Stuart Binny may not have seen the international career he hoped for, but the all-rounder still holds the record for best bowling figures by an Indian in the ODIs. On this day, eight years ago, Binny stunned everyone with a magical spell to snatch the victory from the jaws of defeat.
Stuart Binny bowled 4.4 overs, with two of them ending in maidens, conceded just four runs, and picked six crucial wickets. With bowling figures of 6/4, he surpassed the longstanding record of Anil Kumble, who once returned 6/12 against the West Indies in 1993.
It was the second ODI of the three-match series against Bangladesh. After winning the first ODI comprehensively, India decided to rest big names like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni. Persistent rain delayed the start, and the game was eventually reduced to 41-overs-per-side.
Mushfiqur Rahim’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss reaped him instant rewards, as their bowlers managed to get rid of both Indian openers in the first few over. Taskin Ahmed claimed five wickets in eight overs to restrict India to a meager 106.
Chasing 107 in 246 balls was supposed to be a cakewalk for Bangladesh, despite the excessive movements the bowlers were getting due to moisture. With a scoreboard reading 44/2, they were well on their path to leveling the series.
But then Binny played the spoilsport. It took him only 28 balls to change the complexion of the game, as he ran through Bangladesh’s batting unit to bowl them out for 58.
“I still get goosebumps when I watch that video to be honest,” said Binny to Sportskeeda. “You can’t ask for better days than that. It was a game where we didn’t get too many runs on the board and we were under the pump from ball one. It was a wicket that wasn’t bad but we were on and off the field because of rain.”
Thanks to Binny’s intervention, India won the game they had no business winning, and also took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
“To break Anil Bhai’s record was something special,” Binny said. “I had no idea that the record was broken until I went to the presentation. I actually got a text message from him saying ‘Congratulations! Really happy to see someone from Karnataka break the record.”
Featured Image Credit: BCCI
