Greatest ODI innings by Indian batsmen post-2000 that wasn't a century

#2 Mohammad Kaif's 87* vs England

The innings by Kaif is one of the finest played under pressure by an Indian batsman

Indisputably one of India's greatest ever triumphs in the ODI format, the 2002 Natwest Trophy victory is famously remembered for Sourav Ganguly's shirtless celebration at the Lords' balcony. That this victory came after successive losses by team India in ODI tournament finals, including the 2000 ICC Knockout Trophy final, makes it highly cherishable.

After having won the toss, England skipper Nasser Hussain asked the visitors to field first. The English batsmen smashed the Indian bowlers all over the park and posed an imposing total of 325 on the board. It was a highly daunting chase for team India as chasing anything over 300 was a humongous task in the pre-T20 era.

Captain Ganguly and fellow opener Sehwag provided a scintillating start as India raced to a total of 100 in less than 15 overs. However, their smooth sail was obstructed due to regular fall of wickets in the middle overs, as India were reduced to 146-5.

In came two young and inexperienced batsmen in Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif who went on to script a glorious victory for team India. Both the batsmen tacked the English bowlers and managed to find the boundaries more often than not. Their 121 run stand helped team India consolidate their position to a great extent. Kaif played some fearless shots against the English seamers, who had managed to trouble India's top order earlier in the day.

Though Yuvraj was eventually dismissed, Kaif held his fort at one end and with the help of the tailenders, he managed to take India past the finish line, remaining unbeaten at 87 from 75 balls. This victory is touted to be the beginning of team India's domination in the 50 over format by fans and critics alike.