Thrills and drama of the greatest ODI

New Delhi: Over the last decade or so the One-Day game has changed beyond recognition.

Fielding restrictions, flat pitches and shorter boundaries have meant the game has tilted almost totally in favour of the batsmen.

On March 12, 2006 South Africa rewrote ODI history against Australia to win what has been perhaps the greatest ODI till date at Johannesburg.

And it certainly was the most mind-boggling batting extravaganza the world has ever seen.

The four that South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher hit to give his team the win was certainly the most important of his life.

Earlier Australia had scored 434 for four; the first time that any team had managed to score more than 400 runs in an ODI.

But South Africa somehow found the resolve to overcome Australia's score. The celebrations of course will live to tell the tale of 872 runs scored in just one day but the match; the moment and the series all belonged to South Africa.

When Australia created history by going past the 400-run mark and with the host looking at almost nine runs an over to win the match, many thought that the match was just of academic interest.

It was Ricky Ponting who produced one of the most sensational One-Day innings of all time to take his side to a world record total.

The Aussie skipper scored a blistering 164 off just 105 balls an innings that brought back memories of the beating India took in the 2003 World Cup final, at the same venue.

But in reply Herschelle Gibbs powered his way to an even more sensational 175 off just 111 balls hitting 21 fours and as many as seven sixes taking the match tally to an incredible 87 fours and 26 sixes.

And when the man of the match award was announced the Australian skipper, showing great sportsman spirits, gave away his share of the man of the match award to Gibbs.

For the batsmen it was a night to remember but for the bowlers it was the ultimate nightmare.

504 runs were scored off just 113 balls and the unluckiest of them all was Australian Mark Lewis.

Playing just his seventh One-Dayer, Lewis became the most expensive bowler in the history with figures of naught for 113 in his 10 overs.

It took almost 10 years to break Sri Lanka's record of 398 but even after going past the Lankan record the world champions lost their first bilateral series since June 2002.

But such clean hitting, strokes filled with power and extraordinary cricket is rare and once in a lifetime experience.

Believe it or not, the record for the highest score has actually been broken. Sri Lanka scored 443 against the Netherlands in an official ODI a few weeks ago.