15 Cricketers and their career defining moments

15 Cricketers and their career defining moments: Cricketers from all around the world have made many records and broken many. They have their names carved in the book of history of the cricket world. Some matches and innings come as a recognition for the player. These moments of complete awesome performances are not just some records in a book, but are the remembrance that the fans and the players hold in their hearts. A day to look back to. They have moments that are career defining. We bring to you the career defining moments. 15 Cricketers and their career defining moments: 1. Brendon McCullum’s Triple ton Brendon McCullum. (© Getty Images) The New Zealand captain, Brendon McCullum has been leading his team from the front not only has he proved his captaincy skills but has played knocks and led the team from front. Amongst his many memorable innings one is this triple century McCullum, which was also the first triple ton by a New Zealander. The match saw a brilliant batting performance, the man who can bruise the bowling attacks played a long innings of 647 minutes. The captain leading from the front made a couple of more records the same day, the highest sixth wicket partnership of 352 with wicket keeper BJ Watling and the most runs scored in a Test by the Kiwi’s ever also, a world record of such a big total in the third innings. McCullum’s knock was surely his best moment of his entire career. Also Read – Highest Individual score in Test Cricket for each team 2. AB de Villiers’ world record of fastest 100: AB de Villiers. (© Getty Images) The world’s deadliest batsman these days, AB has played many match winning innings, but we will always remember the legend-in-making, for his fastest century in the match earlier this year against West Indies, AB scored a total of 149 runs in 44 balls. His 100 was the fastest ever in the world. The threat that AB possess to the bowlers is a much known fact, but he will always be remembered for his smashing innings in Johannesburg. His world record has set a new benchmark century off just 31 deliveries is no usual business. 3. Rohit Sharma’s double centuries: Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: BCCI) Sri Lanka was in the 4th ODI without a win, India was leading the series by 3-0. That is when another crushing victory came on for India last year in 2014 and along came Rohit Sharma’s giant score of 264 from only 173 deliveries. Rohit helped India put up a huge total of 404/5 whereas all that Sri Lankan side could manage was 251, in reply and India won the match by 153 runs. The magnificent innings from Rohit came after his finger injury. This was a comeback for the knacker. Although this was not the first double hundred scored by him in ODIs as he had scored a double ton the previous year when he played a knock of 209. For a batsman of his class the beginning years of Rohit’s career were disappointing but he made a comeback that marked the after and before of his cricketing career. 4. Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s World Cup winning six: MS Dhoni World Cup 2011 Final Six. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The Best Indian captain as he is called, is not only a great leader he is the one with ideas and strength. The captain who, won India a World in both ODIs and T20Is. He has always played a knock when it was most needed. Dhoni is a finisher; he is known and will always be remembered for his big hits to finish an winning innings. When captain cool is on the strike with in the last balls of the last overs, every fan wants to see the game end with a big hit, and the best part is he never disappoints his fans. The best hit among the many that Dhoni has treated to the boundary the World Cup 2011 winning hit was the best which no Indian whether or not a cricket fan can ever forget. 5. Misbah-ul-haq’s fastest Test century: Misbah Ul Haq scored the fastest century in tests and leveled sir Viv Richards of 56 ball century. (Photo Source : Getty Images) The captain who lifted up the Pakistan team after the controversies of fixing that surrounded the future of the Pakistan cricket in England in 2010. Misbah’s unflappable temperament is the best thing about his batting. He will always be mentioned for his record of fastest Test century which came in just 56 balls. This knock of his has etched his name in golden alphabets along with Sir Vivian Richard’s. His calm approach towards the game has not only made him an accomplished batsman but also gave the Pakistan team a leader they needed. Misbah’s fastest hundred in Test came against the mighty Australia in Abu Dhabi last year. This was no doubt a career defining moment for the consistent performer. 6. Chris Gayle’s 333: Chris Gayle’s 333. (Photo Source: AFP) 2010 saw a lighted up moment for the West Indies cricket when Chris Gayle scored a triple ton in the 1st Test of the series in Sri Lanka against the hosts. On the second day of the Test Gayle scored a huge score of 333 runs from 437 balls giving West Indies their first ever Test win on Sri Lankan soil. Gayle has always been an entertainer; he has always been praised for his performance in the T20 matches, a batsman that has thrived in limited over format like no other. Surely, this innings of a mammoth score of 333 in the longest and toughest format of the game defines the attributes of Chris Gayle as a complete cricketer. This is one of his many performances that has been a significant part of his entire career. 7. Cook in Ashes 2010-2011: Alastair Cook. (© Getty Images) Ashes 2010-11 had seen the best of England team after a long time in the Australian island. Alastair Cook was amongst one of the most significant names in that series. The 1st Test of Ashes series 2010 saw the best of Cook when he scored 235 in 428 balls in the second innings of England. The entire series was a tour to remember for Cook, also one of the most successful England captains Cook has proved himself as a player. The Ashes 2010 saw a peak time of his cricket career when he went on to score 766 runs in just 7 innings at an average of 127.66. He will definitely be remembered for his Ashes performance. 