There is something about a run-chase that gets the fans excited. It’s not often that teams are able to scale down huge targets. But when a team does chase down a monumental score, it becomes part of cricketing folklore. The high of chasing a huge score lifts the team. There have been several huge run-chases in ODIs that have had the fans celebrating in excitement.
We look at 5 of the Highest Run-chases In ODI History:
#5 England vs Pakistan, 2019 [Target – 359]
It was familiar territory for England back in 2019. They had taken the white-ball revolution to a different level altogether. The players were so liberated that they stopped at almost nothing. In a bilateral series against Pakistan, England routinely scored in excess of 330 runs. But a target of 359 is always steep. Pakistan batting first would have believed that they had enough in the bank. But it wasn’t meant to be. Jonny Bairstow’s 93-ball 128 laid the platform for the fifth highest run chase of all time. England coasted him in 44.5 overs.
#4 India vs Australia, 2013 [Target – 360]
A decade earlier a target in excess of 350 was rarely chased. Australia too would have believed the same when they set a target of 360 for India. The Indian openers put on a super show. Shikhar Dhawan missed out on a century (95). But it was from here where the real carnage started. Rohit Sharma smashed 141* and Virat Kohli scored the fastest ODI century by an Indian (52 balls) to take India home in just 43.3 overs. Sharma-Kohli stitched an unbeaten 186 runs partnership in just 106 balls. It was batting of some sublime class.
#3 England vs West Indies, 2019 [Target – 361]
The five-match bilateral series between the two batting heavyweight teams were expected to push boundaries. All it took was the first ODI to set the expectations straight. West Indies batting first posted a mammoth score of 360. England chasing went hell for leather right from ball one. Jason Roy smacked 85 balls-123 to power the chase. England romped home with 8 balls to spare.
#2 South Africa vs Australia, 2016 [Target – 372]
There is something about the Aussies that brings the best out of the Proteas. Australia was the defending champions of the format back in 2016. They had posted a huge total of 371 batting first. South Africa had to chase the total down under lights to take an unassailable lead in the series. They came out all guns blazing. All of South Africa’s top 5 got starts but none converted them into something big. Enter David Miller. He smacked 79 balls-118* featuring 6 sixes and 10 boundaries. South Africa hunted down the chase in 49.2 overs!
#1 South Africa vs Australia, 2006 [Target – 435]
12 March 2006 is a date that South Africans would never forget. The series was nicely poised at 2-2. It was the decider. The wicket was a belter, the conditions were ripe for run-scoring. Australia batting first notched up an unimaginable total of 434. It was for the first time that a team had crossed the 400-runs mark in ODIs. South Africa burdened with the chokers tag had a point to prove. They lost an early wicket with the score reading just 3.
In walked Herschelle Gibbs, who himself has had a chequered history with the Aussies. He played an innings of a lifetime smashing 111-balls 175. It ignited hopes of a miracle. Mark Boucher played splendidly with the tail to take the game deep. It was fitting that it was Boucher who hit the winning runs of Brett Lee to seal an epic run-chase.
# It remains the only successful run-chase in excess of 400 in ODIs
The mountain of 400 was breached twice in a single day. The fans were delirious, the commentators couldn’t believe what they witnessed. ODI cricket became richer with just a single game. South Africa hit the summit 16 years ago. A feat that no team has been able to scale since.
