The year that was
There were a total of 125 one-day internationals played in 2008. While 116 of these matches ended in results, one was tied and the remaining eight were No Results. The total number of runs scored in the 125 ODIs was 51,240 in 62,186 balls with 1,766 wickets falling at an average of 29.01 and the run rate per over being 4.94.
The run-machines
India's opening batsman Gautam Gambhir with 1,119 runs in 27 matches at an average of 46.62 and strike rate of 90.53 was the leading run-scorer in ODIs in 2008. Gambhir, who hit three 100s and seven 50s had a highest score of 113. In fact, India had four batsmen in the top-five leading run scorers -- Gambhir (1st), captain MS Dhoni (2nd), Virender Sehwag (4th) and Yuvraj Singh (5th). Gambhir and Dhoni were the only batsmen to have scored more than 1,000 runs in 2008. Dhoni scored 1,097 runs with a highest score of 109* and one century and eight half-centuries in 29 matches at an average of 57.73 and strike rate of 82.29.
Sri Lanka's vice-captain Kumar Sangakkara with 942 runs in 27 matches at an average of 39.25 and strike rate of 75.29 occupies the third spot, followed by Sehwag who scored 893 runs in 18 matches at an average of 49.61 and strike rate of 120.02, and Yuvraj with 893 runs in 27 matches at an average of 38.82 and strike rate of 100.22. Suresh Raina at No 10 is the fifth Indian batsman in the list with 680 runs in 19 ODIs at an average of 45.33 and strike rate of 94.83.
Interestingly, there are only three non-Asians in the list of the top-15 ODI run-scorers in 2008: England captain Kevin Pietersen (12th), Australian middle-order mainstay Michael Hussey (14th) and New Zealand's wicket-keeper batsman Brendon McCullum (15th). Pakistan has four players in the list -- Younis Khan (6th), opening batsman Salman Butt (7th), captain Shoaib Malik (9th) and Misbah-ul-Haq (13th). The surprises in this list are Bangladesh's opening batsman Tamim Iqbal in the eighth position and his captain Mohammad Ashraful who finished 2008 as the 11th highest run-scorer in ODIs.
Sri Lankan's new weapon
The Sri Lankan trio of Ajantha Mendis, Muttiah Muralitharan and Nuwan Kulasekara are the three leading wicket-takers in ODIs in 2008. Mendis, who has had a terrific first international season, was the best bowler in the 50-overs format scalping 48 wickets in 18 ODIs at an economy rate of 3.58 and average of 10.12. His best effort in a match was 6/13, and he took four and more wickets on six occasions. Muralitharan took 33 wickets in 21 matches at an economy rate of 4.24 and average of 22.08, while Kulasekara took 33 wickets in as many matches at an average of 20.87 and economy rate of 4.32.
England's Stuart Broad is in the fourth position with 32 wickets in 21 matches at an economy rate of 4.85 and average of 25.03 and Pakistani pace bowler Sohail Tanvir, who took 32 wickets in 19 ODIs at an average of 23.87 and economy rate of 4.74 rounds off the top-five.
India doesn't have a lot to cheer about on the bowling front as pace bowler Ishant Sharma (10th) with 27 wickets in 19 matches is the country's only representative in the list of the top-15 wicket-takers in one-day internationals in 2008.
Pakistan, which had four batsmen in the list of top-15 run-scorers in 2008, also has as many representatives in the bowling department with Tanvir (5th), Shahid Afridi (7th), Iftikhar Anjum (12th) and Umar Gul (13th). Australia and Bangladesh have three bowlers each in the top 15 ODI wicket-takers in 2008. Nathan Bracken (6th), Mitchell Johnson (11th) and Brett Lee (14th) form the Aussie trio, while Abdur Razzak (8th), Mashrafe Mortaza (9th) and Shakib Al Hasan (15th) are the three Bangladeshi bowlers in the list.
Harbhajan Singh (17th), Praveen Kumar (18th) and Irfan Pathan (19th) are the other three Indian bowlers in the top-20 wicket-takers of 2008. Harbhajan (19 matches), Praveen (14 matches) and Irfan (20 matches) all took 21 wickets this year. Harbhajan took his wickets at an average of 28.66 and had an economy rate of 4.39, while Praveen's average per wicket was 28.19 and he had an economy rate of 4.83. Irfan, however had a high average per wicket of 42.95 as well as a high economy rate of 5.80.
Safe hands
Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jaywardene with 22 catches in 27 matches emerged as the leading fielder in ODIs in 2008. South Africa's AB De Villiers with 14 catches in 17 ODIs slips occupies the second place, while Australia's Michael Hussey and the Pakistani duo of Misbah-ul-Haq with 12 catches round off the list of the top five fielders in ODIs in 2008.
Men with the gloves
Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni with 49 dismissals (38 catches + 11 stumpings) in 29 matches was world cricket's leading glovesman in ODIs in 2008. Sri Lanka's vice-captain Kumar Sangakkar with 30 dismissals (22 catches + 8 stumpings) in 27 ODIs occupies the second spot.
Pakistan's Kamran Akmal (24 catches + 3 stumpings), South African wicket-keeper Mark Boucher (20 catches) and former Australian wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist with 18 dismissals (16 catches + 2 stumpings) round off the list of the top wicket-keepers in 2008.
Top partnerships
Indian opening batsmen Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag were the leading pair in terms of runs in ODIs in 2008. The pair added 898 runs with a highest partnership of 155 and average of 64.14 in 14 ODIs. However, the pair with the highest average per partnership is the duo of Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, whose 573 runs in six innings came at an astounding average of 95.50. Dhoni features again in the list with Yuvraj Singh as this pair added 502 runs in 12 matches with a highest partnership of 105 at an average partnership of 41.83.
Kumar Sangakkara also features twice in the list of the top-10 partnerships in one-dayers in 2008. The Sangakkara-Sanath Jayasuriya combination occupies the fourth position with 495 runs in 12 innings, while Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene who added 482 runs in 13 ODIs finished 2008 as the sixth leading partnership of 2008.
Mohammad Yousuf and Shoaib Malik may have had their differences off the field, but they formed a potent partnership as they added 408 runs with a highest partnership of 145 and average of 51 to round off the list of top-10 partnerships in 2008.
Win/loss records
India, who played the most number of ODIs in 2008 -- 29 -- won 19 and lost eight matches with two matches being no-results. Pakistan won 18 of their 21 matches, while Sri Lanka won 14 and lost 11 of their 27 ODIs. Australia won 13 and lost four of their 18 matches, while South Africa won 12, lost four and had a no-result match. New Zealand played 15 ODIs in 2008 winning 10, losing three, with one match ending in a tie while the other was a no-result.
England won only 6 of their 21 ODIs, but they lost 11 matches, with one ending in a tie and the remaining being no-results.
Bangladesh won only five of their 26 matches, while West Indies also won only five and lost 13 of their 19 ODIs with the other being a no-result. Ireland played 11 ODIs in 2008 -- winning four, losing six and one no-result, while Zimbabwe won only one of the 12 matches they played in 2008.
Source: India Syndicate
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