3 Great Indian Bowlers Who Never Took a 5-Wicket Haul in ODI: Bowlers have always played a pivotal role in the history of Indian cricket. There was a time when the world danced to the tunes of the famous spin quartet, while in recent years, our fast bowlers have dominated on every playing surface. Having played its first ODI in 1974, the Indian team never looked back after the historic 1983 World Cup victory, and today, India ranks among the strongest teams in the world.
India, often referred to as a nation of batsmen, has produced numerous bowlers who have won countless matches for the team. However, the game of cricket is full of curious coincidences; there have been match-winning bowlers who performed consistently well but never managed to claim a five-wicket haul in their ODI careers. Let us take a look at three such prominent players:
3. Ishant Sharma
Ishant Sharma, who troubled batsmen with his impressive height, pace, and bounce, served as India’s lead fast bowler for a long time.
- Matches and Wickets: 115 wickets in 80 ODIs
- Best Performance: 4 wickets for 34 runs
- Last ODI: 2016
Ishant delivered many memorable spells for India and claimed over 100 ODI wickets, yet he never managed to take a five-wicket haul in a single innings throughout his ODI career.
2. Roger Binny
Roger Binny was one of the key heroes behind India’s historic title victory at the 1983 World Cup.
He crippled the opposition teams by taking a tournament-high 18 wickets.
- Role: Highest wicket-taker of the 1983 World Cup
- Best Performance: 4 wickets for 29 runs
Roger Binny, who played a pivotal role in making India world champions through his swing bowling, had a highly impressive career; however, the dream of taking a 5-wicket haul in ODIs remained unfulfilled for him as well.
1. Axar Patel
Having made his ODI debut in 2014, Axar Patel is today one of the Indian team’s most reliable all-rounders.
- Matches and Wickets: 75 wickets in 71 ODI matches
- Economy Rate: 4.49 (a testament to his tight bowling)
- Best Performance: 3 wickets for 24 runs
Despite consistently bowling economically and providing breakthroughs at crucial moments, Axar Patel has not yet managed to secure a 5-wicket haul in ODIs.
