ICC ODI World Cup: Most Selfish Knock Ever? The Sunil Gavaskar Inning which made everyone fall asleep, Details

ICC ODI World Cup: The inception of the World Cup in international cricket happened on June 7, 1975. The inaugural match of this tournament featured England, the host nation, facing off against India at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground. However, there was one more highlight which baffles people even now. Sunil Gavaskar, one of the best batters India ever had, played a knock of 36 runs off 174 balls, while India required 335 runs to win in 60 overs.

Slowest knock ever in ICC ODI World Cup history

That day is etched in memory for one of the slowest innings in cricket history, delivered by none other than the celebrated opener, Sunil Gavaskar. After England, with contributions from Dennis Amiss (137), Keith Fletcher (68), and Chris Old (51), amassed a formidable 334/4 in 60 overs, India faced a daunting challenge. However, what transpired was a defensive approach when aggression was needed.

Gavaskar painstakingly accumulated 36 runs without getting dismissed, facing 174 balls. India managed to score only 132/3, resulting in a 202-run defeat. Gundappa Viswanath was the top scorer with 37 off 59 balls. Gavaskar's performance came under heavy scrutiny, with accusations that he was more focused on preserving his personal batting average in the tournament. In response, he cited the difficulty of scoring on the pitch, a claim refuted by critics who pointed out England's successful 300+ score.

Strike rate of 20.68

Regardless of the reasons, Gavaskar's innings included just one boundary and showed no signs of getting out. In truth, India made little effort to chase the runs, evident in the significant margin of defeat. His remarkably low strike rate of 20.68 drew widespread criticism for the veteran cricketer. Despite this, Gavaskar emerged as India's top run-scorer in the inaugural World Cup, tallying 113 runs at an impressive average of 113, with his highest score being an unbeaten 65.

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