On this day in 2014, Rohit Sharma produced one of the most extraordinary innings in cricket history, smashing a world-record 264 runs against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens. It was his comeback match after a finger injury, and he became the first batter ever to score two ODI double centuries (later adding a third in 2017). Remarkably, Rohit’s innings almost ended early — on just 4 runs — when Thisara Perera dropped a simple catch at third man. That miss turned out to be the costliest drop in ODI history. Rohit went on to hammer 33 fours and 9 sixes, with his first hundred coming off 100 balls and the next 164 off just 73. His innings surpassed not only his own 209 but also Virender Sehwag’s 219 and Belinda Clark’s 229 — setting a benchmark that still feels untouchable. Sri Lanka’s entire team could only manage 251 in response.

England made history by becoming the first team to hold both the ODI and T20 World Cups simultaneously, defeating Pakistan by five wickets in the T20 World Cup 2022 final at the MCG. Left-arm seamer Sam Curran was sensational, taking 3 for 12 and earning both Player of the Final and Player of the Tournament honours. Pakistan’s pace attack fought hard, but Shaheen Afridi’s knee injury midway through his spell proved costly.
Chasing 138, England stumbled early, but Ben Stokes once again delivered on the big stage — scoring a gritty, unbeaten 52 — supported by Moeen Ali. The pair sealed victory with an 18-run burst off just four balls, handing England their second T20 World Cup title, after their first in 2010.

Shane Warne delivered yet another Gabba masterclass, spinning Australia to an innings and 126-run win over Pakistan in the first Test at Brisbane. Just a year after taking 11 for 110 against England on the same ground, Warne went one better with match figures of 11 for 77, giving him 30 wickets in three Brisbane Tests at an average of just 10.40. Australia dominated from the start — Steve Waugh’s 112 set up a total of 463 before Pakistan collapsed for 97, with Warne taking 7 for 23. Asked to follow on, Pakistan’s Aamer Sohail fought hard for 99, but the result was never in doubt. In a poetic twist, Saleem Malik, who had been accused of bribery by Warne, fell to the leg-spinner for a fourth-ball duck.

Born in 1858, Percy “Greatheart” McDonnell remains the only Greek scholar to have captained Australia. A daring and elegant batter, he was admired for his sharp footwork and ability to play confidently on wet wickets. His finest performance came in Sydney, 1882, when he scored 147 and shared a 199-run stand with Charles Bannerman — while the rest of the team combined for only 29 runs! McDonnell’s brilliance was tragically cut short; he passed away in Brisbane in 1896 at just 37.

In a gripping low-scoring Test in Brisbane, Australia narrowly defeated the West Indies by three wickets, overcoming the relentless spin duo of Alf Valentine and Sonny Ramadhin. The pair bowled a staggering 129.7 of 150.4 overs, constantly threatening the hosts. The only half-century came from Ray Lindwall, whose aggressive batting in the first innings gave Australia a lifeline. Eventually, an unbeaten 45 from Graeme Hole saw them crawl to the target of 236, sealing victory in a match dominated by spin and tension.

Charles Gregory etched his name into the record books with a colossal 383 runs for New South Wales against Queensland in Brisbane. At the time, it was the highest score ever by an Australian and the second-highest first-class score in history. His innings stood as a benchmark of batting endurance and precision in the early 20th century.

In the third ODI at Multan, Gordon Greenidge became the sixth player to reach 5000 ODI runs, but his painfully slow 35 off 110 balls contributed to West Indies’ downfall. Pakistan, led by Imran Khan’s unbeaten 46, managed 169 for 8, before bowling out the visitors for 137 to win by 31 runs.
That result gave Pakistan a 3-0 series whitewash, only the second time West Indies had suffered a clean sweep — the first being against England in 1988.