Rohit Sharma joined Tillakaratne Dilshan to become only the second cricketer to record two scores of 150 or more in losing causes, after his unbeaten 171 went in vain in the opening One-Day International (ODI) against Australia in Perth on Tuesday (January 12). We take a look at a list of big scores that unfortunately didn't end up on the victorious side.
Charles Coventry 194* vs Bangladesh, Bulawayo, 2009
Zimbabwe's No.3 equalled Saeed Anwar's then 12-year-old record for the highest individual score in ODIs, with a scintillating 156-ball effort but with the 37 being the next best score, Zimbabwe could only manage 312 in 50 overs. Tamim Iqbal then struck a brutal 154 as Bangladesh cantered to a win with more than two overs to spare. Coventry's record lasted all of six months as Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score an ODI double-hundred in February 2010.
Matthew Hayden 181 vs New Zealand, Hamilton, 2007
Australia's burly opener was looking to nail down a spot in Australia's contingent for the 2007 World Cup and powered his way to a 166-ball 181, an innings that included as many as 10 sixes. Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson had the hosts wobbling at 41 for 4 in the chase before Craig McMillan and Brendon McCullum scripted an unlikeliest of turnarounds to chase down 346 with three balls to spare, sealing a 3-0 sweep of the Chappell-Hadlee series. The defeat notwithstanding, Hayden used the innings as a springboard for great success, ending as the World Cup's top-scorer.
Sachin Tendulkar 175 vs Australia, Hyderabad, 2009
Cameron White's lower-order blitz after Shaun Marsh's century took Australia to a daunting 350 in the fifth ODI, a total, which in 2009, was still one that the team batting first would win nine times out of 10. Then Sachin Tendulkar conjured up one of his gems. He scored half the team's total and by the time he was dismissed, on 175, attempting a cute paddle-sweep, India needed only 19 runs off 17 balls. Unfortunately, the follow-up batsmen could only manage 15 and Australia triumphed by three runs.
Rohit Sharma 171* vs Australia, Perth, 2016
Rohit Sharma began 2016 in sparkling fashion, easing himself to his ninth ODI century against a new-look Australian attack comprising Scott Boland, Joel Paris and Josh Hazlewood, before going into overdrive in the death overs. His unbeaten 171 helped the visitors post a daunting 309. No team had chased down more than 274 for a win at the WACA in Perth but that wasn't going to deter Steven Smith and George Bailey. The duo slammed tons in a 242-run third-wicket stand as Australia cantered to a win.
Robin Smith 167* vs Australia, Birmingham, 1993
England feared the worst when Australia asked them to bat on a cold, damp morning in Edgbaston. Within no time, Craig McDermott accounted for Graham Gooch and Alec Stewart. Robin Smith, batting at three, then conjured one of the best innings by an England batsman in ODI history. His 167, studded with 17 hits to the fence and three over it, remains the highest individual score in ODIs for England. But unfortunately, Mark Waugh's elegant 113 and Allan Border's unbeaten 86 helped Australia chase down 277 with relative ease.
Ricky Ponting 164 vs South Africa, Johannesburg, 2006
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The greatest match of them all. When Ricky Ponting's 105-ball 164 propelled Australia to 434 in the bilateral series decider, all hopes appeared lost for South Africa. Faced against a near-impossible task, Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith threw the kitchen sink at the Australian attack and pulled off a great heist. Gibbs outscored Ponting with a 111-ball 175 but shared the player of the match award with the Australian skipper. Hard to separate two innings of such an incredibly-high level.
Tillakaratne Dilshan 160* vs India, Hobart, 2012
Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara scored hundreds in a double-century stand as Sri Lanka flayed the Indian bowling attack in a crucial tri-series clash. Dilshan's unbeaten 160 took Sri Lanka to 320, a total India had to overhaul in 40 overs to keep their chances alive. Virat Kohli then enhanced his then-growing reputation as a chaser of totals - his 133 off 86 helped India reach the target under 37 overs.
Tillakaratne Dilshan 160 vs India, Rajkot, 2009
Another Tillakaratne Dilshan century ended in heartbreak as India clinched a nerve-wracking run-feast in Rajkot by three runs. A Virender Sehwag century and fifties from Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni had propelled India to 414. Not one to give up without a fight, Dilshan stitched mammoth stands with Upul Tharanga (67) and Kumar Sangakkara (90) as Sri Lanka slowly but steadily, moved into ascendancy. When Dilshan got out in the 40th over, Sri Lanka needed just over 70 runs with six wickets in hand. Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra produced great spells at the death as India eked to victory.
George Bailey 156 vs India, Nagpur, 2013
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When Australia travelled to India for a seven-match ODI series in late 2013, captain George Bailey was in imperious form. In the sixth game of the series at Jamtha, Nagpur, MS Dhoni, looking to stay alive in the series, decided to field first and watched helplessly as his bowlers were carted all around the field by his opposite number in a 113-ball essay that was laced with 13 fours and six sixes. Bailey's innings propelled Australia to 350 but the visitors weren't feeling all too comfortable. Virat Kohli, who had hunted down a 350-plus total earlier in the series, put on another masterclass and his unbeaten 66-ball 115 took India home with three balls to spare.
Kyle Coetzer 156 vs Bangladesh, Nelson, 2015
Kyle Coetzer gave Scotland hope of registering their first win in a World Cup when he scored a pleasing 156 off 134 balls against Bangladesh in Nelson during the 2015 World Cup. Coetzer's propensity to hit through the line over the infield on the off-side helped his team post 318. Unfortunately for Coetzer, Scotland's inexperienced bowling attack couldn't reign in the Bangladesh's big guns and fifties from Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib-Al-Hasan helped the sub-continent nation overhaul the target with two overs to spare.
Hon. Mentions: Chris Gayle 152* vs South Africa in Johannesburg, 2014 and Rohit Sharma 150 vs South Africa, Kanpur, 2015
