When it comes to cricket, Indian matches in any format create a lot of buzz, and when an opposition player scores against India, it automatically becomes a sensation, much more so than when they score against the other teams.
The Indian team is not known to produce high-quality pacers but has had legendary spinners and batters over the last many generations. Even then, there has not been a single double century scored in the ODI format against India, which is quite good to notice.
On this note, let us take a glance at the highest individual scores against India in ODI cricket.
Highest Individual Scores against India in ODI
| Player | Runs (Balls) | 4s/6s | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saeed Anwar (PAK) | 194 (146) | 22/5 | Chennai | 21 May 1997 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) | 189 (161) | 21/4 | Sharjah | 29 Oct 2000 |
| Upul Tharanga (SL) | 174* (159) | 19/3 | Kingston | 2 Jul 2013 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) | 160* (165) | 11/3 | Hobart | 28 Feb 2012 |
| Andrew Strauss (ENG) | 158 (145) | 18/1 | Bengaluru | 27 Feb 2011 |
| George Bailey (AUS) | 156 (114) | 13/6 | Nagpur | 30 Oct 2013 |
| Desmond Haynes (WI) | 152*(126) | 12/6 | Georgetown | 21 Mar 1989 |
| Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) | 149*(136) | 16/3 | Nagpur | 21 Jan 2007 |
| Sir Vivian Richards (WI) | 149 (99) | 20/3 | Jamshedpur | 7 Dec 1983 |
| Steve Smith (AUS) | 149 (135) | 11/2 | Perth | 12 Jan 2016 |
Key insights from the above stats
3: Sri Lanka and the West Indies play against India a lot in ODI cricket, and this list just shows a sample of it. 3 players each from these teams feature in the all-time top-10 highest individual scores ever hit against India in ODIs.
125: There have been 125 scores of 100 or more against India in the One Day Internationals. The highest individual score conceded by India is 194, and the Indian team is only one of the few sides that has yet to concede a 200-plus score in ODI format.
7: Only 7 players have scored 150 plus score against India in ODIs.
194: The legendary knock from Pakistani Saeed Anwar at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai against India, which remained the highest-ever ODI individual score for 13 years until it was surpassed by Sachin Tendulkar.
Coming to this much-talked-about ODI innings, Saeed Anwar was at his brutal best against the hosts India at the Chepauk, and he scored one of his 4 ODI tons against them in this game. The record-breaking knock included 22 boundaries and 5 sixes, and it came in just 146 deliveries, helping Pakistan pile up a mammoth 327 on the board. In the end, Pakistan eventually won the game, beating their arch-rivals by 35 runs.
Also Read | Top 10: Highest Individual ODI Scores by Pakistani Batsmen
189: Sanath Jayasuriya’s marathon knock of 189 helped Sri Lanka hand India one of their worst-ever ODI defeats in their history. First coming to the knock, it was a punishing yet classical ODI knock as the wicket was not that easy to bat on, and it is evident from the fact that the left-hander scored 189 of Sri Lanka’s total of 299. One needed to show application on a tricky surface in Sharjah, and that too in the final of the Champions Trophy.
The next best knock from a Sri Lankan batter was 52, and in the chase of 300, India was bundled out for a mere 54 runs. This really shows how world-class the inning by Jayasuriya was, and it is safe to say that the former Sri Lankan skipper missed a chance to score an ODI double ton that day.
174: Upul Tharanga, once a part of the famous opening partnership with Sanath Jayasuriya, also had a relatively good time while facing the Indian bowlers. On his hay day, the former opener can be destructive and is quite equipped to play a long innings for his side.
That is what he did in a tri-series group match against India at Kingston. His knock included 19 fours and 3 maximums, which propelled Sri Lanka to a massive score of 348 on the board. Eventually, the Lankan Lions came out on top by a whopping margin of 161 runs, resulting in one of India’s heaviest ODI defeats ever.
160: Another Sri Lankan cricketer who has had a great time against India in ODIs is Tillakaratne Dilshan. He has a tremendous record against India in ODIs, and one of his best knocks came at Hobart in 2012. He smashed a stunning 160* off 165, helping Sri Lanka put 320/4 on the scoreboard. It was one of the better knocks in ODI cricket by Dilshan, although it came in a losing cause.
Also Read | Top 10: Most Centuries for Sri Lanka in ODIs
158: Yet another great knock that didn’t come in a winning cause was that of Andrew Strauss, who scored a sublime 158 in an ODI game against India at the World Cup 2011 league stages.
England was chasing a massive 339 to win the game at Bengaluru, and the then-England skipper was in ominous form throughout the innings as he played a superlative knock that brought his side ever so close to the target. Unfortunately, his dismissal opened the floodgates for India to break the rest of the batting order as the game ended in a thrilling tie, depriving Strauss of a well-deserved win for his efforts.
156: Another player who stocked his best in ODIs while facing India was George Bailey, the former Australian skipper. The current Aussie selector seemed to take a liking to India’s bowlers, especially in the 7-match ODI series that took place in India in 2013.
In what was a high-scoring series, Bailey made 458 runs in 6 innings, including a stunning, brutal knock of 114-ball 156 in Nagpur and 3 other 50-plus scores. Though India chased down a mighty target of 351 set by the visitors, it was certainly one of the better knocks in the career of George Bailey, and it was also his career-best ODI score.
152: Desmond Haynes’ was at his smashing best in this 5th ODI of the series at Georgetown, during India’s tour of the Caribbean in 1988. After winning the first 4 games of the series, West Indies looked to complete a whitewash, and Haynes’ stunning 152 off 126 fulfilled that goal as he helped West Indies pile up 289 in 44 overs in what was a rain-affected game. India couldn’t come even close to the target, as the Windies won comfortably by a massive margin of 101 runs to take the series 5-0.
149: 3 players have scored the exact score of 149 against India in ODIs, and they are Steve Smith, Vivian Richards, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Vivian Richards had a prolific career against India in the ODIs, hitting 3 centuries in the format from 26 innings at an average of 47.47 and striking at close to 100. This knock of 149 was a pure spectacle of power-hitting and stroke play, as it came in just 99 balls and included 20 fours and 3 sixes. The Windies amassed a staggering 333 in their 45 overs, which was more than enough to brush aside the hosts, India.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul has scored the bulk of his career centuries across formats against India, and his 149 at Nagpur during the 2007 tour was one of those. Chasing a massive target of 339 posted by India, the West Indies needed someone to step up, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the one to take up the mantle for the West Indies. However, his knock of 149 from 136 balls was not enough for the West Indies to go over the line.
Last but not least, Steve Smith’s 149 at Perth came against India. The Australian star batter was at his best with his 135-ball epic knock, which allowed the home team to chase down a huge total of 310 set by India.
