Top 10 ODI Innings of the Century

When ODI cricket started off in 1971 in Melbourne Cricket Ground, many expected it to be a format which would be played exclusively as a stress-reliever from the relatively "slow" Test cricket. However, 48 years down the line, the ODI format has become one of the most popular formats in the game of cricket.

We are now in the 21st century, and ICC has introduced lots of changes to the format, most of them favoring the batsmen. As a result, we've seen the willow wielders showcase some of the best performances at the most opportune times.

In this article, we look at the 10 most memorable ODI innings that were played in the 21st century. The innings considered here are based on the level of pressure, the importance of the tournament and the nature of rivalry.

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#10 Adam Gilchrist 149 vs Australia (Final, ICC World Cup at Bridgetown, Apr 28, 2007)

Adam Gilchrist - Australia v Sri Lanka, 2007

For four years, Ricky Ponting held the record for the highest score in an ICC World Cup final for his 140* against India and it was broken by his teammate Adam Gilchrist during the 2007 tournament between Australia and Sri Lanka. The innings which included 8 sixes and 13 boundaries, virtually pushed Sri Lanka out of the finals and made it a one-sided battle.

Lasith Malinga, Chaminda Vas, and Muttiah Muralitharan, all of whom were brilliant in the tournament, were dispatched to all parts of the crowd. Of the 16 centuries by Gilly, this has to go down as his best, taking into consideration the immensity of the situation and the significance of the tournament.

The No.10 slot goes to this marvelous innings by Adam Gilchrist, which helped Australia to bag their fourth World Cup title.

#9 Herschelle Gibbs 175 vs Australia (The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, March 12, 2006)

Herschelle Gibbs- South Africa v Australia,2006

Ask any South African cricketer, and they will tell you that a ton against Australia is much more than just the runs that they get. The 2006 ODI series between Australia and South Africa was one such occasion as Herschelle Gibbs registered his career-best innings.

On the back of a brilliant century by captain Ricky Ponting, Australia had scored and set South Africa a stiff target to chase. Walking in to bat in just the second over of the run chase, Gibbs took control of the game.

His partnership with Graeme Smith got South Africa close but, it was Gibbs who was doing the bulk of the scoring. In the end, he finished with 175 off just 111 balls and fell to a vicious short delivery from Symonds. This innings helped South Africa to register the record of the highest run chase in ODI cricket.

#8 Rohit Sharma 264 vs Sri Lanka (Kolkata, November 13, 2014)

Rohit Sharma 264 - India v Sri Lanka, 2014

Rohit Sharma made his way to the record books and rewrote history as he outperformed his own record of highest score in an ODI match. Rohit stunned the cricket world by hitting a 264 off 173 balls against Sri Lanka on 13th November 2014. He is also the only ODI batsman in the world to have hit a double century thrice.

The magnificent innings of Rohit Sharma propelled India to a 404-5 total. With a huge total by their side, the Indian bowlers dismissed the Sri Lankan team for a low score of 251, thereby registered a victory by a huge margin of 153 runs.

The No. 8 slot goes to this extraordinary innings by the 'Hitman', which helped team India continue its home dominance over the mighty Sri Lanka.

#7 Sachin Tendulkar 200* vs South Africa (Gwalior, Feb 24, 2010)

Sachin Tendulkar - South Africa v India, 2010

On 24th February 2010, the double-century mark in ODIs was breached by a 5′ 5″ft tall superman from India, who became the first batsman to achieve that unique milestone.

The dazzling innings came in the 3-match ODI series against the South African team in Gwalior. With a 1-0 lead in the series, Indian captain MS Dhoni decided to bat first and let Sachin Tendulkar open the innings, and the rest was history.

Sachin creamed 25 fours and 3 maximums in the innings and became the first ODI batsman to surpass the double hundred line in ODIs. Sachin was fabulous on that day. He was particularly severe on the willy Dale Steyn, who went for 89 runs in 10 overs.

This marvelous batting effort ranks No.7 on our list of the top 10 ODI innings of the century.

#6 Virat Kohli 133* vs Sri Lanka (CB Series, Hobart, February 28, 2012)

Virat Kohli - India v Sri Lanka, 2012

There can be little doubt that Virat Kohli is one of the greatest middle order batsmen in ODIs at the moment. Sri Lanka got first-hand experience of that in the 11th ODI of the Australian tri-series (CB Series),2012.

Chasing 321 for victory, the Men in Blue needed to reach the target within 40 overs to keep alive any chances of making the tournament final. With the CB series final chances on the line, Indian batsmen started aggressively and were in a 2-86 position with Virat Kohli and Gautham Gambhir in the crease. The chase master simply carved the Sri Lankan bowlers to all corners of Hobart cricket stadium and registered his career-best innings.

