Glenn Maxwell: 4 Other Great Solo ODI Batting Performances

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The only third instance of a double hundred was witnessed during last night’s ICC World Cup match between Australia and Afghanistan where Glenn Maxwell stole the show at the very end. History was created in Mumbai on Tuesday when Glenn Maxwell became the first man to hit a double-century in a chase and the first non-opener to do so. Not only that, he got to the milestone despite Australia struggling at 91 for 7 chasing 292. Still the record-holder for the highest percentage of runs by a single batter in a completed ODI innings, Here are four other great solo ODI batting performances that shocked cricket fans across the world.

In March 1983, former indian cricket team captain Kapil Dev had shown signs of his brilliance with a 38-ball 82 against West Indies, but it was this particular innings that entered cricketing lore. According to those privy to Dev’s company he was in the shower to prepare for his middle-order batting role when India slipped to 6 for 3. Soon after, they were 9 for 4, and Dev’s shower had to be cut short as he was in next. Right after Dev motored along, getting to his fifty in 70-odd balls, then smacked his next fifty in about 30 balls, and 75 runs from his last 37 or 38 balls. It was the first ODI hundred by an Indian, the highest ODI individual score at the time and a total outlier in terms of domination, as he finished with a strike-rate of almost 127.

Fondly remembered by Pakistan fans for his hat-trick of sixes off Anil Kumble in the innings, opener Anwar brought in the then-highest individual ODI score as Pakistan pumped 327 in Chennai during the Independence Cup. With a crowd cheering India on, and no other Pakistan batter crossing 39, Anwar made full use of the rules that allowed a runner to display controlled aggression by bringing in 22 fours and five sixes. He was well on his way to becoming the first man to score an ODI double-century.

Marlon Samuels offered Guptill a life in the first over, and he never looked back, smashing the (still) highest ODI score at a men’s World Cup in a quarter-final match in front of a home crowd. Guptill was in such sublime form that the other New Zealand batters simply handed the strike to him and let him to do his thing. Together, the other batters hit 146 runs in all, while Guptill plundered 162 runs only in fours and sixes. The second-highest score of the innings was Kane Williamson’s 42.

The pitch was flat and Sri Lanka looked like a flat outfit too. But a score as high as 264 has happened only once in nearly 4700 games of ODI cricket. In as a replacement in the XI for a rested Shikhar Dhawan, and fresh from a shoulder and finger injury, the first over Rohit faced was a maiden. In fact, he scored only four in his first 18 balls. But then he got to 50 off 72, 100 off 100, 150 off 125, 200 off 151 and 250 off 166 balls. It was a performance that confirmed Rohit would bat nowhere else but as an opener and India finished on a mighty 404.