Many people argue about the best ever ODI individual knock. Some say that Viv Richard’s has crossed 180 a couple of times and those were the most devastating knocks in the limited over format of the game, some argue that Saeed Anwar’s 194 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 was
the best ever, some would rate Sachin Tendulkar’s 200 against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in that epic run chase of 433 as the best ever knock played in the limited overs format. All these arguments
were valid enough before 31 October when Abdul http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Razzaq-c84421 played an innings which was more close to a film story than reality.
Before the 2nd ODI between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 and South Africa, there was a big question mark about Razzaq’s place in the side as his bowling has lost the sharpness and guile that he used to have in the past. He has never been a good fielder, so the only
thing that made the management persist with him was his hard-hitting ability with the bat in the slog overs, but he had not been consistent enough with the bat too for the past 15 months.
In the 2nd ODI at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, South Africa won the toss and batted first which turned out to be a good decision as they made a very good 1st innings total of 286 runs in their allotted 50 overs. At one
stage, Pakistan had scored only 136 runs for the loss of 5 top order batsmen in the 30th over and they were down and out for all counts. The loss of the 5th wicket brought Razzaq to the crease. He along with Fawad Alam steadily started
building a partnership and provided themselves with a base for an onslaught later on in the innings. Alam fell after a well made 48.
But the Abdul Razzaq show had just begun. From there onwards, it was just him against the South Africans. He started hitting sixes as if it’s a child’s play. He was not just throwing his bat at everything, but also used his brain to good effect. He did not
take any risk against the lanky http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Morne-Morkel-c77722, even though the run rate was climbing. Such was his individual brilliance that the spectators forgot for a moment that they were watching a team sport. Razzaq stroked 7 fours and 10 towering sixes in his unbeaten
knock of 109 of only 72 balls with a strike rate of more than a 151 runs. His innings was chanceless and even though the wickets kept trembling at the other end, it was a different ball-game when Abdul Razzaq was on strike.
There would be many ODI’s where an individual changed the complexion of the game but none has been more influential than Razzaq’s in that particular match. One can imagine his influence on the outcome of the match that out of the last 61 runs that Pakistan
scored, 59 out of them came off his bat. It would be appropriate to say that Razzaq defeated South Africa by 1 wicket rather than Pakistan beating South Africa. For sure, this innings would be remembered in the ODI history as one of the most amazing knocks.
Anyone who plays cricket, dreams of playing an innings like this.
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