Top 5 bowling performances from Week 5 of 2023 World Cup ft. Mohammed Shami & Ravindra Jadeja
Only three matches remain in the 2023 World Cup, with the group stage reaching its conclusion on Sunday, November 12, following a clash between India and the Netherlands.
The Men in Blue, who have been dominant so far with nine wins, will face New Zealand in the first semifinal on Wednesday, November 15. Much of their success has been down to their bowling attack, which has been lethal on all fronts.
From other teams, too, we saw some splendid bowling displays being dished out in the final week of round-robin action. With pitches offering assistance to bowlers of all kinds, both spinners and fast bowlers have enjoyed themselves.
Here are the five best bowling performances from Week 5 of the 2023 World Cup. Note: The matches taken into account for this article start from India vs Sri Lanka (Match 33) and end with India vs Netherlands (Match 45).
#5 Trent Boult - 3/37 vs Sri Lanka
Trent Boult is clearly one of the best ODI bowlers in the world, but he appeared off-color in the first few weeks of the 2023 World Cup. The trademark swing that fetches him wickets with the new ball was missing, and he wasn't able to make an impact at the death either.
Boult roared back to form with an excellent display against Sri Lanka at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. He picked up three early breakthroughs by having Kusal Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama and Charith Asalanka dismissed inside the powerplay, breaking the back of the Lankans' batting.
Boult was unlucky not to pick up a wicket in the remainder of his spell, finishing with figures of 3/37 and ensuring that New Zealand put their net run rate beyond Pakistan's reach.
#4 Keshav Maharaj - 2/25 vs Afghanistan
Keshav Maharaj has sent down miserly spells in almost all of his 2023 World Cup outings. One such display came against Afghanistan in Ahmedabad.
Maharaj came into the attack as the fifth bowler and immediately struck, having Rahmanullah Gurbaz poking at one that turned away. From there, he went on to concede just 25 runs in his 10 overs and also dismissed Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi.
Maharaj didn't concede a single boundary in that spell at a venue that had previously proven tough for spinners to maintain consistency and economy.
#3 Ravindra Jadeja - 5/33 vs South Africa
Another left-arm spinner has been sensational in the 2023 World Cup, and that's Ravindra Jadeja. The Indian all-rounder has been virtually unplayable throughout the tournament, as South Africa - and Maharaj - found out at the Eden Gardens.
After the Men in Blue posted 326/5, Mohammed Siraj set the ball rolling by picking up the wicket of the dangerous Quinton de Kock. Jadeja, introduced into the attack in the ninth over, immediately made an impact by having Temba Bavuma castled.
Jadeja didn't look back from thereon as he ran through the South African middle order, picking up the important wickets of Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, among others. He ended up with a five-fer to his name.
#2 Mohammed Shami - 5/18 vs Sri Lanka
Before Jadeja, Mohammed Shami found himself among the five-wicket hauls. Against Sri Lanka, he bulldozed the middle order to register figures of 5/18 as the Lankan Lions were skittled out for just 55.
Shami, who had been in sizzling form coming into the contest, kicked things off by having Charith Asalanka caught at point. He continued from where Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj left off and took things one step further, bamboozling the Lankan batters with prodigious swing in both directions.
#1 Adam Zampa - 3/21 vs England
Adam Zampa is the leading wicket-taker in the 2023 World Cup, with 22 scalps to his name at an average of under 19.
In Australia's win over England that officially eliminated the latter from semifinal contention, Zampa was simply outstanding. In a high-pressure second innings, the leg-spinner picked up three wickets while conceding just 21 runs in his 10-over spell as England fell 33 runs short.
Zampa dismissed England's top scorer Ben Stokes, captain Jos Buttler, and a well-set Moeen Ali. He even made 29 runs in the first innings to take Australia to a winning total, as if his bowling performance wasn't enough.