Pakistan were at the receiving end of a carnage as New Zealand posted a mammoth first-innings total of 401 runs in Match 35 of the ongoing ICC men's ODI World Cup 2023 in Bengaluru on Saturday (November 4).
A century from Rachin Ravindra (108) and a 94 by Kane Williamson led New Zealand to the massive total. All three of Shaheen Afridi (90/0), Haris Rauf (85/0) and Hasan Ali (82/1) leaked over 80 runs in their respective ten overs.
In their 50-year old history of one-day international cricket, Pakistan have enjoyed numerous world-beating bowlers, who have guided the nation to many wins. However, given the nature of limited overs cricket, there have been times there have been a few instances where the opposition batting lineup ended up dominating the contest against Pakistan's bowling.
On that note, let's take a look at five highest team totals against Pakistan in ODI history.
#5. 369/5 by New Zealand in Napier in 2015
Just before the 2015 ODI World Cup, Pakistan toured New Zealand for a two-match ODI series, where the hosts came out with a cleansweep.
In the second ODI, held at the McLean Park in Napier, New Zealand batted first. Opener Martin Guptill gave a great start by scoring 76 before Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor took charge.
Both Williamson (112) and Taylor (102*) hammered hundreds and made merry of the short boundaries in Napier. New Zealand posted 369/5 on the board, while Bilawal Bhatti proved to be the worst bowler on the day for Pakistan, leaking 93 runs in his spell.
A collective bowling effort by the Kiwis saw them restrict Pakistan to 250 in the second innings and win the game by 119 runs.
#4. 373/3 by England in Southampton in 2019
In May 2019, Pakistan and England were involved in a high-scoring five-match ODI series. After the first ODI was washed out, England went on to score more than 340 in all the four games.
In the second ODI, they registered a massive 373/3. Pakistan bowlers didn't back up the captain's decision to bowl first as they were hammered to all parts of the ground.
Jason Roy (87) and Jonny Bairstow (51) added 115 runs for the opening wicket before Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler dominated the death overs. Morgan batted for 48 balls and scored 71* at a strike rate of just under 148. Buttler, meanwhile, was all over the Pakistani attack as he hammered 110* runs off 55 balls.
Hasan Ali and Shaheen Afridi leaked 81 and 80 runs respectively.
The match went right down the wire as Fakhar Zaman scored 138 off 106 balls but Pakistan fell 12 runs short and were restricted to 361/7.
#3. 392/6 by South Africa in Centurion in 2007
Prior to another ODI World Cup edition, Pakistan took a hammering, this time against South Africa. In the first game of the five-match ODI series in February 2007, the Proteas tonked 392/6.
While no South African batter managed to score a hundred, four of them reached half-centuries. Opener Graeme Smith went berserk in the powerplay overs as he clobbered 15 fours to make 72 runs off only 47 balls. He added 140 runs for the opening wicket alongside AB de Villiers, who scored 67 runs.
No. 4 batter Jacques Kallis remained unbeaten with an 85-ball 88. However, the star of the show was Mark Boucher, who hammered nine boundaries and four maximums for his 38-ball 78. As a result, South Africa made 392/6 on the board.
Naved-ul-Hasan had a day to forget as he leaked 92 runs in eight overs.
Kallis starred with the ball as well as he took 3/34 to bundle out Pakistan for 228 in the second innings.
#2. 401/6 by New Zealand in Bengaluru at the 2023 ODI World Cup
The latest score to feature on the list is 401/6, scored by New Zealand in the ongoing 2023 ODI World Cup game in Bengaluru.
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 their first-ever 400+ total in an ODI World Cup game.
Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf leaked 90 and 85 runs respectively, which are now two of the most expensive spells by a Pakistani bowler in the quadrennial tournament.
#1. 444/3 by England in Nottingham in 2016
Following their humiliating exit from the 2015 World Cup, England, captained by Eoin Morgan, adopted a new brand of aggressive cricket.
Their new approach was on display at Trent Bridge on August 30, 2016, when England smashed 443/3 against Pakistan. A breathtaking 171-run knock off 122 balls by Alex Hales helped England post the then-highest score in ODI cricket.
Hales and Joe Root (85) stitched together a 248-run partnership for the second wicket before two freakish knocks from Jos Buttler (90* off 51) and Morgan (57* off 27) breezed England to the mammoth total.
Wahab Riaz bore the brunt of the English attack as the left-arm pacer gave away 110 runs in his ten overs. None of the Pakistani batter even reached 60 runs as they endured a 169-run defeat.
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