Highest Match Aggregates in Asia Cup
Asia Cup Highest Match Aggregates: The subcontinent is always known to produce great batting wickets in limited-overs cricket. Wickets in Pakistan are especially conducive for run-making. The short boundaries in India and Bangladesh aid boundary hitting. There have been 6 instances where a total of 600+ runs has been scored in the match. The Asian powerhouses have been engaged in games where they have outmuscled each other. It was only in the 2018 edition wherein there was parity between bat and ball. Else most of the tournaments especially the 2008 one saw tall scores being posted.
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We look at the highest match aggregates in Asia Cup history:
#4 India vs Sri Lanka, 2008 – 618
It was the final league game of the tournament. India took on Sri Lanka, a game they had to win to qualify for the finals. Sri Lanka on the other hand had booked their berth. They had famously rested Ajantha Mendis for this game. Sri Lanka batting first posted a total of 308-8. Sanath Jayasuriya (43 off 37), Chamara Kapugedara (75 off 78), and Chamara Silva (50 off 56) were the key contributors.
India made a terrific start to the run-chase with both the openers striking in excess of 110. Gautam Gambhir (68 off 61), Virender Sehwag (42 off 34), Suresh Raina (54 off 66), and MS Dhoni (67 off 62) chipped in with contributions. They made light work of the chase finishing off the game in 46.5 overs. The overall match aggregate of 618 is the fourth highest in the Asia Cup.
#3 Pakistan vs Bangladesh, 2010 – 631
This game remains one of the most one-sided games in the Asia Cup. Pakistan chose beast mode in a match against Bangladesh at Dambulla in 2010. Shahzaib Hasan made an enterprising 50 off 38 balls to set the ball rolling. It was Shahid Afridi though playing at number 6 who changed the course of the game. He went into slam bang mode smashing 124 off 60 balls at an outstanding strike rate of 206.66. His innings comprised 17 fours and 4 sixes. Pakistan finished with 385-7 briefly challenging the highest ODI total.
Bangladesh’s cautious approach though turned the game into a damp squib. They threw in the towel quite early during the run-chase. Bangladesh lost just 5 wickets but scored just 246 runs. The match aggregate saw a total of 631 runs being scored.
#2 Pakistan vs Bangladesh, 2014 – 655
It remains one of the best games in the history of the tournament. Bangladesh was the host for the 2014 edition. Mirpur was the venue for the match between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The home team opted to bat first and their openers got them off to a brilliant start stitching a stand of 150. But it was the unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership (77 off 34 balls) between Mushfiqur Rahim (51 off 33) and Shakib Al Hasan (44 off 16) that took them to an imposing total of 326-3.
Pakistan’s reply started in a similar manner with the openers laying a solid foundation. But three batters from the top-6 were dismissed on single digits. Shahid Afridi arrived at the party once again. He blasted 59 runs off just 25 balls at a strike rate of 236 to help Pakistan win the game with a ball to spare. A total of 655 runs was scored in this game.
#1 India vs Pakistan, 2012 – 659
This game is famous for Virat Kohli’s once-in-a-generation knock. India was in a precarious position needing to win this game to stay alive in the competition. Pakistan posted a huge total of 329-6 with run-a-ball centuries from Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed. Younis Khan’s 52 from 34 balls provided the late flourish. India had their task cut out.
They lost the wicket of Gautam Gambhir in the very first over. But it was the Virat Kohli show from thereon. He put on a stand of 133 runs with Sachin Tendulkar for the second wicket while the third wicket stand was even better. Kohli and Rohit Sharma combined for a 172-run stand that saw India coast to a comfortable win. Virat Kohli’s 183 off 148 balls remains one of the iconic ODI knocks of the present century. The game saw a cumulative aggregate of 659 runs scored in 97.5 overs!
