OTD | 24 years ago Sunil Joshi bowled one of best ODI spells of all time

On September 26, 1999, India faced South Africa in the opening match of the LG Cup series. South Africa won the toss and chose to bat, but their innings was plagued by the exceptional performance of left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi. Joshi’s slow left-arm orthodox bowling bewildered the South African top order, reducing them to 45/4 and then a dismal 85/7. South Africa was ultimately dismissed for a mere 117 runs.

The LG Cup in 1999 was a 50-over cricket tournament held in Kenya from September 25 to October 1. Four teams participated in this competition: India, Kenya, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. 

The tournament format included a round-robin stage followed by a final match between South Africa and India. South Africa emerged victorious in the final, but their first encounter with India in the LG Cup had a different outcome.

India chased down the target in just 22.4 overs

India, under the captaincy of Ajay Jadeja, successfully chased down the target in just 22.4 overs, securing an emphatic 8-wicket victory. South African off-spinner Derek Crookes managed to take the only wicket for his team that day. Indian openers Sadagoppan Ramesh and Sourav Ganguly made significant contributions to the chase before being dismissed by Crookes. R Vijay Bharadwaj and Rahul Dravid remained unbeaten as India completed the chase with 27.2 overs to spare.

The most remarkable aspect of the game was Sunil Joshi‘s exceptional bowling performance, where he claimed a 5-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 10-6-6-5. Joshi bowled six maiden overs in his ten-over spell and conceded only six runs. To this day, his outstanding bowling figures from that match stand as the sole instance of a 5-wicket haul against South Africa in ODIs.

This memorable match showcased team India’s dominance and the brilliance of left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi, making it a significant chapter in Indian cricket history.