Five times Andrew Symonds demolished opposition bowlers

The Australian squad during the 2000 decade was the most complete team in the history of the game. Yes, some might argue that the West Indies side of 80s was more powerful, but if a side ever had eleven legends on the field, on any given day, it was Australia. During those days, even winning a match against the Aussies was more of a festival for some teams. In the heart of the team, there was this guy, who was aggressive with the bat, deceptive with the ball, and was the best fielder in the team. He was Andrew Symonds, the all-rounder who made contributions in every aspect of the game. In a team full of legends, Symonds was the man who brought energy to the team. The most crucial part about his presence was when Australia was in trouble, he stood up more often than not. He defied odds and was able to drag the team out of trouble. As the star all-rounder has passed away, let us take some time out to relieve the best efforts from him with the bat. Let’s look at five of Andrew Symonds’ most memorable knocks: 5. 107 runs vs India, 2007 Andrew Symonds (Photo Source: Twitter) Symonds has always been in the picture during matches against arch-rivals, India. He enjoyed playing against the team and every time he got an opportunity to prove himself, he aced it. This time around, it was an ODI match in Nagpur. While batting first, Australia had a decent start after Michael Clarke was dismissed for a duck. Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting put up a solid partnership and after the fall of the third wicket, Symonds walked in. Then, it was a show of how to play spinners in subcontinental conditions. He scored briskly and adjusted to the conditions. While batting alongside the lower middle order, he managed to score 107 runs against a strong bowling attack. Thanks to his efforts, Australia put up a match-winning 317 runs on the board. 4. 151 vs Sri Lanka, 2006 Andrew Symonds (Photo Source: Twitter) This is another special from the aggressive allrounder. While batting first in the second ODI of the series, Australia had a horrible start as they lost both their openers cheaply. Later on, Damien Martyn was dismissed for just eight runs as well. Just when things were looking out of control, Symonds joined his captain Ricky Ponting and rescued Australia. It was a beautiful knock as he scored 151 runs from 127 balls. His innings comprised 13 fours and three sixes. He managed to counterattack a strong Sri Lankan bowling lineup that had the likes of Chaminda Vaas, Nuwan Kulasekara, and Muttiah Muralitharan. With the ball, he picked up two wickets as well for just 32 runs. This was another example of his caliber to contribute during difficult situations. 3. 162 vs India, 2008 Andrew Symonds in CB series against India (Photo Source: Twitter) India tour of Australia has always been the most followed Test series around the world. Back in the 2000s, as the Australian Test team was invincible, even a win was more than enough for Team India to cherish the tour. Before the 2018-19 series win, the 2008 series was the closest Team India could get to winning a Test series in Australia. While batting first, Australia had a decent start, but a middle-order failure meant that the onus was once again on Symonds to get Australia to a respective score. And the way he played alongside the tailenders meant that Australia finished with 463 runs on the board. Symonds scored 162 runs and alongside him, bowlers like Brad Hogg and Mitchell Johnson chipped in with valuable contributions with the bat. This was one of his finest innings with the bat and the series was eventually won by Australia. Symonds always had this ability to bat with the tailenders which helped Australia to dominate attacks even during the worst situations. 2. 156 runs vs England, 2006 Andrew Symonds in Test (Photo Source: Twitter) The 2006 Ashes was a special one for Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds. Both of them had put up magical performances and helped Australia completely dominate England. This was one of the most prolific centuries one would ever see. After England scored a small total of 159, Australia had a disastrous start as, except Matthew Hayden, everyone from the top order scored a single-digit score. But, then came Symonds, the allrounder who cherishes difficult situations. Alongside Hayden, Symonds scored a beautifully crafted century. From 220 balls, he smashed 156 runs with 15 fours and a six. His strike rate of 70.90 shows his ability to control his instinct and play as per the situation. This was his first century in his Test cricket and it helped him to seal a permanent place in the Test side. 1. 143 vs Pakistan, 2003 Andrew Symonds (Photo Source: Twitter) The defending champions Australia found themselves in a tricky situation against Pakistan during the 2003 ODI World Cup match. As they were facing one of the best bowling attack in the world at that time, things were never easy for the side. The top order failed and it was on the captain and his favorite all-rounder to turn things around. As Ponting scored a decent half-century, and then was dismissed by Akhtar, Symonds took the responsibility and started a counterattack against the bowlers. He went on to score 143 runs from 125 balls to help the team cross the 300-run mark. He found assistance from Ian Harvey and from the lower order as well. He smashed 18 fours and two sixes in his innings. This target was too tough for Pakistan as they were bundled out for 228 runs. A winning margin of 82 runs brought momentum to the Aussie side and they won the World Cup later on.

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Five times Andrew Symonds demolished opposition bowlers

In a team full of legends, Symonds was the man who brought energy to the team.

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