Wrapping up World Cup 2015
The 2015 World Cup concluded last week with Australia clinching the World Cup title for the fifth time. It also became the second nation after India to win the trophy in their home-country.
In the CWC Final on March 29, Australia defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets, which seemed to be almost one-sided when the top batting order of NZ stumbled one after the other.
For his impressive spell in the batting powerplay in the AUS-NZ encounter, James Faulkner of Australia was awarded the Man of the Match while Mitchell Starc was awarded the Man of the Tournament for being a wicket machine and some excellent bowling throughout the tournament.
Fittingly Michael Clarke of Australia signs off his ODI career with an individual milestone and the ultimate team championship – the World Cup. Brad Haddin (AUS), Daniel Vittori (NZ), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Shahid Afridi (PAK), Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak) have played their last world cup this year as they all have announced retirement too.
Let’s wrap up this 44 day long adventure roller coaster and excitement. Each time CWC happens, it witnesses, new records, observes new talents, experiences nerve-freezing moments. So here we bring you, some of those records and special moments from the Cricket World Cup 2015.
Top performers of 2015 World Cup
The following are the top 10 batsmen and top 10 bowlers of the cricket World Cup 2015, which concluded in Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday:
Top 5 runs-scorers
Martin Guptill: 547
Kumar Sangakkara: 541
Brendan Taylor: 433
AB de Villiers: 482
Shikhar Dhawan: 412
Top 5 wicket-takers
Mitchell Starc: 22
Trent Boult: 22
Umesh Yadav: 18
Morne Morkel: 17
Mohammad Shami: 17
Top 5 individual scores
Martin Guptill: 237 not out
Chris Gayle: 215
David Warner: 178
AB de Villiers: 162 not out
Tilakaratne Dilshan: 161 not out
Top 5 bowling figures
Tim Southee: 7/33
Mitchell Starc: 6/28
Trent Boult: 5/27
Mitchell Marsh: 5/33
Imran Tahir: 5/45
Best of bests
Best player
Brendon McCullum. It would be easy to pick a batsman such as Kumar Sangakkara or AB de Villiers; or a bowler like Mitchell Starc or Trent Boult. But McCullum has inspired not just his team but a nation to a level that had to be experienced to be appreciated. He is a captain of tactical genius, sets an inspirational example in the field, and in the semi-final his assault on the finest fast bowler of his generation reduced a difficult target to a manageable one.
Best match
What, in modern parlance, is called a no-brainer. The semi-final in Auckland between New Zealand and South Africa was one of the most extraordinary, intoxicating sporting events one would ever see the The atmosphere for the match seemed electric. The game, perhaps the best the World Cup has seen since the epic Edgbaston semi-final of 1999, was worthy of that setting. South Africa batted splendidly, but McCullum’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 59 was the inspiration behind one of the great run chases. Grant Elliott’s Cool-Hand-Luke 84 applied the finishing touches as South Africa lost their nerve.
Best moment
Elliott, in his moment of triumph, understanding the despair of the vanquished and the thin line he had trodden, and offering a hand to a disconsolate Dale Steyn. It encapsulated everything of how the New Zealand v South Africa semi-final game was played, how it should be played in general, and of the character of those who contributed to a memorable occasion.
Daniel Vettori’s catch at third man to dismiss Marlon Samuels in the Wellington quarter-final. He had just been whacked for 21 in his first over; his body is supposed to be creaking. Yet he produced a career best leap, stuck up his hand and even retained a touch of quiet nonchalance when he realised that somehow the ball had lodged there.
Best fans
For numbers, noise, colour and slightly scary cricket-related contact lenses, India’s supporters had all the other non-hosts beat.
Also the Kiwis with the sponsored orange ‘Tui’ shirts who would career through hell and high water in order to try and catch those six hits in one hand.
Five players who re-discovered their strengths
While there were quite a few players who were at their usual best and playing the way they always do, some players seemed to have re-discovered their talents and strengths. These players, who have looked to be struggling in the past, raised their game in the biggest tournament of the cricket.
