ODI Cricket: Top 10 greatest batting streaks

#6 Brian Lara (West Indies): 1995-1998

Brian Lara of West Indies in action

Matches: 56, Runs: 2639, Average: 57, Highest: 169, 100/50: 8/16, Strike-Rate: 89.

Brian Charles Lara. This list would have been incomplete if it did not feature the great man. Those who watched Lara in his prime still swore to the fact that he is the greatest that they ever seen wield a willow. It is the kind of effect that the southpaw had on people. His ability to take down the best attacks in the world was second to none.

Lara was not as consistent as some others on this list, but he more than made up for it with his scintillating knocks. In his 18 year ODI career, Lara averaged above 50 in only 4 of them and guess what, all of them in a row. His weakest year in this period was 1997, during which he averaged 51 and struck it at 81.

Between 1995 and 1998, Lara played 56 Odi matches. He scored 2639 runs at an average of 57 with his strike-rate being 89. It included 8 hundreds and 16 half-centuries. Lara's highest career score of 169 also came during the same time. In the 1996 World Cup, Lara scored 269 runs at an average of 54 but was unable to carry the team to the final. He averaged above 50 in 9 of the 11 series he played, and was captaining the time by the end of this run.

Lara never hit those heights again in his career but during this 4 year stretch he showed that at his best, there are not a lot of people who could compete against him. That he did so playing against the likes of Donald, Pollock, Akram, Saqlain, Murali, Warne, McGrath etc is proof of how good he was.

Interestingly enough, Lara's highest rating of 908 did not come during this period, Lara also holds the record for the most year end No. 1 rankings, a feat which he accomplished 5 times (1993-1997).