5 Best Batting Figures in a Losing Cause in ODI

Best Batting Figures in a Losing Cause in ODI

Best Batting Figures in a Losing Cause in ODI

No matter how great player you are, you will never be greater than the sports itself. Cricket is a funny game, some days despite all valor you are made to smell the barren land and sometimes fly on cloud nine.

There are occasions, when team played over exceedingly well, but found itself on the losing side simply because other team played better cricket.  Sportzcrazy has compiled a list of top 5 best batting figures in a losing cause in ODI to make you believe that cricket is a funny game

Ricky Ponting 164 against South Africa in Johannesburg 2006

Ricky Ponting

It was a match that will always be counted as one of greatest cricket classics. It was a contest, where both the team went loggerhead, fought like a lightening thunder bolt and proteas emerged as winners in the last bout.

Australia batted first, Ricky Ponting the elader led from the front and played a blinder accelerating the run rate to sky. Australia was 97/1, when Ponting came on to bat.  He started slowly building the partnership with Simon Katich worth 119 of 93 balls and blossomed even further in the next partnership with Mike Hussey adding 150 balls.

He was dismissed on 164 giving ample time to middle order to accelerate and go berserk. Symonds grabbled the opportunity with both hands and thrashed the African attack reaching the historic total of 434.

Rohit Sharma 171* vs. Australia in Perth 2016

Rohit Sharma

Normally, when Rohit Sharma scores big, India wins, but there have been occasions, when all valor and heroics India was on the losing side. The year 2016 was such a year, when on two occasions Rohit Sharma scored big hundreds, but still ended up on a losing side.

On one occasion he struck 171* against Australia, which was the highest score by a foreign batsman against Australia. India looked confident saving the mammoth total of 309, but the twin centuries of Steve Smith and George Bailey easily chased the score taking the winning streak of 15 at home.

During the innings Rohit Sharma looked in a sublime form and hit 13 fours and 7 lofty sixes.

Sachin Tendulkar 175 vs. Australia in Hyderabad, 2009

Sachin Tendulkar

Witnessing Sachin Tendulkar fail is a heart breaking sight for every cricket fan. Crowd goes berserk, when the little champion is not given his due. The fans cried the most when the little master played the innings of his life, but perished in vain.

He scored 175 runs off 141 balls against the mighty Australian in Hyderabad, 2009, but couldn’t get his team over victory lines. India felt 3 runs short of the target with 2 balls remaining in the innings.

He piled more than half of runs of the opposition total, but he lacked was a smart non striker. Only Suresh Raina partnered Tendulkar in crisis with a 137 run stand for the 5th wicket. Post Raina dismissal it was a dead end, the run rate kept hiking.

In a desperate attempt to hit boundary Tendulkar lost his wicket, but who to blame Sachin or the rest of the team. It was Sachin highest score in a losing cause. In the end, he was adjudged man of the match.

Matthew Hayden 181 vs. New Zealand 2007

Matthew Hayden

The innings was as good as you could watch. A brutal assassinator murdering New Zealand bowlers this is how I would define the Matthew Hayden knock of 181 against New Zealand in 2007.

His innings included 11 nerve jangling fours and 10 sky rocketing sixes. Although, his marathon innings was faded by the match winning partnership stand of 165 runs between Craig McMillan and Brendon McCullum turned the fortunes  leaving the Australian pace battery in disarray.

Although, Craig McMillan lost his wicket at crucial moment, but McCullum steadied the ship with the middle order and chased 346 runs with 3 balls remaining.

Charles Coventry 194 against Bangladesh, 2009

Charles Coventry

It was a match when every Zimbabwe batsman failed except Charles Coventry. He walked in to bat at the score of 5/1 and remained not out till the end of the innings at an individual score of 194*, equaling the world record of Saeed Anwar.

It is still the highest score in one day internationals for the losing cause. He single handedly took the Zimbabwe score to 312 laying the solid foundation for victory, but destiny had some other plans.

His gutsy knock was overshadowed by Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal 154. It was not the matter of runs, but the time Tamim occupied at the crease. His wicket fell when Bangladesh was already at 279.

In a span of 6 months, Sachin Tendulkar broke the record of Charles Coventry 194* in one day internationals and became the first man on the planet to score double ton in ODI’s.

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