Top 5 ODI knocks by Indian batsmen at Visakhapatnam

#1 MS Dhoni (148 off 123 balls vs Pakistan, 2005)

The 148 against Pakistan proved to be the turning point in MS Dhoni’s career

If Dhoni had not performed in this match, he probably would never have become the legend that he is now. It was a make-or-break match for the young Dhoni, whose unconventional batting style had not reaped any results in his first four innings, and he needed to hit form to stay in the team.

Incidentally, this was the first match at the ACA-VDCA stadium. Dhoni, promoted to No. 3 as a pinch-hitter, blazed his way to his first international century, thrashing the visiting bowlers to submission with his unorthodox strokes. The spinners, Shahid Afridi and Arshad Khan, were treated with disdain, as the team powered on to amass 356, a target that proved to be 58 runs too much for the Pakistan team. As for Dhoni, there was no looking back. The knock gave him a perfect launchpad to realise his potential at the highest level.