Australian batsman Aaron Finch tore into the Sri Lankan bowlers in the fourth One-Day International on Wednesday. The 29-year-old smashed the ball all around the park to hit a quick-fire 55 of just 19 balls. Batting with a strike-rate of almost 290, Finch smashed three towering sixes and eight fours to take the match away from the Australians. The match was already in the bag when John Hastings took six wickets to dismantle Sri Lanka for 212. But, Finch added the icing on the cake by completely demolishing the opposition’s bowling unit.
However, if it ever comes to such dominance, one cannot forget the heroics of a certain Yuvraj Singh against England at Durban, South Africa, during the inaugural 2007 World Twenty20. It was September 19, 2007, when Singh decided to show the world his batting prowess, or rather his six-hitting ability. Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag smashed fifties to give India the ideal start. In walked Singh when the scoreboard read 155/3. Even before Singh came into bat, he was jumping eagerly waiting to get in to the middle. He came in with three overs to play and boy did he set Durban alight in those 18 balls.
In the 17th over he hit England bowler Andrew Flintoff for two fours in the over. After the over was bowled, Flintoff had an argument with Singh which charged the batsman. The left-hander then released his anger in the next over bowled by Stuart Broad. Singh smashed six sixes in that over to reach his 50 in just 12 balls. He smashed the first six over midfield and flicked the next into the crowd. The third was bowled outside off stump and the ball sailed over the boundary. The fourth was a delivery balled round the wicket and Singh smashed it for six taking India to 195. The fifth six saw Singh get down on one knee and to dispatch it over mid-wicket. The last six send the entire ground into frenzy with teammates, the crowd and the opposition in awe of what they just witnessed. Singh then smashed Flintoff for a six before falling to the fast bowler for 58 runs in 16 balls.
It was a massacre like no other on the cricket pitch.