5 highest ODI World Cup totals in a losing cause ft. New Zealand 

New Zealand had a bitter pill to swallow when they ended up losing despite scoring over 400 runs in their recently concluded clash against Pakistan at the ongoing ICC men's ODI World Cup 2023.

Persistent rain led to Pakistan getting an advantage as they won the game via the DLS method. Having said that, they batted really well to be 21 runs ahead of the DLS par score.

A fabulous century by Fakhar Zaman tormented the Kiwi bowling attack. The left-hander got to his triple figures in just 63 balls, while Babar Azam also scored 66* off 63 balls to help Pakistan reach 200/1 after 25.3 overs.

Earlier, New Zealand had an upper hand in the game when their batters guided the team to 401/6 in the first innings. Rachin Ravindra continued his merry run with the bat and scored his third hundred of the tournament.

However, their bowlers let the side down. Apart from Tim Southee (1/27), none of the Kiwi bowlers had an economy rate of under six. While Pakistan went about just right in their chase, one could argue that, had 50 overs been possible to be played in the second innings, New Zealand might've bounced back in the match.

On that note, let's take a look at five highest team totals at the ODI World Cups that ended in a losing cause.

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#5 333/8 by Bangladesh vs Australia at 2019 World Cup in Nottingham

Australia v Bangladesh - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

Bangladesh's highest ODI World Cup total came in a losing cause when they made 333/8 against Australia at the 2019 ODI World Cup in Nottingham.

Batting first, Australia made a mammoth score of 381/5. Opener David Warner starred with the bat as he hammered 166 runs off 147 balls.

It was always going to be an arduous task for the Bangladeshi batters. However, they tried their best and were potent enough to score 333/8 in their 50 overs.

After opener Tamim Iqbal scored 62 up front, Mushfiqur Rahim notched up a hundred and remained unbeaten on 102 off 97 balls. Mahmudullah also scored a quick-fire 50-ball 69.

As many as 714 runs were scored in that particular game, which was the highest ODI World Cup match aggregate at that time.

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#4 334/9 by England vs Pakistan at 2019 World Cup in Nottingham

England v Pakistan - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

Two weeks before the Australia vs. Bangladesh clash, Pakistan and England were also involved in a run-fest at the same ground at the 2019 World Cup.

Put into bat first, Pakistan made a resounding first-innings total of 348/8. While none of the Pakistani batters reached the three-figure mark, several batters came together to perform collectively.

Openers Imam-ul-Haq (44) and Fakhar Zaman (36) got a great start for the Men in Green before Babar Azam (63), Mohammed Hafeez (84) and skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed (55) made half-centuries.

England's chase for 349 got off to a worrying start as they lost four of their wickets with only 118 runs on the board. However, the relentless approach from England saw Joe Root and Jos Buttler join forces and stitch together a 130-run stand for the fifth wicket.

While Root made 107, Buttler took only 76 balls to score his 103 runs. However, once Root perished in the 39th over, Pakistan kept inflicting wickets and eventually restricted England to 334/9.

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#3 344/9 by Sri Lanka vs Pakistan at 2023 World Cup in Hyderabad

Kusal Mendis after his hundred vs Pakistan [Getty Images]

This is another match that saw Pakistan end up on the winning side. In the eighth match of the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup, Sri Lanka opted to bat first against Pakistan in Hyderabad.

Unfortunately for the side, Sri Lanka lost their opener, Kusal Perera, early on. This led Kusal Mendis to enter the crease within the first two overs.

Mendis, alongside Pathum Nissanka, steadied the ship for Sri Lanka. Following the powerplay, both batters tried to keep the momentum going, but Nissanka lost his wicket after a well-made 51.

In the meantime, Mendis led the charge and began his onslaught on the Pakistani bowlers. Showcasing his wide range of shots, Mendis raced from 50 off 40 to 100 off 65 balls. The wicket-keeper batter made 122 off just 77 balls before Sadeera Samarawickrama held the innings together in the back end.

Samarawickrama got his maiden ODI World Cup ton as well, as the 28-year old scored 108 runs off 89, which led Sri Lanka to post a total of 344/9 on the board.

Unfortunately for Sri Lanka, their bowlers lacked discipline as Pakistan sealed the chase with ten balls remaining. Abdullah Shafique, who was playing his maiden ODI World Cup game, scored 113.

The star of the show, however, was Mohammad Rizwan. The Pakistani keeper guided the chase as he remained unbeaten at 131 off 121.

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#2 383/9 by New Zealand vs Australia at 2023 ODI World Cup in Dharamsala

James Neesham vs Australia [Getty Images]

Another total which was made in the ongoing edition is 383/9 by New Zealand during a run-chase against Australia in Dharamsala on October 28.

It was indeed a nail-biting contest between the two Oceania rivals.

After being put to bat first, David Warner (81) and Travis Head (109) got Australia off to an outrageous start. The two left-handers gave no breathing space to any of the New Zealand bowlers and smashed 175 runs in just 19 overs.

Innings from Glenn Maxwell (41 off 24) and Pat Cummins (37* off 14) provided a much-needed impetus to end the Australian innings, as they finished at 388/10 after 49.2 overs.

The second innings presented a daunting task for New Zealand. However, they gave their best shot and were even ahead of the eight ball for the majority of their innings.

After Devon Conway (28) and Will Young (32) added 61 runs for the first wicket, Rachin Ravindra did the bulk of the scoring and made a superlative century.

The youngster made 116 off 89 balls and kept the required run rate within reach during his stay. While Daryl Mitchell also scored 54, none of Tom Latham (21), Glenn Phillips (12), or Mitchell Santner (17) converted their starts.

At no. 7 came James Neesham, who did everything to pull off a sensational win. The southpaw smashed 58 off 39 runs but was unfortunate to get runout in the last over of the match. As a result, Australia bagged the crucial two points.

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#1 401/6 by New Zealand vs Pakistan at 2023 World Cup in Bengaluru

Kane Williamson and Rachin Ravindra [Getty Images]

For the very first time a team with more than 400 runs on board lost an ODI World Cup game. New Zealand bore the brunt of the unwanted weather of Bengaluru as they endured a defeat against Pakistan in Match 35 of the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup.

Being put to bat first, Rachin Ravindra and Devon Conway added 68 runs for the opening wicket before the latter was dismissed for 35. Ravindra, however, kept on piling runs as he slammed his third century of the tournament.

He shared a 180-run stand with skipper Kane Williamson, as the two found it extremely easy to mount runs. Returning after an injury, Williamson batted with sheer elegance and class. Unfortunately for him, he missed out on a well-deserved hundred and was caught on the boundary after a 79-ball 95.

Daryl Mitchell (29 off 18), Glenn Phillips (41 off 25), Mark Chapman (39 off 27), and Mitchell Santner (26* off 17) came up with useful cameos as New Zealand posted 401/6, their first-ever 400+ total in an ODI World Cup game.

In the second inning, it was Pakistan's turn to make merry on the small-sized Chinnaswamy ground. Fakhar Zaman, who boasts a magnificent record against the Kiwis, put New Zealand on the backfoot as the southpaw clobbered 126* runs off 81 balls.

His rapid century meant that Pakistan were well ahead of the DLS before the rain came. The win kept the Babar Azam-led unit alive in the tournament and opened up the race for fourth place even further.