If Brisbane was hit by dual cyclones, then on Tuesday, Canberra was hit by Gayle storm. It was a day when the statisticians following cricket all over the world were kept busy.
West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. This is what West Indies have been doing in their previous games. So that meant Zimbabwe would chase and that is what they had been doing in the past two games. West Indies made couple of changes to their squad, Jonathan Carter came in for Darren Bravo and Nikita Miller came in for Suleiman Benn. Zimbabwe on the other hand made one change, Stuart Matsikenyeri came in for Solomon Mire.
Zimbabwe had a dream start getting the wicket of Smith as early as 2nd ball of the innings. That was it for Zimbabwe and nothing after that went their way. Both Samuels and Gayle went about their business steadily. The intent was very clear, they did not want to lose wickets. It was not the Gayle that we know in the initial part of the innings. However, he was still scoring at almost run a ball. On the other hand Samuels was in no hurry scoring at a strike rate less than 50.
Failing to break the partnership, Zimbabwe brought Sikandar Raza for the 17th over who responded immediately. On the last ball of the over, Samuels glided the ball to the backward point where Chatara spilled a sitter. In the very next over Gayle got to his 2nd half century in the last 20 innings. In the 31st over, Samuels reached his 50 off 95 balls. Gayle still sedate by his standards scoring just above run a ball and Samuels just above a strike rate of 50. Sikandar Raza was still bowling well to keep West Indies under check. In the meantime it had been drizzling for most part of the innings and bowlers found it really difficult to grip the ball.
On the very first ball of the batting powerplay, Gayle reached his 22nd ODI hundred, a performance not just the West Indies wanted, but the whole world wanted. It was just 36th over and he was not yet done. West Indies were 166/1 at this point of time. The pair added 55 runs in the powerplay. There was a moment in the powerplay when Zimbabwe would have thought that they have pulled it back. Gayle hit a fuller length from Panyangara going across, slamming it high over long on. Sikandar Raza caught it with ease but to Zimbabwe's dismay it was a No ball. The very next ball also resulted in the similar result, but being a Free Hit was of no consequence.
Then came what the Zimbabweans feared the most - not Gayle's carnage but their own death bowling. They were justified in their fear. Zimbabwe had conceded 152 runs in the last 10 overs in this match, they had conceded 146 against South Africa in the same number of overs. Against UAE, less formidable side, they conceded 81 runs in last 10 overs.
The last 10 overs saw records tumbling one after the other. In the 44th over, their partnership 259* was highest by the West Indies for any wicket in ODI history. The same over saw Gayle going past his highest ODI score, 153* with a six. In the 45th over, he hit three consecutive six to go past the highest individual score ever by a player in a World Cup, overtaking Gary Kirsten's mark of 188* against the UAE in 1996. In the same over, West Indies reached the 300 mark, third time in a row in this competition. In the 46th over, Gayle made World Cup history to become the first batsman to score an ODI double hundred in world cup. In this process he even became the fastest batsman to reach the landmark in 138 balls bettering Virender Sehwag's record of 140 balls. His first 100 came in 105 balls and for the next hundred, he required only 33 more balls. Gayle also broke the monopoly of India in scoring double centuries. In the 47th over, Samuels reached his 8th ODI hundred. He got there in 143 balls. In the same over they went past the highest partnership for any ODI wicket, 331. Gayle also equalled the most sixes in an ODI at 16 tied with Rohit Sharma and AB de Villiers. Manuka Oval is supposed to be the biggest ground in Australia but Gayle's innings proved that there is no ground in the world that is big for him.
Finally Gayle's innings ended on the last ball of the innings with his personal score at 215. Quiet emphatic innings and that had set Zimbabwe a mammoth total, 372. It was heartening to see all the Zimbabwe players coming to Gayle and Samuels and congratulating them.
Zimbabwe's chase did not start well as they lost their opener Chakabva in the very 2nd over to Holder. After 2.3 overs into the innnings, the game was interrupted because of the rain. When the play was resumed, the target had been revised to 363 from 48 overs. Soon Zimbabwe lost two more wickets in in-form Masakadza and a fluent Sikandar Raza within 8 overs. Zimbabwe were 46/3. Taylor and Williams consolidated with a partnership of 80 runs off 73 balls before Taylor was dismissed for 37, another innings where he could not convert the start. Williams was aggressive on the other hand. Williams and Ervine who combined together to rescue Zimbabwe against UAE, once again added 51 off 46 balls. Williams mistimed a pull through midwicket off Holder, that ended going up straight to midwicket where Smith took it comfortably. That brought an end to a fine innings by Williams, scoring 76 off 61 balls. Ervine continued from where Williams left, he together with Matsikenyeri added 49 runs off 35 balls keeping Zimbabwe still in the chase. That is when the man of the day struck, coming to bowl for the first time in the innings, Gayle bowled the well set Ervine for 51 off 41 balls. With that dismissal, Zimbabwe's chances of winning also got depleted. Though, the tail wagged a little bit but it was too late and Zimbabwe were bowled out for 289 in 44.3 overs.
As against South Africa, even here Zimbabwe were ahead of West Indies in the over to over comparison during the chase, even at the end of 44 overs. The only difference being that West Indies had lost only 1 wicket whereas Zimbabwe had lost 9 wickets. Zimbabwe has to seriously start thinking about their death bowling. On the other hand, West Indies have to think about their attack as a whole. They allowed Ireland to chase down 307 and now they allowed Zimbabwe to come this far.
