Hershelle Gibbs was drunk before he slammed 175 vs Australia

South African opener Herschelle Gibbs will go down one of cricket's all time greats. With the eccentric aura that he brought with himself on to the field, the right handed batsman was known for his fielding and the smacking he delivered to bowlers while playing at the top order.

However, Gibbs scored the career best knock of his life having been drunk the night before, when he tormented the Australian bowlers by scoring 175 runs of 111 balls to ensure the Proteas chased a mammoth total of 434. Moreover, his match winning knock at Johannesburg consisted of a jaw dropping 21 boundaries and 7 sixes. In his autobiography, ‘To the Point: The No-holds barred Autobiography’ 43-year-old Gibbs revealed that during his man-of-the-match knock of 175 in that game, he was nursing a hangover after a night of drinking just the previous day.

Australian fielder Michael Hussey, who was at the receiving end of Gibbs stunning innings also mentioned about the incident in his book. "Just before I went to bed an hour later I looked over the railing outside my hotel room and there he (Gibbs) was, still in that spot. At least he was a free wicket," Hussey wrote.

Till date, the 5th ODI match between the Proteas and the Aussies is regarded as the most enthralling match in the history of the limited overs format.  Batting first, Australia put on a massive 434 thanks to captain Ricky Ponting's 164 knock. But Herschelle Gibbs had other plans and ensured the South Africans did the impossible with the likes of Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher contributing crucial knocks. 

Even though 400 plus totals might be ordinary today and while a thousand records may be created, this match thriller of 800 plus runs before the birth of the T20 revolution will always be a nostalgic memory for cricket lovers.