Top 5 ODIs of 2017

2017 is coming to end and the ODIs for this year are done and dusted with the conclusion of the 3rd One-Day International between New Zealand and West Indies.

In the 128 ODIs played this year, we seen some close games and some one-sided ones.

2017 also saw the Champions Trophy. Pakistan entered the tournament as the underdogs and ended up surprising a lot of people by winning the Champions Trophy title. However, having played 29 games, India have the most number of ODI wins this year.

Here, we look at 5 of the best One-Day games played in 2017.

---

#5 India vs England (Cuttack)

2017 was off to a good start.

Australia and Pakistan competed well in their first couple of ODIs, and then India chased down 350 against England in Pune to take a 1-0 lead.

Cuttack was the venue for the 2nd ODI and international cricket returned to the Barabati Stadium after a gap of 15 months. With dew expected to play a big part, England opted to field first after winning the toss. This series was also Virat Kohli’s first as full-time ODI skipper.

The top-order, which had failed in Pune, didn’t get off to the best of starts once again. India were reduced to 25/3 inside 5 overs and with their talismanic skipper Virat Kohli (who scored 122 in the first ODI) too back in the pavilion, things looked bleak.

However, comeback man Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni turned back the clock as they forged a magnificent 256-run partnership. They started off slowly but picked up pace and momentum once they were set and got stuck into the English bowling attack. Both scored majestic tons with Yuvraj ending with a 127-ball 150 and Dhoni scoring 134. India scored a staggering 100 runs in the last 7 overs to end with a mammoth 381.

Chasing 382, very few people would’ve given England a chance. But they didn’t get bogged down. They got off to a brisk start as they reached 100 in the 16th over. And with the firepower they had and with lots of dew around, they were always in the chase. But wickets at regular intervals reduced the visitors to 206/5. But then Moeen Ali (55) and skipper Eoin Morgan (102) got England back into the game with a quick-fire 93-run stand.

Even after Ali’s dismissal, Morgan found the boundary consistently to keep England in the hunt and got to his century in the 49th over. With 29 required off 11 deliveries, Morgan was the key but his run out changed the complexion as India completed a 15-run victory.

Brief Scores: India 381 for 6 (Yuvraj 150, Dhoni 134, Woakes 4-60) beat England 366 for 8 (Morgan 102, Roy 82, Moeen 55, Root 54, Ashwin 3-65)

#4 Sri Lanka vs Pakistan – Champions Trophy (Cardiff)

Skipper Sarfraz batted superbly to take Pakistan into the semi-final.

The last game of the Champions Trophy was to decide the last semi-finalist (with England, India and Bangladesh already qualified). Surprisingly, it was the underdog teams – Sri Lanka and Pakistan battling it out for the final spot.

Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka got off to a disastrous start as they suffered heavy losses against India and South Africa respectively. However, a win for both teams in their next game (Sri Lanka against India and Pakistan against South Africa) gave them hope.

Pakistan continued the trend of bowling first after winning the toss. However, Sri Lanka got off to a good start and were well placed at 161/3 in the 32nd over before the Pakistani pacers brought the latter back in the game. The Lankans slipped from 161/3 to 167/7 before ending up with 236.

Given Pakistan’s history with chases, Sri Lanka would’ve believed there was a big chance. And they truly were right in the game, and in fact, ahead at one point in time. Pakistan wasted a brilliant start as they slipped from 74/0 to 137/6. The run-rate wasn’t much of an issue as 100 runs were required with about 24 overs to go.

This 137/6 soon became 162/7 and Sri Lankan hopes grew. With 75 to get and 3 wickets in hand, The Lankans were favourites. However, aided by some poor and sloppy fielding by Sri Lanka, skipper Sarfraz Ahmed took Pakistan over the finish line. He scored a well-timed and a patient 61 to help his team qualify for the semis.

Sri Lanka would rue the fact that they dropped two catches and both times Sarfraz was the batsman. Thisara Perera dropped a sitter at mid-on in the 39th over with 43 runs still required. And another one went down in the 41st over and this time it was the substitute fielder Seekkuge Prasanna giving Sarfraz another life.

However, the way momentum of the game swung, it brought life to a rather sedate Champions Trophy. Pakistan then went onto to defy odds and win the Champions Trophy and if you look back it was this game that gave them the required momentum.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka 236 (Dickwella 73, Junaid 3-40, Hasan 3-43, Amir 2-53) lost to Pakistan 237 for 7 (Sarfraz 61*, Zaman 50, Pradeep 3-60, Lakmal 1/48)

#3 England vs South Africa (Southampton)

Miller batted beautifully for his 71 to take South Africa close.

