Cricket in its new incarnation has been completely different from what it was even a decade ago. With the advent of T-20 cricket, players are always in a rush to score runs at a faster speed and in the process lose their wickets frequently. Average has taken a back seat in modern-day One Dayers while strike rate has been the perfect replacement for the same.
However, amidst all of these hasty knocks, there are a few players who have been exceptionally brilliant and have stayed true to the core of the game, taking the time and belting out knocks embellished with exquisite shots and out-of-the-box thinking that has forced their opponents to cower down in front of them.
We will look at five Indian cricketers who dared to face the most number of deliveries in a bilateral ODI series, stamping their authority and spearheading India’s batting from the front.
1. Virat Kohli – India versus South Africa 2018 – 561 balls
The Indian captain had a phenomenal series against The Proteas in their own backyard, playing a tournament of his lifetime. The ODI series opener between the two nations witnessed India walking away with the bragging rights as Kohli smashed a blistering 112 from 119 deliveries that comprised 10 boundaries.
Chasing a standard 270, India managed to rack up the total with 27 balls to spare. Rahane also played a gem of a knock that supported Kohli brilliantly.
The second ODI was once again the captain’s playground as he stayed unbeaten on 46 from 50 deliveries, chasing another meagre total of 132 made by the hosts.
The third ODI between the giants witnessed the first-hand onslaught from the Indian run-machine who single-handedly steered India to 303, scoring 160 from 159 deliveries, clobbering 12 boundaries and 2 sixes. South Africa suffered another humiliation as their batting line up crumbled down like a house of cards in front of the mighty Indian bowling.
The fourth ODI once again bore witness to another extra-terrestrial knock from Kohli though it was for a losing cause as South Africa got lucky with the Duckworth Lewis method. Kohli managed to tot up 75 from 83 deliveries.
India took an unassailable lead over the hosts in the fifth ODI as they managed to thump South Africa by a whopping 73 runs. Kohli was a bit unfortunate in this game as he did get off to a decent start but ran himself out on 36 from 54 deliveries.
All is well that ends well and Kohli gave an exotic finishing touch to the series as he whacked a stunning 129 from 96 deliveries to make India cross the finishing line with pomp.
2. Rohit Sharma – India versus Australia – 452 balls
India’s hitman chose the mighty Australians to showcase his brilliance, which also played as the overture to the magical transformation of Rohit Sharma.
It was in 2013 that Rohit Sharma played one of his finest bilateral series, starting with a brilliant 42 from 47 deliveries. Despite India facing a humiliating defeat at the hands of the visitors, this was just the beginning of what was supposed to be an incredulous turnaround.
The second ODI saw Australia blasting a full-blown 359, batting first, sending a mournful déjà-vu to the Indians of their first game defeat.
Things, however, turned out to be very different as Rohit Sharma had other plans and traded the visitors for boundaries and sixes in stunning fashion. India won the match by 9 wickets, thanks to Sharma’s meaty 141 from 123 deliveries that featured 17 fours and 4 sixes. Kohli also played a stellar knock as he notched up a lightning-fast century from 58 deliveries.
In a see-saw series, Australia won the third match as they chased down India’s 303 with four wickets to spare. Rohit Sharma could only manage to score 11 off 22 deliveries
The fourth ODI didn’t produce any results as it was wasted by rain. Sharma did stay unbeaten for the 13 deliveries that he played.
The fifth ODI was called off once again due to rain and India was fighting desperately to save the series in the last two ODI’s.
Sharma played a lovely 79 from 89 deliveries in the penultimate match, drawing the series level for India while in the grand finale, Sharma came out with all his magnificence.
He chronicled a double-century and was finally dismissed for 209 from 158 balls, belting out twelve 4’s and sixteen 6’s.
India won the series comprehensively, despite late resistance from James Faulkner.
3. Sachin Tendulkar – India versus England – 436 balls
India’s Little Master got overshadowed in this series due to varied trumping performances from other Indian cricketers. However, he was the most consistent of the lot and played out 436 balls in the process.
