Ranking the 5 Best ODI batting line-ups in the world

Modern day cricket is defined by bigger bats, smaller boundaries and lots of runs. The 300 mark is now crossed with remarkable efficiency, with scores above 330 becoming the norm these days.

The game has come a long way since its inception and batsmen have a more crucial role to play these days. The introduction of two new balls has led to the endangering of the ‘reverse-swing’ species while pitches have become as flat as highways. These change in conditions have led to the batsmen enjoying their time in the sun, more than ever.

With teams more reliant on their batsmen to dig them out of trouble, the batsmen have grown in stature. A direct consequence of this is the batsmen developing different skills to be ahead of the eight-ball. With the World Cup on the horizon, don’t be surprised if these batsmen end up being the difference in crunch games.

Thus, at a time when batsmen are the make or break factor in games, a look at best batting line-ups on the planet is warranted. Through the course of this article, we would look at the premier batting that the countries have had to offer over the years.

The line-ups have been ranked depending on their adaptability, hitting prowess and consistency. Without waiting any longer, let us take a peek into the best in the business.

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#5 Australia

Australia have been hit hard by the bans to Steve Smith and David Warner. In the absence of their captain and vice-captain, the Australian batting has been a pale shadow of their old selves.

At this juncture, Australia do not possess a settled batting line-up. Finch and Head would most probably open with the likes of Shaun Marsh, Stoinis and Maxwell comprising the middle order.

Unlike the Australia of yesteryear, they don’t have a batting line-up to strike fear into the opposition. While Finch, Maxwell and Marsh are very destructive on their day, they haven’t been as consistent as they would have liked.

Apart from this, their batting line-up has a major weakness against any kind of spin. They would face a lot of trouble against the sub-continental teams, who have spinners of the ilke of Kuldeep Yadav, Akila Dananjaya and Shadab Khan.

Australia gets in on the list ahead of the likes of Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka by being marginally more consistent than the mentioned trio.

Though they make our list at No.5, they still need to get their batting sorted if they are to defend the crown they won in Melbourne in 2015.

Finch is vital to Australia's batting line-up

#4 New Zealand

New Zealand v Sri Lanka - 2nd T20

New Zealand, last World Cup’s runners-up, boast of a belligerent top order. However, it is their middle and lower order that is the biggest concern ten months from the show-piece event.

The opening pair of Munro and Guptill is ultra-attacking in nature. The right-left pair do not allow the bowlers a moment of peace and are always ready to capitalize on the bowlers’ errors. On many an occasion, New Zealand’s openers have set the game up with their destructive batting.

However, the most important cog in their batting wheel is Kane Williamson. At #3, Williamson controls the game and bats till the end, shifting gears according to the game’s requirements. With a top three of Guptill, Munro and Williamson, New Zealand would fancy their chances of overhauling any target and setting improbable totals.

The problem area for them, is the #5 and #6 slot. Chapman and Nicholls haven’t set the world on fire yet. In addition to this, Santner and De Grandhomme have not been consistent enough on the international stage.

If they harbor any hopes of going one better than 2015, they need to get their middle-order firing at optimum capacity.

New Zealand would have been higher on the list if not for the problems plaguing their middle order. It is due to the ‘middle muddle’ that they find themselves in fourth place.

#3 South Africa

Du Plessis is paramount to South Africa's chances at the World Cup

The whole cricketing fraternity was taken aback when AB De Villiers announced his retirement from international cricket. He was a player that doesn't come around very often and South Africa have their task cut out, trying to recreate some of his impact full innings.

Amla and De Kock are a solid opening combination, though the form of Amla will be a cause of concern for the Proteas. The only uncertainty in their batting line-up is the #3 spot. However, South Africa would hope Reeza Hendricks can make the spot his own. after his century on debut.

The middle order is in a good space with the experience of Duminy and Miller. Both have the ability to mix caution with aggression and are adept ‘finishers’. The most crucial component though, is Faf du Plessis.

Du Plessis is the glue that keeps the South African batting together. In the recently concluded ODI and T20 series, South Africa lost all the games in which Du Plessis was sidelined. An excellent player of spin, he enables the batting to bat around him, thus laying the platform for huge scores.

South Africa’s only weakness is against spin and it was on display in Sri Lanka. Apart from this, they have shown a tendency to blow hot and cold on far too many occasions. f they are to end their wait for an elusive World Cup, the batting line-up needs to fire in unison.

Despite their batting prowess, they only get the #3 slot due to their apparent weakness against the spinning ball and their issues with consistency.

#2 India

India v Bangladesh: Quarter Final - 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup

The top two in our list are a cut above the rest and have been scintillating everyone with their batting. The runner-up spot goes to the perennial batting powerhouse of world cricket, India.

India boasts of a sensational top three with Dhawan, Rohit and Kohli adept at scoring at a fast clip. To supplement this, the aforementioned trio have also shown the hunger to dig deep and convert their starts into big scores. India’s batting revolves around the top three, with one of them being tasked with batting through the innings.

However, like many teams on the list, their middle order is a huge cause of concern. The men in blue don’t know their best bet at #4 and #5. The likes of Rahul, Raina and Karthik have been tried but none have grabbed their opportunities.

While the #6 and #7 slot is sorted out, the team would hope for Dhoni to rediscover his hitting mojo. In England, the dasher from Ranchi played a couple of uncharacteristic innings, quelling speculation of his place in the team.

Meanwhile, Pandya is a decent ‘finisher’ and provides the impetus required in the death-overs. Though the top three have bailed them out of trouble on several occasions, the Indian team would want the middle order to find its touch and contribute. The last thing India would want is for their middle order to fumble and flounder in a crunch game.

It is due to the unanswered middle order conundrum that India gets the runner-up spot in our list.

India would want MS Dhoni firing on all cylinders

#1 England

Roy sets the tone at the top of the order

The best ODI batting line-up in the world belongs to England. Ever since their 2015 World Cup debacle, they have adopted a care-free, aggressive approach and it has paid rich dividends. The Englishmen currently find themselves at the perch of the ICC ODI rankings.

Their openers, Roy and Bairstow are as destructive as any and put the bowlers on the back foot, right from the outset. At #3, they have the ever reliable, Joe Root, who has the ability to pace his innings to perfection.

Their middle order, comprising of Morgan, Stokes and Buttler is hard to contain. All three are clean strikers of the ball and have proved their mettle on a number of occasions. At #7, Moeen Ali isn’t a bad bet and contributes with his fair share of runs.

The English batting line-up has the ability to bludgeon any opposition out of the game with their indomitable batting might. Over the course of the past two years, they have notched 350-plus scores with astounding frequency, breaking the world-record for the highest ODI total twice in the process.

The English team are good away from home as well. Their recent victories in Australia and New Zealand are a testament to that. With the World Cup on home soil next year, England would hope their batting prowess can land them their first ODI World Cup.

Due to their consistency, their hitting prowess and their adaptability, the English batting line-up takes the numero uno spot on our list.

Agree with our list? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below!