5-wicket haul against Australia in the 11th match of the tournament.
After dismissing Kepler Wessels early, he went on to scalp the wickets of Geoff Lawson, Rod Marsh, Ken MacLeay, and Tom Hogan towards the end of the innings. The all-rounder finished with figures of 5-43 in his 12 overs and also contributed 40 runs off just 27 balls with the bat.
While this feat is not talked about enough due to the fact that India suffered a massive loss by 162 runs, this match paved the way for the leader of the team to showcase his abilities at the World Cup.
Kapil Dev had come into the tournament with average numbers with both bat and ball, but this 5-wicket haul served as a turning point in not only his career but in India's 1983 World Cup campaign as well.
This is one of two instances when an Indian 5-wicket haul has gone in vain, the other being Mohammed Shami against England in the 2019 World Cup.
#4 Robin Singh (1999 World Cup vs Sri Lanka)
In the 1999 World Cup, all-rounder Robin Singh became the second Indian bowler to take a 5-wicket haul in tournament history. Against Sri Lanka at Taunton, he registered figures of 5-31 in 9.3 overs to lead India to a comprehensive 157-run victory.
He prised out the heart of the Lankan batting lineup, scalping Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga in the space of 6 overs to derail the chase. Singh also picked up the wickets of tail-enders Vaas, Muralitharan, and Upashantha.
India were eliminated in the 'Super 6' stage, finishing at the bottom of the table with only 1 win from 5 games. However, Singh's 5-wicket haul and the comprehensive victory against a star-studded Sri Lankan side served as a morale-booster to the team, who would go on to reach the final of the next edition of the World Cup.
#3 Venkatesh Prasad (1999 World Cup vs Pakistan)
The 1999 World Cup saw another Indian bowler take a 5-wicket haul when Venkatesh Prasad registered figures of 5-27 against arch-rivals Pakistan at Manchester.
In Pakistan's chase of a modest 228, the pacer scalped Saeed Anwar and Saleem Malik in the first 20 overs, before returning to prise out the crucial wickets of Inzamam-ul-Haq, Moin Khan, and Wasim Akram towards the end of the innings.
India's northern neighbours were bundled out for 180 and had to wait till 2017 to break their ICC tournament hoodoo against India. Prasad was awarded the Man of the Match award for this performance.
#2 Ashish Nehra (2003 World Cup vs England)
In the 30th match of the 2003 World Cup, Ashish Nehra registered career-best figures of 6-23 against England.
India had put 250 runs on the board, perhaps below par against a strong English batting lineup. However, the left-arm quick ran through the middle order with ease, picking up the wickets of Michael Vaughan, captain Nasser Hussain and keeper Alec Stewart before the 20-over mark.
Although Andrew Flintoff offered some resistance, Nehra also removed Paul Collingwood, Ronnie Irani, and Craig White to get England all out for a paltry 168. The pacer won the Man of the Match award and also played a crucial role in taking his team to the final of the World Cup, although India were hammered by Ricky Ponting and Australia.
#1 Yuvraj Singh (2011 World Cup vs Ireland)
Against Ireland in the 2011 World Cup, Yuvraj Singh became the first player in the history of the tournament to score a fifty and pick up a 5-wicket haul in the same match.
In the space of 15 overs, the left-arm spinner utterly decimated the Irish middle order, scalping the wickets of Andrew White, Kevin O'Brien, the well-set William Porterfield, John Mooney, and Alex Cusack.
India chased Ireland's score of 207 with 5 wickets and 4 overs to spare, with the southpaw finishing on 50* off 75 balls and rightfully awarded the Man of the Match.
Yuvraj also went on to win the Man of the Tournament in India's World Cup win, and held the distinction of being the only person in World Cup history with a fifty and a 5-wicket haul in the same match until Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan equalled the feat in 2019.