ODI GOAT: Warne v Dev

The #ODIGOAT is cricket.com.au's knockout competition to determine the greatest ODI player of all time. We started with our top 64 ODI players and now we're asking YOU to do the hard work – that is, narrow it down to one. Set up in much the same way as a tennis tournament, each day you'll see head-to-head match-ups, with the winner of those progressing to the next round to square off with their next challenger. From 64, we are now into the round of 32. Next it will be 16, 8, 4 and ultimately our final. So cast your VOTE and decide just who is the greatest ODI player in history!

SHANE WARNE (AUSTRALIA)

The numbers: Matches: 194 | Wickets: 293 | Average: 25.73 | SR: 36.3 | Economy: 4.25 | BB: 5-33 | 5w: 1

#ODIGOAT Voting: Warne beat out fellow leg-spinner Anil Kumble in a landslide in the first round, taking 83 per cent of the vote to stroll through to the round of 32.

Why he makes the list: Mercurial, masterful and utterly memorable, Shane Warne's genius spread equally across five-day and 50-over cricket. While his Test record was built on volume, endurance and moments of magic, Warne's ODI career stands on big-match performances and rear-guard efforts. He rescued Australia from the brink of defeat in the 1996 World Cup semi-final against the West Indies with 4-36 in Chandigarh. Three years later it was in England, his home away from home, where the best of Warne surfaced. In the final, there was no stopping Warne or the Australians. Warne took 4-33, bamboozling, baffling and banishing Pakistan's batsmen as Australia romped to their second world title. Before Warne, a spinner's place in an ODI team was about containment. But the King of Spin was a deadly double: a wicket-taking phenomenon whose relentless accuracy dried up the runs in the middle overs.  

Performance we loved: There's plenty to pick from, but it has to his 4-29 in the 1999 World Cup semi-final in Birmingham. The Proteas got off to a rollicking start in their pursuit of 214, before captain Steve Waugh called upon his ace spinner. Warne had been battling poor form and uncharacteristically low confidence, but the star bowler never shone brighter than when his team needed him most. With his eighth ball, Warne bowled Herschelle Gibbs with a delivery rivalling the 'Ball of the Century' – pitching outside leg, spinning sharply across the batsman to clip the top of off stump. Five balls later, Warne bowled Gary Kirsten through the gate with another booming leg-break. Both openers gone, Warne set his sights on Proteas skipper Hansie Cronje. Within two deliveries he had his man caught at first slip. With each wicket the Victorian bellowed "C'mon!" as his teammates mobbed him mid-pitch. He returned to remove supreme allrounder Jacques Kallis as Australia held their nerve to steal a tie and advance to the World Cup final.

KAPIL DEV (India)

The numbers: Matches: 225 | Wickets: 253 | Average: 27.45 | SR: 44.2 | Economy: 3.71 | BB: 5-43 | 5fa's: 1

Runs: 3,783| Average: 23.79 | SR: 95.07 | 100s: 1 | HS: 175no

#ODIGOAT Voting: Kapil was a clear winner in the round of 64 over New Zealand great Daniel Vettori, gathering 62 per cent of the vote to set up a meeting with Warne. 

Why he makes the list: One of the four great allrounders of his generation (Imran, Botham and Hadlee the others), Kapil Dev was the backbone of India during his 16-year career. Dev's fluid bowling action which generated outswing away from the right-hander was paired with a clean-striking swing with the bat to form one of the most dynamic players the game has seen. His greatest triumph came in 1983, when as captain he led India to their maiden World Cup title against the all-conquering West Indies, and calmly took a brilliant catch to dismiss Master Blaster Viv Richards. It was a tournament to savour for Dev, who produced his highest score of 175no against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells and his best bowling performance, 5-43, against Australia at Trent Bridge.

Performance we loved: It's hard to look past the 175no against Zimbabwe. To put the incredible knock into some context, Dev walked to the wicket with India at 4-9, which quickly became 5-17. Undaunted, Dev attacked and attacked, hitting 16 fours and six sixes, with a strike rate of 126.81. The next top score was 24 by No.11 Syed Kirmani, and at the time, his 175 out of 266 was the highest percentage of runs (65.78) in an innings in ODI cricket. Only one player has scored more – Richards with 69.48 per cent a year later in Manchester. He also claimed a wicket and a catch to round out a wonderful day.

#ODIGOAT First Round: Tendulkar v Sharma

#ODIGOAT First Round: Akram v Starc

#ODIGOAT First Round: Garner v Donald

#ODIGOAT First Round: Richards v de Silva

#ODIGOAT First Round: Azharuddin v Miandad

#ODIGOAT First Round: Dev v Vettori

#ODIGOAT First Round: Lloyd v Border

#ODIGOAT First Round: Jones v Clarke

#ODIGOAT First Round: Waqar v Johnson

#ODIGOAT First Round: Warne v Kumble

#ODIGOAT First Round: Hooper v S. Waugh

#ODIGOAT First Round: Imran v Hadlee

#ODIGOAT First Round: Lee v Akhtar

#ODIGOAT First Round: M. Waugh v Jayasuriya

#ODIGOAT First Round: De Villiers v Boucher

#ODIGOAT First Round: Lara v Amla

#ODIGOAT First Round: Gilchrist v McCullum

#ODIGOAT First Round: Gayle v Haynes

#ODIGOAT First Round: McGrath v Pollock

#ODIGOAT First Round: Anwar v Ganguly

#ODIGOAT First Round: Sehwag v Greenidge

#ODIGOAT First Round: Ponting v Gibbs

#ODIGOAT First Round: Dhoni v Sangakkara

#ODIGOAT First Round: Inzamam v Kallis

#ODIGOAT First Round: Murali v Hogg

#ODIGOAT First Round: Bond v Ambrose

#ODIGOAT First Round: Malinga v Vaas

#ODIGOAT First Round: Kohli v Pietersen

#ODIGOAT First Round: Symonds v Klusener

#ODIGOAT First Round: Afridi v Saqlain

#ODIGOAT First Round: Bevan v Hussey

#ODIGOAT First Round: Dilshan v Jayawardena

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