England and South Africa faced off for a short ODI series just before the Champions Trophy. After being completely outplayed in the first ODI, South Africa opted to bowl first.

England got off to a solid start despite losing Jason Roy in the 5th over. But two quick wickets pushed the hosts on the back foot. At 80/3, Ben Stokes strode out and completed changed the complexion of the innings. He scored a fantastic 102 off just 79 deliveries to put his side in a commanding position. Quick-fire cameos from Jos Butler (65) and Moeen Ali (33) helped England reach 330.

South Africa started solidly as well, with a 56-run opening stand. Everyone in the top 4 got starts but none of them went onto to register a big score. At 266/5 in the 44th over, South Africa required 65 more and with David Miller batting really well, the game was headed towards a tight finish.

Chris Morris (35*) and Miller (71*) attacked and brought it down to 7 runs from the final over. With only 7 required, you would any day back the chasing team. However, there was more drama that unfolded as Mark Wood conceded only 4 runs to seal the match and the series for England.

Brief Scores: England 330 for 5 (Stokes 101, Buttler 65*, Morgan 45, Rabada 2/50) beat South Africa 328 for 5 (de Kock 98, Miller 71*, de Villiers 52, Plunkett 3/64)

#2 India vs New Zealand (Kanpur)

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli scored magnificent tons.

After losing the Champions Trophy final, the Indian team won three consecutive series (against West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia). However, New Zealand surprised them with a brilliant all-round performance in Mumbai to gain a 1-0 lead before the hosts came storming back with a 6-wicket win in Pune.

The stage was set for a fitting series-finale as the teams headed to Kanpur for the final ODI. New Zealand put India into bat first and struck as early as the 6th over to send Shikhar Dhawan back to the pavilion. But Rohit Sharma (147) and skipper Virat Kohli (113) batted brilliantly as they scored their respective tons and forged a superb 230-run stand for the second wicket. India finished with 337/6 at the end of 50 overs.

Colin Munro gave the Kiwis a flying start. Despite the loss of Guptill in the 6th over, Munro along with skipper Kane Williamson played counter-attacking cricket as the Blackcaps were well placed at 153/1 in 24 overs. But a couple of quick wickets (of set batsmen) brought India right back in the game.

However, coming in at No. 5, Tom Latham batted beautifully. He first built a 79-run partnership with Ross Taylor and when 90 runs were required in the last 10, along with Henry Nicholls, he accelerated brilliantly and it seemed that he had timed the chase to perfection.

With 35 required off four overs and Latham and Nicholls well set, it was gettable. However, some excellent death bowling from Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar defied the Kiwi batsmen as they helped India win by 6 runs and take the series 2-1.

Brief Scores: India 337 for 6 (Rohit 147, Kohli 113, Santner 2-58, Milne 2/64) beat New Zealand 331 for 7 (Munro 75, Latham 65, Williamson 64, Bumrah 3-47, Chahal 2-47)

#1 New Zealand vs Australia (Auckland)

From 67/6, Stoinis batted beautifully to take Australia so close.

Auckland is the place you want to be when there’s a cricket match going on. This venue has a special thing about – it has this unique tendency to produce thrilling encounters irrespective of who plays there.

It was the first ODI of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy. Australia had regained it only about a couple of months back. Australia won the toss and elected to field first. They started very well as they reduced the hosts to 134/5 in 25 overs. However, vital contributions from Neil Broom (73), Jimmy Neesham (48) and a 5-ball 16 from pacer Trent Boult propelled the Kiwis to 286.

It was a competitive score as Australia were without a few key players (Steve Smith and David Warner). However, there was still a little bit of experience in the batting with Finch, Marsh and Maxwell having played for more than 3 years.

The Australian to-order failed miserably as they were reduced to 67/6 inside 20 overs. The game seemed done and dusted at that point. But Marcus Stoinis playing only his second game, batted beautifully with the tail to get Australia close. He forged an 80-run partnership with James Faulkner for the 7th wicket. After Faulkner’s dismissal, he started farming most of the strike and kept finding the fence consistently.

At 226/9, the game looked over from the outside but Stoinis didn’t give up. He didn’t allow the No. 11, Josh Hazlewood, to face even a single delivery and kept scoring from his end and took the Aussies very close. But with 6 runs to get, skipper Kane Williamson held his nerve and inflicted a superb run out to help New Zealand win a thriller.

Marcus Stoinis’ unbeaten 117-ball 146 went in vain as Australia conceded a 1-0 lead and later went on to lose the series 2-0.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 286 for 9 (Broom 73, Guptill 61, Stoinis 3-49, Cummins 2/67) beat Australia 280 (Stoinis 146*, Cummins 36, Santner 3-44, Ferguson 2/44, Boult 2/58)