In the opener of the series, Tendulkar could only manage to rack up 17 from 33 deliveries. His next essay helped India to level out the series as he chronicled a painstaking 99 from 112 deliveries, propelling India to 329 runs.
The third game of the series was once again a rare fiasco from The Master Blaster as he scored only 8 from 19 deliveries.
He came back strongly in the fourth ODI as he smashed a half-century from 86 deliveries and was one of the few Indian batsmen who could stand up to the English might.
Sachin was once again phenomenal in the fifth ODI as he blasted another peach of an innings as be scored 71 from 59 balls, helping India seal a crushing victory.
A series-levelling knock from Tendulkar won a zillion hearts across the globe as his 94 from 81 balls helped India in stealing a thrilling victory from the sheer jaws of defeat.
Despite India bowing out meekly to England in the finale, Sachin scored a decent 30 from 46 balls to at least give the visitors a bare minimum chance to fight.
4. Ajinkya Rahane – India versus West Indies – 436 balls
This was one of Rahane’s exceptional outing as India smashed West Indies in a lopsided series.
In a rain-dampened opener that couldn’t be played out completely, Rahane racked up 62 runs from 78 deliveries.
India thumped the visitors in another truncated ODI that witnessed Rahane smashing a blistering century and finally came to a halt on 103 from 104 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries and 2 over-boundaries.
In the third ODI, India managed to clinch the game convincingly which also saw Rahane playing out a fabulous 72 from 112 deliveries.
The next encounter saw India being flattened on their face but Rahane seemed absolutely unstoppable as he managed to score another 60 from 91 balls.
Though the final showdown didn’t have much pyrotechnics from Rahane, yet he managed to strike 39 from 51 deliveries and India notched up the series in style.
5. Rohit Sharma – India versus Australia – 434 balls
It seems that some alien force inside Rohit Sharma gets auto-activated whenever he is face to face with Australia.
In another relentless show of dominance, he started the series with a blistering 171 from 163 balls, though it wasn’t enough to help India win.
The second match also didn’t go in India’s favour despite Sharma’s 124 from 127 balls. Australia was simply too good with the bat.
His performance in the third one-dayer wasn’t great as all he could manage was 6 runs off 11 deliveries.
India lost the fourth game too but Sharma went off to a flyer with a blitzkrieg 41 off 25 balls.
India finally managed to save the blushes of a whitewash as Rohit Sharma missed out his century agonizingly by one run, scoring a delightful 99 from 106 deliveries, helping India to seal a thriller.
This was one of Rahane’s exceptional outing as India smashed West Indies in a lopsided series.
In a rain-dampened opener that couldn’t be played out completely, Rahane racked up 62 runs from 78 deliveries.
India thumped the visitors in another truncated ODI that witnessed Rahane smashing a blistering century and finally came to a halt on 103 from 104 deliveries, hitting 10 boundaries and 2 over-boundaries.
In the third ODI, India managed to clinch the game convincingly which also saw Rahane playing out a fabulous 72 from 112 deliveries.
The next encounter saw India being flattened on their face but Rahane seemed absolutely unstoppable as he managed to score another 60 from 91 balls.
Though the final showdown didn’t have much pyrotechnics from Rahane, yet he managed to strike 39 from 51 deliveries and India notched up the series in style.
5. Rohit Sharma – India versus Australia – 434 balls:
It seems that some alien force inside Rohit Sharma gets auto-activated whenever he is face to face with Australia.
In another relentless show of dominance, he started the series with a blistering 171 from 163 balls, though it wasn’t enough to help India win.
The second match also didn’t go in India’s favour despite Sharma’s 124 from 127 balls. Australia was simply too good with the bat.
His performance in the third one-dayer wasn’t great as all he could manage was 6 runs off 11 deliveries.
India lost the fourth game too but Sharma went off to a flyer with a blitzkrieg 41 off 25 balls.
India finally managed to save the blushes of a whitewash as Rohit Sharma missed out his century agonizingly by one run, scoring a delightful 99 from 106 deliveries, helping India to seal a thriller.