8. Lasith Malinga 4 wickets in 4 balls: Lasith Malinga. (© Getty Images) One of the matches that describe the unpredictability of cricket, was the Super Eight clash between Sri Lanka and South Africa in the World Cup 2007. Malinga bowled the best spell of his career and probably one of the best match winning spells. Malinga took 4 wickets in four straight deliveries, winning the game that was away from them. In the 45th over the Proteas were only a boundary away from winning with 5 wickets in hand, South Africa’s win seemed like a quite obvious result, but then came the magical Malinga spell that will be the first thing that pops up in every mind that hears his name. Four wickets of four continuous deliveries, hat trick seems a small achievement when compared to this match winning spell. 9. Ponting’s captaincy, the world cups: Ricky Ponting. (© Getty Images) Ricky Ponting is one of the best captains in the history of world cricket. The captain who has lifted the World Cup twice for his country, a pride that only has been experienced by this cricketing legend. Ponting knew how to lead from the front. His captaincy skills were followed by his tendency to lead the team from front by putting up match winning performances. Australia had a record of winning 34 matches in a run in the world cup which happened under the captaincy of Ricky Ponting. He has a winning percentage of 92.85 in the world cups which no captain till today has been able to touch. 10. Andrew Flintoff’s performance in Ashes 2005: Andrew Flintoff. (© Getty Images) Flintoff was more than a performer for his country and team. He was an iconic figure for the fans and the team mates, the all-rounder had more than just cricketing skills, he brought popularity to the game with the changing time. Andrew Flintoff had the Test average of 31 and 32 with the bat and ball respectively. Yes, the lad was a complete and one of the best all-rounders the cricket world has seen. 2005 Ashes at home gave Freddie the prominence he deserved. The 5-match series of Ashes saw him perform to his best both with the bat and ball as he went on to score 402 runs with his 68 runs from 62-deliveries that gave England a winning momentum. The same importance held the bowling figures as Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting were the wickets he grabbed in the same innings. 11. Brian Lara’s unbeatable 400: Brian Lara. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Brian Lara and the word legend go hand in hand. Of the many records that are created and recreated in the history of cricket its been a decade since Lara hit the unbeatable 400 but it still remains untouched. The circumstances under which the knock came tells us about the fighter Lara was. The West Indies team was in its steep decline at that point. Lara when started playing cricket was a part of the West indies side that could brush aside any competitor of the world but, his team now was powerless and he seemed helpless when England was about to whitewash the 4-match Test series which they were leading by 3-0. Then came the attack of the hero who had remained quiet for a long time with just 36* being his highest in the last 3 matches. Brian Lara played an innings that not only defined defined the game, rather defines his career. 12. Graeme Smith the Test captain: Graeme Smith. (© Getty Images) Graeme Smith is the best Test captain the world has ever seen. The player who was given the responsibility to lead the South African side at the young age of 26 proved to be an asset for South African cricket as well as the world. Smith has a momentum of the best captaincy career, he led a confident South African side. The team had achievements both within and outside national boundaries. Graeme Smith was no doubt a significant batsman but his achievement as a captain will be the one he will always be remembered for. One of the former cricketer and coach Gary Kirsten has also called Smith ‘the Greatest Test captain ever.’ 13. Ganguly at the Lord’s balcony: Sourav Ganguly. (Photo Source: Google) Sourav Ganguly, the man behind the success of the Indian team who made the team a prominent name in world cricket. Ganguly gave India a reputation and belief of winning overseas. He captained a side that was talented but raw. He is the most successful Indian Test captain overseas and a great one-day batsman. The images that flash on hearing Ganguly’s name is the ODI series win when he took off his T-shirt standing in the Lord’s balcony expressing the joy of winning the Natwest series. India had hardly performed well in a series overseas before 2002. It was a proud moment for the captain to win the Natwest cup in England. 14. Mathew Hayden’s 380: Matthew Hayden 380. (© Getty Images) Though his career started off in a steady pace as he did not play a single Test match between 1997-2000, Mathew Hayden made an awesome comeback on his tour to India. There was no stopping the batsman after this. He kept going on and on, after which came his confident innings of 380 runs. Hayden scored a record breaking score of 380 against the Zimbabwe team in 2003 at Perth. The knock was a special one, as it broke Brian Lara’s the then highest score of 375 in Test cricket, making Hayden the leading name, though the West Indian once again got on top registering an unbeaten 400. 15. Sachin Tendulkar’s Desert Storm: Sachin Tendulkar. (© Getty Images/ Allsport) Sachin and his records have a long list, but one of the most memorable innings played by the Master Blaster was called the “Desert Storm.” The Coca-Cola cup held in 1998 was a tri series between India, Australia and New Zealand. Sachin’s knock of 143 is one of the most talked about centuries of ODIs. Those days when sixes and boundaries were not a usual show, Sachin struck five sixes and held every one present in the stadium aback. The knock that was match winning, is still in the list of one of the favourites and helped India dominate the opponents in non-home conditions. Also Read – Top 10 most followed cricketers on Facebook

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15 Cricketers and their career defining moments

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