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George Bailey Turns 43! Throwback To Ex-Australia Captain's Best ODI Blitz In India

Soumyajit Dutta

George Bailey against India [Source: @klean_cumpurt/X.com]George Bailey against India [Source: @klean_cumpurt/X.com]

On George Bailey's birthday today, on September 7, it’s worth journeying back to the sweltering October evenings in 2013, when an unassuming Tasmanian with a perpetual grin authored one of the most audacious batting displays ever seen on Indian soil. This was George Bailey’s tour, a breathtaking six-game spectacle where he completely dismantled the Indian bowling attack with a smile.

As captain, Bailey orchestrated Australia's batting with a serene authority that defined the seven-match series. On his birthday, we look back at a campaign where Bailey was ticking over with alarming efficiency as he compiled 478 runs at an average of 95.60, which announced him as a world-beater.

The Classy Knocks From Consistent Bailey

His tour was a study in building innings under pressure. In the first ODI at Pune, with Australia at a shaky 113/2, Bailey steadied the ship with a composed 85 from 82 balls. His knock, punctuated by 10 crisp boundaries, provided the crucial anchor around which the lower order could explode, setting up a commanding 72-run victory.

Bailey In Jaipur [Source: @robert_aaron09/X.com]Bailey In Jaipur [Source: @robert_aaron09/X.com]

If Pune was about composure, Jaipur was about pure, calculated assault. Chased down mercilessly by India, George Bailey’s role was to ensure Australia posted a mammoth total. He delivered a breathtaking, unbeaten 92 off just 50 deliveries, a strike rate of 184.00 featuring 8 fours and 5 sixes. It was an innings of stunning brutality that showcased a different gear to his game, even if it was ultimately in a losing cause.

The theme of valuable contributions continued. In Mohali, his 43 was part of the foundation for a miraculous James Faulkner heist. In Ranchi, on a tricky pitch after a top-order collapse, he played the definitive captain's knock. His 98 from 94 balls was a lesson in rebuilding, forming a devastating 153-run partnership with Glenn Maxwell that took the game away from India before rain intervened.

The Nagpur Knock Of 156

But the crown jewel was his masterpiece in Nagpur. With the series on the line, Bailey played an innings of sheer genius. He arrived at 45/2 and departed in the 50th over, having scored a magnificent 156 from 114 balls. It was a complete innings, blending textbook drives with audacious sixes (6), and it propelled Australia to an imposing 350. Though Virat Kohli’s brilliance stole the win, Bailey’s century remained one of the great ODI knocks in a losing cause.

Through sheer weight of runs and his all calming smile throughout the games, he authored a defining chapter in his career. He was the steady hand, the aggressive accelerator, and the charismatic leader all rolled into one, proving that consistency, indeed, can be the most thrilling spectacle of all. Happy Birthday, George Bailey.