5 unbreakable ODI World Cup records

It is hard not to romanticize cricket, the World Cup in particular, given how the same stage becomes an abode of jubilation and heartbreak in a short span of time. If there is one thing that cricket followers know, it is that you can never say never in this game, which is capable of throwing amazing twists, sensational escapades and scintillating sequence of events beyond the predictable or the reach of the expected. Yet there are some World Cup Records that stand as monoliths, almost unshakeable, almost unbelievably untouchable. Like Bob Beamon’s ‘leap of the century’, these records are going to be here for a long time until other prodigies attract the rare combination of longevity, class, opportunity and luck. There are some dubious records as well, but for now, we will only celebrate great events, records that are testimony of a good performance, not a bad one. There are those that look tough like Glenn McGrath’s best World Cup bowling figures of 7/15, Zaheer Khan’s strike-rate of 27 and Andy Roberts’s economy of 3.24 for a minimum of 1000 balls (nevertheless, even in the era of big scores, Shaun Pollock had come reasonably close with 3.60). Here are 5 records in World Cups that seem unbreakable in terms of the threat they were ever under, zilch!

#5 Most 50+ Scores - Sachin Tendulkar

There are tons of batting records in Sachin Tendulkar’s name, so many that it is hard to keep a track of them. That is what we get when genius combines with discipline and longevity – a rare combo.

One of his remarkable feats is the tally of 21 50+ scores in World Cups. He did it in just 44 innings, spanning over 6 World Cups. It would have been higher had India not been eliminated in the first round of the 2007 World Cup.

The man, who also has the record for most runs in a World Cup (673) and most overall runs (2278), has 15 half centuries and 6 centuries in the tournament history, both individual records as well. Ricky Ponting, his closest competitor, who played one match more than him has just 11 50+ scores, a yawning gap indeed.

Of the current players, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have 8 each, while Australia’s Michael Clarke has 6. This record certainly will stand the test of time. Even with an exceptional World Cup like Matthew Hayden had in 2007, it is a little tough imagine someone scoring more than half a dozen 50+ scores in one World Cup

#4 Most wickets in World Cups - Glenn McGrath

Only 2 pure bowlers, Wasim Akram and Muttiah Muralitharan have featured in 5 World Cups; 3 if you add Daniel Vettori to the list, who spent the whole of ‘99 as substitute, never making it to the team.

Even if a genuinely good bowler figures in 5 World Cups, he still has the unenviable task of picking at least 14 wickets to come anywhere close to McGrath’s tally. If one plays just 4 World Cups, like McGrath did, he has to pick 18 per World Cup to cross McGrath’s mark.

As the game gets more batsman friendly, it is hard to imagine a bowler picking 71 wickets in World Cups – especially with an astounding average of below 20 and economy rate of below 4, like McGrath did. Muralitharan had 68 wickets in the same number of innings, but his longevity is the stuff of legends.

To put these numbers into perspective, you need to look at the tally of a current bowler – Lasith Malinga with 31 wickets, probably in his last World Cup. That means it will be at least 3 more editions of the World Cup before we even have a chance of seeing anyone push the ‘McGrath mark’, leave alone breaking it.

#3 Wins as captain - Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting has a staggering 26 wins, out of 29 played, in World Cup matches, a win percentage of 92.85. In terms of percentages, about the only number anywhere in the vicinity is Clive Lloyd’s 88.23%.

Both Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni have managed a win percentage over 80 in one World Cup, the former reaching the finals, the latter winning it. That is exactly what makes Ricky Ponting’s tally so difficult to reach.

Lloyd won 15 in 3 World Cups and Fleming won 16 in 3. To break Ponting’s record, not only do you have to captain your side in at least 3 World Cups (or 2 in the rare case when world cup formats become longer) but also be good enough to captain sides that are invincible, like Ponting’s Australia was. Ponting went through 2003 and 2007 without a single defeat, a rare feat in itself.

#2 Most economical full spell

When Bishan Singh Bedi bowled his 12 overs to give away just 6 runs against East Africa in the first edition of the World Cup (1975), he might have created a record that will stand forever, 40 years and running. Richard Hadlee came close in the same World Cup giving away 10 runs.

CM Old for England in 1979 and the great Curtly Ambrose for West Indies in 1999 came really close, giving away 8 runs in their stipulated 10 overs. Considering the way ODIs are played these days, powerful batsmen armed with big bats, it is hard to see how any bowler could bowl 10 full overs giving away less than 6 runs.

Since 2000, the most economical full spell has been bowled by Jason Gillespie in the 2003 edition, against India. Gillespie had match figures of 3/13 in his 10 overs, a mark hard to breach against a Test playing nation for sure.

#1 Most runs in World Cups - Sachin Tendulkar

Like his overall ODI tally, Sachin Tendulkar’s World Cup runs tally is as good as a gem locked away in an unknown locker of an impregnable fortress, a bit like Don Bradman’s average. Tendulkar has 2278 runs at 56.95 in 44 innings which is remarkable.

To understand how difficult it is to break this record, you need to look at the second highest – 1743 runs by Ricky Ponting. Ponting, a prodigy of sorts, Tendulkar’s closest contemporary, a man who himself played in 5 World Cups winning 3 of those, couldn’t manage better despite being backed by a supreme bowling unit.

Of the current players, the highest tally belongs to Kumar Sangakkara, at 14th place with 991 runs, surely in his last World Cup. AB de Villiers, a genius himself, has 725 runs and has, at most, another World Cup in him.