3 Super Subs who won Man of the Match award

In 2005, the ICC had introduced a Super Sub rule in ODIs, which allowed teams to officially field their 12th man in place of any of their starting eleven members. This facility could be utilised at any stage of the match, irrespective of the number of overs bowled or remaining. However, once substituted, the player could play no further role in the match.

In July that year, England's Vikram Solanki created history by becoming cricket's first Super Sub when he replaced Simon Jones in an ODI against Australia at Headingley. But the experiment did not last long: come March 2006, the rule was officially scrapped since it almost always ended up favouring the side winning the toss.

Here, we trace the instances when a Super Sub made such an impact on a match that he ended up being the Man of the Match.

#1 Shane Bond, 6/19

New Zealand vs India, Bulawayo 2005

Shane Bond bagged career-best figures of 6/19 as a Super Sub against India in 2005

Brief Scores: New Zealand 215 in 43.1 overs (McMillan 54, McCullum 49; I Pathan 3/34) beat India 164 in 37.2 overs (JP Yadav 69, I Pathan 50; Bond 6/19) by 51 runs

In the second match of the tri-series involving hosts Zimbabwe, India and New Zealand, the Black Caps' move of roping in the dangerous fast bowler Shane Bond in place of top-order bat Nathan Astle proved to be a masterstroke. Irfan Pathan and his pace bowling colleagues Ashish Nehra and Ajit Agarkar had bowled New Zealand out for 215, after which they decided to swap Bond for Astle citing the assistance that the Indian pacers had gained from the surface.

Also considering the lethal pace which Bond brought, the step was expected to yield good results. His swing and speed proved too hot to handle for India, who were reduced to a shambolic 44/8 inside the fourteenth over. Five of those wickets had gone to Bond, who then cleaned up Pathan for 50 to ensure the latter's ninth-wicket partnership of 118 with JP Yadav did not take India over the line, and finished with a career-best 6/19.

#2 Jeetan Patel, 2/23

New Zealand vs Sri Lanka, Wellington 2006

Economical bowling, as well as two wickets, gave Super Sub Jeetan Patel the Man of the Match award against Sri Lanka in 2006

Brief Scores: New Zealand 224/9 in 50 overs (Fulton 50, H Marshall 50; Vaas 5/39) beat Sri Lanka 203 in 46.4 overs (Mubarak 53; Bond 3/39, Patel 2/23) by 21 runs

In the third ODI of Sri Lanka's short tour to New Zealand, the hosts defended a paltry total by choking the visitors with the off-spin of Jeetan Patel. After half-centuries from Peter Fulton and Hamish Marshall helped them post 224 following the Sri Lankan pacers' repeated strikes – experienced campaigner Chaminda Vaas bagged 5/39, with two wickets for Dilhara Fernando – New Zealand substituted Fulton with Patel eight overs into Sri Lanka's chase.

Patel bowled throughout the middle overs of the innings to check the flow of runs following a steady stand of 76 for the second wicket between Jehan Mubarak and Kumar Sangakkara. The wicket of top-scorer Mubarak for 53 exposed Sri Lanka's lower order, as Russell Arnold, who missed his sweep, was also trapped by Patel. Eventually, they folded for 203, with Patel's extremely economical spell of 2/23 in ten overs giving New Zealand a 21-run win.

#3 Malinga Bandara, 4/31

Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Hobart 2006

Coming in after the 20th over, Malinga Bandara bagged 4/31 against South Africa as Sri Lanka reached the tri-series final in 2006

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 257/9 in 50 overs (Atapattu 80, Sangakkara 62; Hall 3/50) beat South Africa 181 in 43.4 overs (Smith 67; Bandara 4/31, Vaas 2/17) by 76 runs

In the last match of the round-robin stage of the tri-series between hosts, Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa, both visiting sides were in a must-win situation to make it to the final alongside Australia. Marvan Atapattu batted first at Hobart and put on two crucial partnerships: 52 with fellow opener Sanath Jayasuriya and 123 with number three Kumar Sangakkara. Southpaw Sangakkara departed for 62 before captain Atapattu left for 80, a wicket which sparked a collapse to limit Sri Lanka to 257/9.

20 overs into the reply, Sri Lanka introduced leg-spinner Malinga Bandara in place of batsman Chamara Kapugedera. Immediately, Bandara struck with the scalp of the opposition captain Graeme Smith for 67. Three balls later, Justin Kemp fell for a first ball duck; as if that were not enough, Bandara then got a set Ashwell Prince for 22 and Shaun Pollock for 15 to hurt South Africa's chase. That gave Sri Lanka a place in the final and Bandara his career-best figures of 4/31.