With Wisden’s 2023 in review series coming to a wrap, here are all the knocks that made it to Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023, collated in one place.
Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023, No.5: David Miller – 101 (116)
South Africa v Australia, Cricket World Cup semi-final
Eden Gardens, Kolkata, November 16
Was this it for the Proteas? With most of their batting star cast already back, they wouldn’t have minded staying in the comforts of their dugout. Their batting had acted excessively bipolar through the campaign. A rescue mission looked unlikely.
That’s where the Miller effect comes in. When he clubbed Adam Zampa, the tournament’s best spinner, over long on, South Africa were shaken out of their stupor. He’s always had the ability to, out of nowhere, drain away every shred of non-complying statistic, track record or match scenario, ditch vulnerability and click into mode maverick.
Read the full piece on Miller’s knock here.
Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023, No.4: Michael Bracewell – 140 (78)
India vs New Zealand, 1st ODI
Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad, January 18
On the first ball of the 50th over, Michael Bracewell sat back and pounced on a slower short ball over long-on for his 10th six of the night. Walking out in his 14th ODI innings at No.7, Bracewell, batting on 140 off 77 after his team had slumped to 131-6, bludgeoned a Shardul Thakur delivery to reduce the equation to 14 in five. A wide made it 13 off five.
Having already seen off a rocky chase of 301 against Ireland a year earlier with an 82-ball 127* after New Zealand had slipped to 217-8, Bracewell’s knock in Hyderabad was another entry into the canon of out-of-the-blue classics.
Read the full piece on Bracewell’s knock here.
Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023, No.3: Heinrich Klaasen – 174 (83)
South Africa vs Australia, Fourth ODI
SuperSport Park, Centurion, September 15
Adam Zampa’s leg-break sailed over long-off. Josh Hazlewood was duly dispatched for two fours, one of them an outrageous back-foot thwack to the left of mid-on, up inside the circle. A six over mid-wicket got him to his fifty, off 38 balls.
It was at this point that Klaasen went from aggressive to absurd. As the innings progressed, the shots became ridiculous. Michael Neser, born not too far away from he venue, bowled one on the stumps. It was not too short, mind you, but Klaasen intercepted the line and lofted it over the bowler, off the back foot, all bottom hand. It bounced a couple of times before rolling past the ropes.
Read the full piece on Klaasen’s knock here.
Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023, No.2: Travis Head – 137 (120)
Australia v India, Cricket World Cup final
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, November 19
On the fateful night of November 19 in Ahmedabad, amidst a sea of blue at the Narendra Modi Stadium, every time Head crunched a boundary off the middle of his bat, it was hard to make out what was louder – the crunch or the silence that followed immediately after. Every shot he played was like a dagger to the hearts of a billion people. The World Cup had India written all over it, or so it seemed until Head came, Head saw, and Head conquered.
Read the full piece on Head’s knock here.
Wisden’s men’s ODI innings of 2023, No.1: Glenn Maxwell – 201* (128)
Australia v Afghanistan, Cricket World Cup 2023
Wankhede Stadium, November 7
In very clear terms, Maxwell was told by the physio that retiring hurt and coming back wasn’t really an option. He lay flat on the ground, ravaged by a cramping back that had undone his hamstring. He couldn’t possibly go up and walk back down the Wankhede stairs in that state.
He really had no choice but to produce the greatest men’s ODI innings ever.
By then, he was already on 147*, having hacked the Afghanistan attack into shreds. The padded up No.9 Adam Zampa, ready to replace him, was sent back from the edge of the boundary.
Maxwell had started it. Maxwell was completing it.
Read the full piece on Maxwell’s knock here.
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