Let’s take a look at 5 such players: (Courtesy: Sportskeeda)
#5 Mohammad Shami- India
Mohammad Shami picked up 17 wickets at an average of 17.29 and an economy rate of 4.82 in the World Cup. In almost every game, he made early inroads with the new ball and set the game up nicely for the slower bowlers. He consistently bowled at a speed in excess of 140 KPH and swung the ball as well. He also made good use of the bouncy Australian wickets as he peppered the batsmen with a lot of short pitched stuff.
#4 Mahmudullah- Bangladesh
Mahmudullah’s form with the bat was one of the major reasons why Bangladesh made it to the knockout stages of the World Cup. In 6 games, he scored 365 runs at an excellent average of 73 and a strike rate of 81.84. In the game against England, he created history by becoming the first Bangladeshi batsman to score a World Cup hundred. He followed it up with another brilliant ton in the next game against New Zealand.
#3 Ravichandran Ashwin- India
Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 13 wickets in the World Cup at an average of 25.38 and an economy rate of 4.29. Though he wasn’t the leading wicket taker for India, he was India’s most lethal weapon in the tournament. The reason why he fell behind in the wickets tally is that batsmen tried to play his overs out quietly and attacked the other bowlers, thereby allowing them to cash in. However, his spells produced vital breakthroughs just when the team needed them the most.
#2 Mitchell Starc- Australia
With 22 wickets at an average of 10.18 and an economy rate of 3.50, Mitchell Starc finished as the leading wicket taker of the recently concluded World Cup. However, only a few months back, Shane Warne had described him as being too soft.
#1 Imran Tahir- South Africa
Imran Tahir picked up 15 wickets in the World Cup at an average of 21.53 and an economy rate of 4.23. Along with Daniel Vettori, he was the leading wicket taker among spinners in the tournament. However, two years ago, Tahir had a disastrous tour of Australia as he failed to pick up a single wicket in his only test on Australian soil. In fact, his performance in that Test was so appalling that the legendry Richie Benaud had refused to recognise him as a bowler.
Click here for world cup photo gallery.
The 2015 World Cup concluded last week with Australia clinching the World Cup title for the fifth time. It also became the second nation after India to win the trophy in their home-country.
In the CWC Final on March 29, Australia defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets, which seemed to be almost...
The 2015 World Cup concluded last week with Australia clinching the World Cup title for the fifth time. It also became the second nation after India to win the trophy in their home-country.
In the CWC Final on March 29, Australia defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets, which seemed to be almost one-sided when the top batting order of NZ stumbled one after the other.
For his impressive spell in the batting powerplay in the AUS-NZ encounter, James Faulkner of Australia was awarded the Man of the Match while Mitchell Starc was awarded the Man of the Tournament for being a wicket machine and some excellent bowling throughout the tournament.
Fittingly Michael Clarke of Australia signs off his ODI career with an individual milestone and the ultimate team championship – the World Cup. Brad Haddin (AUS), Daniel Vittori (NZ), Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Mahela Jayawardene (SL), Shahid Afridi (PAK), Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak) have played their last world cup this year as they all have announced retirement too.
Let’s wrap up this 44 day long adventure roller coaster and excitement. Each time CWC happens, it witnesses, new records, observes new talents, experiences nerve-freezing moments. So here we bring you, some of those records and special moments from the Cricket World Cup 2015.
Top performers of 2015 World Cup
The following are the top 10 batsmen and top 10 bowlers of the cricket World Cup 2015, which concluded in Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday:
Top 5 runs-scorers
Martin Guptill: 547
Kumar Sangakkara: 541
Brendan Taylor: 433
AB de Villiers: 482
Shikhar Dhawan: 412
Top 5 wicket-takers
Mitchell Starc: 22
Trent Boult: 22
Umesh Yadav: 18
Morne Morkel: 17
Mohammad Shami: 17
Top 5 individual scores
Martin Guptill: 237 not out
Chris Gayle: 215
David Warner: 178
AB de Villiers: 162 not out
Tilakaratne Dilshan: 161 not out
Top 5 bowling figures
Tim Southee: 7/33
Mitchell Starc: 6/28
Trent Boult: 5/27
Mitchell Marsh: 5/33
Imran Tahir: 5/45
Best of bests
Best player
Brendon McCullum. It would be easy to pick a batsman such as Kumar Sangakkara or AB de Villiers; or a bowler like Mitchell Starc or Trent Boult. But McCullum has inspired not just his team but a nation to a level that had to be experienced to be appreciated. He is a captain of tactical genius, sets an inspirational example in the field, and in the semi-final his assault on the finest fast bowler of his generation reduced a difficult target to a manageable one.