Kohli finished with 133* off just 86 balls, and his spectacular knock included sixteen fours and two sixes. His innings helped team India to reach the target in their 36th over and won the match by 7 wickets.

#5 Sachin Tendulkar 98 vs Pakistan (Semifinal, ICC World Cup at Centurion, Mar 1, 2003)

Sachin Tendulkar - India vs Pakistan - 2003

The Men in Blue were playing Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup semi-final at the historical centurion stadium, hoping for a final entry after the 1983 triumph. Having been set a target of 274, Virender Sehwag seemed to be in an aggressive mood and set the scorecard on fire. However, Waqar Younis delivered a great spell and dismissed Sehwag and Ganguly in the same over leaving India two down early.

When India was in a 2/53 situation, Sachin took control of the match. His partnership with Mohammad Kaif got India close to the target. He was eventually dismissed for a 78-ball 98 which included 12 fours and a six. Although Sachin missed a well deserved hundred, team India won the match with 26 balls and six wickets to spare.

#4 Sanath Jayasuriya 189 vs India (Final, Coca-Cola Champions Trophy at Sharjah, Oct 29, 2000)

Sanath Jayasuriya - Sri Lanka vs India,2000

The Sri Lankan opener did not just toy around with the Indian bowlers, he raised a clear dominance over the Indian team in the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy final,2000.

Sanath Jayasuriya hit 21 fours and 4 sixes during the course of the match, which left the Men Blue totally dispirited. The innings is still hard to imagine, given that his first 50 runs came at a strike rate of around run-a-ball. He didn't decelerate after reaching the ton mark and carried on the same way to reach a score of 189.

In a tournament where 250 was being chased easily, Jayasuriya ensured that Sri Lanka got past 290 to put the match beyond India. Of the many hundreds by him in ODIs, this has to go down as his best, taking into consideration the situation and the quality of the bowlers.

#3 Grant Eliott 84* vs South Africa (ICC Cricket World Cup at Auckland, Mar 24, 2015)

Grant Eliot -New Zealand v South Africa,2015

24th March 2015 is a day the New Zealand cricket fans are not going to forget in a hurry. It was the day when an ill-fated nation quenched its thirst for an ICC event final. Their knights that day: Corey Anderson, Brendon McCullum, and a certain Grant Elliott.

Elliott entered the crease after Guptill had been dismissed by an unfortunate run out. His innings, which lasted 73 balls, contained 7 fours and 3 sixes. Eliot played safe cricket, relying on strike rotation, rather than going for maximums.

For a while, New Zealand was staring at a soul-crushing defeat. However, the 84 runs scored by Elliott helped the Kiwis reach the top 2 of an ICC event. Although they failed to defeat the Invincibles in the finals, this innings deserves a spot in the list.

#2 Gautam Gambhir 97 vs Sri Lanka (Final, ICC Cricket World Cup at Mumbai, Apr 2, 2011)

Gautam Gambhir - India v Sri Lanka, 2011

One of the biggest reasons why team India won the 2011 World Cup final was the performance of their top-order batting led by Gautam Gambhir and a certain finisher who we'll see in the next slide. Gambhir's innings, which lasted 122 balls, contained 9 fours. He played a risk-free innings, and rather than going for the big hits, his scoring relied mostly on singles and doubles.

When Gambhir departed at 97, team India was within touching distance of victory. But his dismissal made him an unsung hero of India's World Cup triumph. It would be unfair if we haven't included this innings in the list of best Innings of the century.

Taking into consideration the importance of the innings and the situation, Gambhir's 97 runs against Sri Lanka in the World Cup finals will bag the No.2 slot in the list.

#1 MS Dhoni 91* vs Sri Lanka (Final, ICC Cricket World Cup at Mumbai, Apr 2, 2011)

MS Dhoni - India v Sri Lanka, 2011

MS Dhoni's performance in the final of the 2011 World Cup tournament is widely considered to be the best batting performance in an intense match. When Dhoni promoted himself in the batting order, that too in a World Cup final, nitpickers expected it to be a great opportunity to criticize him. But Mahi proved why he is one of the greatest finishers in ODIs.

Dhoni scored a plucky 91 off 78 balls, forming crucial partnerships with Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh. The awe-inspiring innings, which made a defendable target look easy, came against an experienced bowling line-up led by Lasith Malinga.

Bearing in mind the risks he took, the importance of the situation and the way he handled the pressure, Dhoni's innings will take the No.1 position in the list.