Top 5 teams with most 300+ successful chases in ODI cricket

It is a time when Test cricket is being played at ODI pace and ODI cricket has suddenly reached the pace of T20 cricket. Over the last one decade, 300 has become the new norm as opposed to 250 which in the 1990s was considered an impressive total.The ongoing India-Australia ODI series has belied expectations in more ways than one. Thanks to the flat decks provided, all three ODIs have almost completely followed the same script.India bat first, post a total around 300 and Australia chase it down with relative ease. The nerveless fashion in which Australia is chasing down 300 on their home grounds where the pitches are offering very little help to the bowlers shows how good batsmen have gotten at scoring runs especially when conditions are in their favour.With that in mind, we take a look now at teams that have successfully chased down totals in excess of 300 in ODI cricket, with the most consistency. Australia is pushing its stock higher up but, surprisingly, it is not the team with most number of 300+ chases.

#5 South Africa - 6

They are the record-holders for the highest successful run-chase in ODI cricket, an unbelievable 438 for 9 against Australia in Johannesburg, thanks to a Gibbs’ special. South Africa have been reasonably successful when it comes to chasing mammoth totals although their famous ‘choker’ tag hardly suggests that.

In fact, South Africa have a W/L ratio of 1.673 with 164 wins and 98 losses batting second, a ratio next only to Australia’s 1.8 – hardly the sign of a team that cannot chase well. Sadly, it is the stage of their most remembered defeats that has stamped the tag on them.

South Africa have scored in excess of 300 batting second 8 times, of which they ended on the winning side 6 times. Most recently, they chased down 371 against Australia in Durban, riding on a superb hundred by David Miller.

South Africa have lost against India and England despite crossing the 300 mark in the chase but the stat also suggests that they rarely have big scores to chase thanks to an excellent bowling unit that has maintained its quality ever since South Africa were given a re-entry into world cricket.

#4 Pakistan 7

Pakistan who have chased down 210 totals successfully and failed 184 times for a W/L ratio of 1.14, have 6 successful chases in excess of 300. They have also lost four times after scoring in excess of 300 batting second. Pakistan’s most substantial 300+ chase came against arch-rivals India in Karachi in 2004 when they scored 344 for 8. Nevertheless, it wasn’t a successful chase, as India held their nerves and Inzamam-ul-Haq’s 122 fell tantalisingly short of ending on the victorious side. Pakistan lost the game by 5 runs.

Pakistan’s highest successful chase was against Bangladesh in Dhaka – 329 for 7, a victory that came in the last over. Most recently, they chased down 304 against England at Sophia Gardens, in Cardif earlier this year. Pakistan have been predominantly a bowling side in the last decade and a half. Batting strength hasn’t been their forte after the 90s until which time, they had revolutionised ODI cricket.

#3 Sri Lanka 8

Sri Lankans are amongst the unluckiest ODI sides. The runners-up in two back-to-back ODI World Cup Finals in 2007 and 2011, they have also had a mixed bag when it comes to chasing down 300+ totals. Along with India, Sri Lanka have as many as 6 losses in ODIs where they scored more than 300 in a chase without reaching the target, the most heart-breaking being 411/8 against India at Rajkot, a match they lost by just three runs.

Sri Lanka have chased down 300+ totals successfully 8 times, 324 for 2 being their highest successful chase. Sri Lanka were one of the trendsetters, having chased down 313 against a good Zimbabwe attack way back in 1992, a feat unheard of back then. Sri Lanka’s overall chase record is 50-50 so to speak. They have succeeded 180 times and failed 184 times, when it comes to chases, a W/L ratio that puts them eighth amongst all Test playing nations. That ratio is skewed largely because of the losses they encountered prior to the 1996 World Cup.

#2 Australia 9

Australia almost completed a hat-trick chasing down two 300+ totals against India three days apart. A third time was possible but the target set by the Indians itself missed 300 narrowly. They have chased down 300+ totals successfully 9 times. Only once did they cross 300 in the second innings and still lost the match – against India. The World Champions have a dubious record considering, 5 of the top 6 successful run chases in ODI cricket have been against them.

Their highest successful chase is 334 for eight, way below a lot of other teams, against England. Australia has the best chase record in ODI cricket though – 235 wins and 128 losses out of 382 total matches where they batted second. Their W/L ratio is 1.835 – a whopping number way ahead of most other teams thanks to their long-lasting dominance in the game.

#1 India - 16

It is hardly a surprise that India finds itself at the top of this chart. India has traditionally boasted of excellent batting strength. Somewhere, towards the late 90s India’s batting went through a renaissance period and the team transformed itself into an excellent chasing unit, thanks to Sourav Ganguly’s aggressive brand of cricket which was taken ahead first by Rahul Dravid and then by MS Dhoni.

India have successfully chased down 300+ totals 15 times. 6 other times, India managed to score more than 300 in the second innings but lost. Only once, the match was tied. Interestingly, only one of those 15 Indian wins came before 2000. That in itself is a telling stat of the transformation of Indian chasing and ODI cricket in general. Nevertheless, they are head and shoulders over the rest of the pack. Apart from their batting might and India’s smaller batting-friendly tracks, another reason that has contributed to this record is India’s weaker bowling attack which gives them more runs to chase more often.

India also leads the charts when it comes to successful chases. Historically, India have chased down targets successfully 253 times and failed only 194 times. However, their W/L ratio is not as impressive as that of Australia (1.8) or South Africa (1.67). India’s highest successful chase is 362 for 1 against Australia in Jaipur is the fourth highest second innings total and the second highest successful one overall. India chased that down in just 43.3 overs. Imagine that!