Top 10 Batsmen with most 100s in successful chases in ODIs

In limited overs cricket, most of the games that go down to the wire are a result of some splendid batting in the second innings. Some players are crafted masters of run chases and others fall short of being lucky despite their efforts. The game of cricket has seen some of the greats who have often scored centuries while chasing and have ended on the winning side. Here are the top players with most 100s in successful chases in ODIs. 10. Mark Waugh – 7: Mark Waugh. (Photo Source: Getty Images) Mark Waugh had the opportunity to bat in the 2nd innings on 61 occasions. The stylish former right-handed batsman, who featured in Australian colors in 244 ODIs, has hit 7 tons in successful run chases. Waugh, who played in an era when Australia were considered invincible, made his first hundred while chasing against England in 1993 at Birmingham where he scored 113 coming in at number 3. His highest score in a successful run chase was an unbeaten 133 against India at Pune in 2001 where he guided Australia to the target of 249 in just over 45 overs. 9. Herschelle Gibbs – 7: South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs. (Photo by ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images) Herschelle Gibbs, the attacking former South African opener who has the distinction of hitting 6 sixes in an over in an ODI, hit 7 centuries in successful run chases in 80 innings. During South Africa’s tour to West Indies in 2001, Gibbs hit 104 off 141 balls in the 2nd ODI. This was his first century in a run chase and a successful one. In the same series, he hit 107 in yet another winning cause. However, his next 100, when batting second, came against India at Colombo in 2002 which the Proteas lost. His highest score in a successful run chase was a brilliant 175 against Australia in the historic run chase where his heroics helped the Proteas chase down a mammoth 434. 8. Ricky Ponting – 8: Australia’s Ricky Ponting. (Photo by ALEXANDER JOE/AFP/Getty Images) The former World Cup winning captain of Australia Ricky Ponting, is 2nd on the list of players with most centuries in ODIs (30), has hit 8 centuries in 104 innings in successful run chases. Ponting’s chasing abilities were first put on display against Pakistan in 1998 at Lahore when he guided the team to a win with an unbeaten 124. His highest score in a run chase is 126 that came against England at Nottingham in 2009. Interestingly, all the tons that he scored in the second innings came in a winning cause. 7. Chris Gayle – 8: Chris Gayle. (© Getty Images) Chris Gayle is an absolute tormentor on his day. No wonder he finds himself in the list. In the 61 innings that he has played in successful run chases for West Indies, he has hit 8 centuries. Having hit 22 ODI centuries, as on 20 January 2016, Gayle has 10 tons while batting second and 8 of them have been for a winning cause. His first ton in a successful run chase was an 116-ball 103 against India at Nagpur in 2002. The two occasions when his side lost despite his tons in the second innings were against South Africa and Pakistan in 2005 when he scored 132 and 124 respectively. His top score in a successful run chase is 133* that he scored against South Africa at Jaipur. 6. Adam Gilchrist – 8: Adam Gilchrist. (© Getty Images) Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has 8 tons under his belt in successful run chases for Australia in 90 innings. His first four centuries, all came in run chases and were for a winning cause; the first came against South Africa at Sydney in 1998. Gilchrist has 16 centuries to his name in ODIs and all have come in a winning cause. While his highest score batting first is 172 against Zimbabwe, his top score in a run chase is 131 against Sri Lanka that he hit in 1999 at Sydney. 5. Tillakaratne Dilshan – 9: T Dilshan. (Photo Source: Associated Press) The blazing Sri Lankan opener has notched up 9 centuries in 60 innings in successful run chases for Sri Lanka. Dilshan, who has 22 ODI tons to his name, scored his maiden century in a run chase against India at Rajkot in 2009. His masterly knock of 160 was not enough to see Sri Lanka over the target of 414 set by India. However, in the very next game, he scored 123 which took Sri Lanka to a win at Nagpur. This was his first century in a successful run chase. His most recent hundred in a successful run chase came against New Zealand during the 7-match series in 2015. He had identical scores of 116 in the 2nd and the 5th ODI. While Sri Lanka won the 2nd ODI, his 116 in the 5th ODI went in vain. 4. Sanath Jayasuriya – 9: Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya. (Photo by LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Former Sri Lankan opener, Sanath Jayasuriya made 103 appearances in successful run chases and notched up 9 tons. Jayasuriya, who has 28 centuries to his name, has 10 tons batting second. His first ton in a successful run chase was against India at Colombo in 1996 when he scored an unbeaten 120. Ironically, his only hundred that went in vain in a run chase was also against India at Colombo in 2004 when he scored 130. His top score in a successful run chase is 152 that came off 99 balls against England at Leeds in 2006 when Sri Lanka chased down 324 in less than 35 overs. 3. Saeed Anwar – 9: Saeed Anwar. (© Getty Images) Saeed Anwar, who held the record for the highest individual score in ODIs (194) for over a decade, was a phenomenal batsman in run chases. When Pakistan played West Indies at Sharjah in 1993, Anwar hit 131 off 141 balls to register his first ton in a successful run chase and the fifth of his career. In the very next match, he followed it up with 111 off 104 balls against Sri Lanka at the same venue in another successful run chase. He went on to score 7 more such tons in his career, but his innings of 131 remained his top score while batting second. 2. Sachin Tendulkar – 14: Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar has 14 ODI centuries to his name in successful run chases. Sachin, who holds the record for most tons in ODIs (49), out of which 16 were while batting second. His best effort in a run chase has to be the splendid innings of 175 against Australia in 2009 at Hyderabad but India ended up losing by 3 runs. His highest knock in a successful run chase is 134 off 131 balls in the final of Coca Cola Cup at Sharjah when he hammered the Australian bowling attack to all parts of the ground. Incidentally, the match was played on 24 April 1998, his 25th birthday. 1. Virat Kohli – 15: India’s batsman Virat Kohli. (Photo by SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images) The modern day master of the game, Virat Kohli, has a staggering record of 15 centuries in successful run chases. He was at his masterful best in the 1st ODI against England. The team was chasing 351-run target and Virat scored 122 and stitched a 200-run partnership with Kedar Jadhav and that ensured the team won the match and started the year with a win. 17 of his 25 ODI tons have come while batting second. The only other occasion when India lost despite Kohli’s ton in a run chase was against New Zealand at Napier when he scored 123. His first 3 tons were all in a successful run chase; the first of them coming against Sri Lanka at Kolkata in 2009. (All stats updated till 16th January 2017) Also read: Top 10 Current batsmen with most hundreds in ODIs