The Hindu : Sport : Milestones in the making

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 14, 2007
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Milestones in the making

New Delhi: Many of the World Cup's record-breakers will be making their way to the ninth edition of the cricket's mega event in the Caribbean looking for another shot at glory.

Sachin Tendulkar has always reserved his best for the World Cup. He is the only batsman to have aggregated 500 in one single competition and that too twice — 673 (average 61.18) in 11 games in 2003 and 523 (average 87.16) in just seven games in 1996.

Major weapon

He is still a major weapon at the top of the order for India and is all set to become the first batsman to amass 2,000 runs in the World Cup, needing just 262 runs to achieve this important landmark.

Tendulkar, with four centuries, shares a World Cup record for most centuries with Sourav Ganguly (India) and Mark Waugh (Australia). Another century would place him at the top.

Tendulkar, with 33 appearances, will have a go at another record of most World Cup matches. He needs just six games to overtake Wasim Akram's tally of 38 appearances.

Glenn McGrath, who had played a major role in Australia's successful defence of the World Cup in 2003, claiming 21 wickets at 14.76 apiece, would like to be placed in every section of the bowling records at the World Cup before his retirement from all forms of the game after the competition.

Bowling record

Having already recorded his career-best figures in a World Cup game, which is also the best by any bowler in the World Cup — seven for 15 against Namibia in 2003 — McGrath requires just 11 wickets to overtake Wasim Akram's tally of 55 wickets (ave 23.84) in 38 matches to become the leading wicket-taker.

Australia, the defending champion, and the most successful team in the history of the World Cup, with three title triumphs having defeated England (1987), Pakistan (1999) and India (2003) will be looking for a World Cup hat-trick.

The West Indians, led by Clive Lloyd, were the last team looking for accomplishing a World Cup hat-trick but they were outclassed by India in all the departments of the game in the 1983 edition.

The defeat signalled the commencement of the West Indies' slide from dominance. Australia will hope that with the retirement of their key players after the World Cup history does not repeat itself.

For Ricky Ponting, the forthcoming edition of the World Cup would be his fourth in succession and he would love to emulate Clive Lloyd's record of lifting the World Cup twice.

Lloyd was the captain of the triumphant West Indian team in 1975 and 1979.

Captaincy honours

Ponting, who enjoys a cent per cent captaincy record, winning all 11 matches during the 2002-03 World Cup, needs five more wins to obliterate West Indian Clive Lloyd's tally of 15 wins out of 17 games (winning per cent 88.24).

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, having played 32 games in succession, needs to play four consecutive matches to overtake Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva's tally of 35 matches in a row. — PTI

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