Historical

Six maidens, six runs, five wickets: When Sunil Joshi conjured an ODI spell for the ages against South Africa

by Wisden Staff September 26, 2023 - 8:39am 3 minute read

Watch: With figures of 5-6, Sunil Joshi destroyed South Africa at the Nairobi Gymkhana Club Ground in 1999.

ODIs peaked in the 1990s, the decade of triangular tournament with the odd quadrangular competition thrown in. The LG Cup of 1999 was an example of the latter: Kenya hosted India, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe won the tournament opener against Kenya with four balls and three wickets in hand. In the second match, Hansie Cronje won the toss and opted to bat.

Earlier that year, South Africa had beaten India in a World Cup match at Hove. Mohammad Azharuddin had been sacked as captain after India’s unceremonious exit. With Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble both opting out of the LG Cup, Ajay Jadeja led India.

After Venkatesh Prasad and Debasis Mohanty were done with the new ball, Jadeja brought on Sunil Joshi who, until that point, had 44 ODI wickets at 36.47 and without a four-wicket haul.

Here, he found turn straight away. In the 10th over, Herschelle Gibbs mistimed a steer, and Rahul Dravid took a brilliant catch at slip. At the other end, Nikhil Chopra kept the pressure on. Boeta Dippenaar, Gibbs’ opening partner, attempted a slog sweep off Joshi and was bowled.

Cronje himself went next, caught by S Ramesh off the bat and pad. Jonty Rhodes’s violent reverse slog-sweep ballooned to Chopra at short third. Joshi found Shaun Pollock’s edge two balls later, and Dravid’s slip catch ensured a five-wicket haul.

At 85-7, South Africa were under threat of getting bowled out for less than a hundred, but Jacques Kallis (38) helped them reach 117. Joshi finished with 10-6-6-5, and Chopra with 3-26. After an opening stand of 72 between Ramesh and Sourav Ganguly, India sealed the chase inside 23 overs.

At that point, Joshi’s figures were the second-cheapest five-wicket haul in ODIs, after Courtney Walsh’s 4.3-3-1-5 against Sri Lanka. Since then, Stuart Binny has returned 6-4 against Bangladesh and Luke Jongwe 5-6 against Afghanistan.