Five greatest middle-order batsmen for Australia in ODIs

#3 Steve Waugh (1984-2001)

Career Stats: Matches: 325 Innings: 288 Runs: 7569 Avg: 32.62 50s/100s: 45/3 S/R: 75.91

Steve Waugh, besides being a World Cup-winner twice (1987 and 1999), was the central pillar of the Australian middle order back in the late '80s and throughout the '90s. Waugh's panache to overcome the odds stacked against him was one of his most admirable qualities, something that was on show in the 1999 World Cup clash against South Africa. Waugh's team had been pushed to a corner, and a defeat would have knocked them out of the reckoning from the tournament.

South Africa had powered their way to 271 thanks to a brilliant century from Herschelle Gibbs. Australia got off to a bad start, and when Waugh strode out with the score reading 3/48, their hopes appeared to be in tatters. However, Waugh showed the way with some punishing shots as he raced away to a fifty in just 47 balls.

The focal point of the game though arrived when, on 56, Waugh flicked an innocuous looking delivery from Lance Klusener straight to mid-wicket and an overexcited Gibbs, in his anxiety to celebrate with a skyward hurl, dropped the catch and essentially the match for the Proteas as a defiant Waugh powered his way to a pristine 120 not out from 110 balls to achieve Australia's most famous victory ever.

That innings from Waugh, amidst the plethora of superlative knocks throughout his career, truly renders him as one of the greatest middle order batsmen the Aussies have produced.