With Wisden’s 2023 in review series coming to a wrap, here are all the spells that made it to Wisden’s men’s ODI spells of 2023, collated in one place.

Wisden’s men’s ODI spells of 2023, No.5: Jofra Archer – 6-40

South Africa v England, 3rd ODI
Diamond Oval, Kimberley, February 1

For a few months at the start of the year, England fans, Mumbai Indians fans, any cricket fan with a soul dared to dream, and the highlight came at Kimberley. In his first game back, in the first ODI of January’s series against South Africa, Archer conceded 81. He rated himself about 80 per cent fit, and that was the issue. One in every five balls went for four or six even as he bowled more dots than any other England bowler. The good balls were still good, and it’s natural that there’s a bit of rust. There was no suggestion that the magic had gone.

Read the full piece on Archer’s spell here.

Wisden’s men’s ODI spell of 2023, No.4: Mohammed Shami – 4-22 (7)

India vs England, ODI World Cup, Match No.29
Ekana Stadium, Lucknow, October 29

That brief passage of play summed up Mohammad Shami’s genius. On a tricky wicket at the Ekana in Lucknow, bowling his first over after England were 30-2, he brought out his searing pace against Ben Stokes, who was struggling for runs in the World Cup. Having announced his decision to take back his ODI retirement for the event, Stokes would have been left questioning the move as he found himself at sea against a seamer who, till two games ago, was not even in India’s World Cup plans.

Read the full piece on Shami’s spell here.

Wisden’s men’s ODI Spells of 2023, No.3: Pat Cummins – 2-34 (10)

Australia vs India, World Cup final
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, November 19

Looking back, it’s easy to forget just how extraordinary that final was. One team makes 240, the other team chases it down with relative ease. So what? And yet the first innings of that game was unlike anything that had come before it. India attacked and raced to 50 in 45 balls. This was their gameplan. Get out in front and stay out in front. Go hard, consolidate, and then go hard again. They managed the first two. But while India absorbed Australia’s applied pressure, they were unable to release it. India hit 12 boundaries inside the powerplay but just four after it. Cummins was the mastermind and the chief architect.

There were slower balls, using the slow surface to its fullest extent. The short ball and the fuller ball posed their own problems. In his second over, the first after the powerplay, the perfect line had Shreyas Iyer nibbling behind. There was more tension. Who would blink first?

Read the full piece on Cummins’ spell here.

Wisden’s men’s ODI spell of 2023, No.2: Mohammed Shami – 7-57 (9.5)

India vs New Zealand, ODI World Cup, Semi-final
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, November 15

In 2019, Mohammed Shami had not made the XI for the semi-final despite picking up 14 wickets from the four league games he had played. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the first-choice seamer whom Shami had replaced mid-way through the tournament due to an injury, was fit and India valued incumbency over current form.

Shami’s 2023 campaign had started under similar circumstances. Hardik Pandya’s injury forced his inclusion in the XI, and like the previous World Cup, Shami had hit the ground running, picking wickets for fun. There were murmurs of Pandya’s return before every game, before he was eventually ruled out of the tournament. This meant that along with the context of India looking to avenge their 2019 defeat, the game also had the subtext of Shami aiming to make the statement that not picking him four years back might have been a mistake.

Shami himself, however, wouldn’t have envisioned the statement to come through like it did.

Read the full piece on Shami’s spell here.

Wisden’s men’s ODI spell of 2023, No.1: Mohammed Siraj – 6-21

India vs Sri Lanka, Asia Cup 2023 final
R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, September 17

Siraj had ripped the heart out of the Sri Lankan innings before you would have finished reading this piece. The hosts lay threadbare at 12-5 after four overs, hoping to play out Siraj.

Bumrah, suddenly the lesser of the two threats after that over from hell at the other end, responded with another maiden. Siraj would get six chances at Dasun Shanaka, yet to face a ball. He needed four.

Read the full piece on Siraj’s spell here.

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