Best match
What, in modern parlance, is called a no-brainer. The semi-final in Auckland between New Zealand and South Africa was one of the most extraordinary, intoxicating sporting events one would ever see the The atmosphere for the match seemed electric. The game, perhaps the best the World Cup has seen since the epic Edgbaston semi-final of 1999, was worthy of that setting. South Africa batted splendidly, but McCullum’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 59 was the inspiration behind one of the great run chases. Grant Elliott’s Cool-Hand-Luke 84 applied the finishing touches as South Africa lost their nerve.
Best moment
Elliott, in his moment of triumph, understanding the despair of the vanquished and the thin line he had trodden, and offering a hand to a disconsolate Dale Steyn. It encapsulated everything of how the New Zealand v South Africa semi-final game was played, how it should be played in general, and of the character of those who contributed to a memorable occasion.
Daniel Vettori’s catch at third man to dismiss Marlon Samuels in the Wellington quarter-final. He had just been whacked for 21 in his first over; his body is supposed to be creaking. Yet he produced a career best leap, stuck up his hand and even retained a touch of quiet nonchalance when he realised that somehow the ball had lodged there.
Best fans
For numbers, noise, colour and slightly scary cricket-related contact lenses, India’s supporters had all the other non-hosts beat.
Also the Kiwis with the sponsored orange ‘Tui’ shirts who would career through hell and high water in order to try and catch those six hits in one hand.
Five players who re-discovered their strengths
While there were quite a few players who were at their usual best and playing the way they always do, some players seemed to have re-discovered their talents and strengths. These players, who have looked to be struggling in the past, raised their game in the biggest tournament of the cricket.
Let’s take a look at 5 such players: (Courtesy: Sportskeeda)
#5 Mohammad Shami- India
Mohammad Shami picked up 17 wickets at an average of 17.29 and an economy rate of 4.82 in the World Cup. In almost every game, he made early inroads with the new ball and set the game up nicely for the slower bowlers. He consistently bowled at a speed in excess of 140 KPH and swung the ball as well. He also made good use of the bouncy Australian wickets as he peppered the batsmen with a lot of short pitched stuff.
#4 Mahmudullah- Bangladesh
Mahmudullah’s form with the bat was one of the major reasons why Bangladesh made it to the knockout stages of the World Cup. In 6 games, he scored 365 runs at an excellent average of 73 and a strike rate of 81.84. In the game against England, he created history by becoming the first Bangladeshi batsman to score a World Cup hundred. He followed it up with another brilliant ton in the next game against New Zealand.
#3 Ravichandran Ashwin- India
Ravichandran Ashwin picked up 13 wickets in the World Cup at an average of 25.38 and an economy rate of 4.29. Though he wasn’t the leading wicket taker for India, he was India’s most lethal weapon in the tournament. The reason why he fell behind in the wickets tally is that batsmen tried to play his overs out quietly and attacked the other bowlers, thereby allowing them to cash in. However, his spells produced vital breakthroughs just when the team needed them the most.
#2 Mitchell Starc- Australia
With 22 wickets at an average of 10.18 and an economy rate of 3.50, Mitchell Starc finished as the leading wicket taker of the recently concluded World Cup. However, only a few months back, Shane Warne had described him as being too soft.
#1 Imran Tahir- South Africa
Imran Tahir picked up 15 wickets in the World Cup at an average of 21.53 and an economy rate of 4.23. Along with Daniel Vettori, he was the leading wicket taker among spinners in the tournament. However, two years ago, Tahir had a disastrous tour of Australia as he failed to pick up a single wicket in his only test on Australian soil. In fact, his performance in that Test was so appalling that the legendry Richie Benaud had refused to recognise him as a bowler.
Click here for world cup photo gallery.
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