Top 5 Highest individual scores in a losing cause in ODIs

Cricket is the greatest leveler they say, but at times in the process, it can prove to be a mean game too for individuals. The history of cricket has seen instances when despite some heroics by individual players, their teams end up on the losing side. At times the batsmen go out all guns blazing and then they come on to the field to bowl, they feel relaxed that the job is done. But this only disheartens them if their team bowling fails and their gallant batting effort goes in vain. Here are the top 5 instances when we have witnessed such personal upsets. Read on to find out the top 5 highest individual scores in a losing cause in ODIs: 5. Rohit Sharma – 171* v Australia: India’s Rohit Sharma. (Photo by GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images) After dominating more than half of the game, India lost to Australia by 5 wickets at the WACA as tons from Bailey and Steve Smith overshadowed Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 171. Coming in to bat first, Rohit carried his bat through the Indian innings, hammering an unbeaten 171 off 163 balls, hitting 13 fours and 7 sixes. He put on 207 with Virat Kohli for the 2nd wicket and enabled India to post a huge total of 309. But a marathon partnership between the former Australian skipper George Bailey and the present Steve Smith, spoiled the party for Indians as the target was chased down with 4 balls to spare. Sharma, in the recent times, has not had a good time scoring tons. His 150 against South Africa also went in vain. A week before that, he scored his maiden T20I ton, which was again in a losing cause. 4. David Warner – 173 v South Africa: David Warner. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The chips were down, the Australians were 4-0 down in the series and were on the verge of a whitewash as the South Africans posted 327 runs in the 5th ODI. David Warner walked out with the best intentions to wrap up the chase in favor of the Aussies as he walked out to bat. He was dropped on 11 and after that made sure the Proteas paid the price for it. Warner was as aggressive as he has ever been and timed his knock almost to perfection. His stay in the middle lasted for 136 deliveries and he scored 173 runs with the help of 24 boundaries. But the left-hander was dismissed towards the end of the inning. Though the knock couldn’t win his team the game, he should be credited for the manner in which he played since he was the 9th batsman to be dismissed but as he got out Australia lost the game that very moment. 3. Sachin Tendulkar – 175 v Australia Sachin Tendulkar. (© Getty Images) In a dramatic turn of events, in perhaps one of the most exciting ODI matches, the Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar almost took India to a successful run chase of 351 runs at Hyderabad in 2009. Unlike the other players in the list, Sachin’s ton came while chasing. Australia put up a gigantic 350, riding on 112 from Shaun Marsh and 93 from Shane Watson. Sachin played a masterly innings of 175 off 141 balls while wickets kept tumbling at the other end. He was dismissed in the 48th over by Clint McKay when India needed 20 to win off 18 balls and had 3 wickets in hand. Despite his heroics, the tail-enders couldn’t take India home and they fell short of a historic run chase by 13 runs. This was the 13th occasion when Sachin scored a century in a losing cause. 2. Matthew Hayden – 181* v New Zealand: Matthew Hayden. (Photo Source: AFP) When Australia played New Zealand at Hamilton in 2007 in the 3rd ODI, the match went down to the wire as the Kiwis pulled off a nail-biting win by 1 wicket. It was Matthew Hayden’s unbeaten 181 that took Australia to a total of 346. The stylish southpaw hit 11 fours and 10 sixes in his innings. But half-centuries from Peter Fulton and Brendon McCullum to go with a 96-ball 117 by Craig McMillan saw New Zealand chase down the score in 49.3 overs with a wicket in hand. A timely 28 off 15 by number 10 Mark Gillespie ensured that the Kiwis won the thrilling encounter. 1. Charles Coventry – 194* v Zimbabwe: Charles Coventry Zimbabwe. (Photo Source: AFP) Zimbabwean middle order batsman Charles Coventry broke the record for the highest individual score in ODIs set by Saeed Anwar (194) in 1997. Playing against Bangladesh in the fourth ODI at Bulawayo in 2009, Coventry came into bat at number 3 and carried his bat through the Zimbabwean innings to help them post 312 on the board. Coventry’s innings came off 156 balls and was embellished with 16 fours and 7 sixes. However, 138-ball 154 by Tamim Iqbal singlehandedly propelled the Bangladeshi score past the target well within 48 overs. In a match when Coventry made a world record, which was later broken by Sachin Tendulkar (200*) and is currently held by Rohit Sharma (264), Zimbabwe lost the game and thus a herculean innings by Coventry went in vain. Also read: Top 10 batsmen with most runs scored in a bilateral series

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Top 5 Highest individual scores in a losing cause in ODIs

**1. Charles Coventry – 194* v Zimbabwe:**

Also read: Top 10 batsmen with most runs scored in a bilateral series

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