West Indies won the toss and elected to bat first. This is what West Indies have been doing in their previous games. So that meant Zimbabwe would chase and that is what they had been doing in the past two games. West Indies made couple of changes to their squad, Jonathan Carter came in for Darren Bravo and Nikita Miller came in for Suleiman Benn. Zimbabwe on the other hand made one change, Stuart Matsikenyeri came in for Solomon Mire.
Zimbabwe had a dream start getting the wicket of Smith as early as 2nd ball of the innings. That was it for Zimbabwe and nothing after that went their way. Both Samuels and Gayle went about their business steadily. The intent was very clear, they did not want to lose wickets. It was not the Gayle that we know in the initial part of the innings. However, he was still scoring at almost run a ball. On the other hand Samuels was in no hurry scoring at a strike rate less than 50.
Failing to break the partnership, Zimbabwe brought Sikandar Raza for the 17th over who responded immediately. On the last ball of the over, Samuels glided the ball to the backward point where Chatara spilled a sitter. In the very next over Gayle got to his 2nd half century in the last 20 innings. In the 31st over, Samuels reached his 50 off 95 balls. Gayle still sedate by his standards scoring just above run a ball and Samuels just above a strike rate of 50. Sikandar Raza was still bowling well to keep West Indies under check. In the meantime it had been drizzling for most part of the innings and bowlers found it really difficult to grip the ball.
On the very first ball of the batting powerplay, Gayle reached his 22nd ODI hundred, a performance not just the West Indies wanted, but the whole world wanted. It was just 36th over and he was not yet done. West Indies were 166/1 at this point of time. The pair added 55 runs in the powerplay. There was a moment in the powerplay when Zimbabwe would have thought that they have pulled it back. Gayle hit a fuller length from Panyangara going across, slamming it high over long on. Sikandar Raza caught it with ease but to Zimbabwe's dismay it was a No ball. The very next ball also resulted in the similar result, but being a Free Hit was of no consequence.
Then came what the Zimbabweans feared the most - not Gayle's carnage but their own death bowling. They were justified in their fear. Zimbabwe had conceded 152 runs in the last 10 overs in this match, they had conceded 146 against South Africa in the same number of overs. Against UAE, less formidable side, they conceded 81 runs in last 10 overs.
The last 10 overs saw records tumbling one after the other. In the 44th over, their partnership 259* was highest by the West Indies for any wicket in ODI history. The same over saw Gayle going past his highest ODI score, 153* with a six. In the 45th over, he hit three consecutive six to go past the highest individual score ever by a player in a World Cup, overtaking Gary Kirsten's mark of 188* against the UAE in 1996. In the same over, West Indies reached the 300 mark, third time in a row in this competition. In the 46th over, Gayle made World Cup history to become the first batsman to score an ODI double hundred in world cup. In this process he even became the fastest batsman to reach the landmark in 138 balls bettering Virender Sehwag's record of 140 balls. His first 100 came in 105 balls and for the next hundred, he required only 33 more balls. Gayle also broke the monopoly of India in scoring double centuries. In the 47th over, Samuels reached his 8th ODI hundred. He got there in 143 balls. In the same over they went past the highest partnership for any ODI wicket, 331. Gayle also equalled the most sixes in an ODI at 16 tied with Rohit Sharma and AB de Villiers. Manuka Oval is supposed to be the biggest ground in Australia but Gayle's innings proved that there is no ground in the world that is big for him.
Finally Gayle's innings ended on the last ball of the innings with his personal score at 215. Quiet emphatic innings and that had set Zimbabwe a mammoth total, 372. It was heartening to see all the Zimbabwe players coming to Gayle and Samuels and congratulating them.
Zimbabwe's chase did not start well as they lost their opener Chakabva in the very 2nd over to Holder. After 2.3 overs into the innnings, the game was interrupted because of the rain. When the play was resumed, the target had been revised to 363 from 48 overs. Soon Zimbabwe lost two more wickets in in-form Masakadza and a fluent Sikandar Raza within 8 overs. Zimbabwe were 46/3. Taylor and Williams consolidated with a partnership of 80 runs off 73 balls before Taylor was dismissed for 37, another innings where he could not convert the start. Williams was aggressive on the other hand. Williams and Ervine who combined together to rescue Zimbabwe against UAE, once again added 51 off 46 balls. Williams mistimed a pull through midwicket off Holder, that ended going up straight to midwicket where Smith took it comfortably. That brought an end to a fine innings by Williams, scoring 76 off 61 balls. Ervine continued from where Williams left, he together with Matsikenyeri added 49 runs off 35 balls keeping Zimbabwe still in the chase. That is when the man of the day struck, coming to bowl for the first time in the innings, Gayle bowled the well set Ervine for 51 off 41 balls. With that dismissal, Zimbabwe's chances of winning also got depleted. Though, the tail wagged a little bit but it was too late and Zimbabwe were bowled out for 289 in 44.3 overs.
As against South Africa, even here Zimbabwe were ahead of West Indies in the over to over comparison during the chase, even at the end of 44 overs. The only difference being that West Indies had lost only 1 wicket whereas Zimbabwe had lost 9 wickets. Zimbabwe has to seriously start thinking about their death bowling. On the other hand, West Indies have to think about their attack as a whole. They allowed Ireland to chase down 307 and now they allowed Zimbabwe to come this far.
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