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Cricket PlayersFrom Deepak Chahar's gritty 69* to Sam Curran's one-man fight in Pune: Here are the top 10 ODI knocks of 2021
In a year dominated by Test cricket and T20Is, the ODI format took a backseat but in the limited number of 50-over matches fans witnessed some of the most enthralling contests.
In a year dominated by Test cricket and T20Is, the ODI format took a backseat but in the limited number of 50-over matches fans witnessed some of the most enthralling contests. Ireland defeated South Africa for the first time in ODIs, Fakhar Zaman almost became the first Pakistan batter to reach double hundred in the 50-over format.
In this piece we take a look at top 10 ODI knocks of the year:
Shikhar Dhawan 98 vs ENG
It was India's first ODI of the year in Pune and the Men In Blue secured an impressive 66-run win over England, riding on Shikhar Dhawan's effort. The left-handed batter scored 98 off 106 balls, which featured 11 fours and 2 sixes. His effort saw India pile a stiff 317/5 on the board and in response England were bundled out for 251.
Jonny Bairstow 94 vs India
The same match featured a carnage from England's wicketkeeper-batter Jonny Bairstow but it came in a losing cause. Batting at a strike-rate of above 140, Bairstow smoked 94 in just 66 balls, which included six 4s and seven 6s. His opening stand of 135 in less than 15 overs with Jason Roy made everyone believe England would chase down the target comfortably before debutant Prasidh Krishna provided the hosts with the first breakthrough. The medium pacer dismissed Roy on 46(35), following which the remaining nine wickets could only muster 116 runs.
KL Rahul 108 vs England
The second match of the series was a high-scoring contest and it saw several batters put up a solid show. From the Indian camp it was KL Rahul, who emerged as the standout performer as his 108 off 114 balls helped the hosts pile a gigantic 336/6 on the board.
Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes go bonkers
The English top-order continued their impressive run in the second encounter as the opening pair of Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy added 110 runs in 16.3 overs for the first wicket this time. Roy was run-out on 55 and just when India thought they will bounce back in the contest, they were welcomed with an onslaught by Bairstow and Ben Stokes. Both the batters made a mockery of the 337-run target, as they went on to add 175 runs for the second wicket. Bairstow completed his ton, scoring 124 from 114 balls, while Stokes fell short by one run from reaching the triple digit mark. However, his 52-ball 99, which he dedicated to his late father, was enough to guide England to a commanding six wickets win as the tourists completed the gigantic run-chase with more than six overs to spare.
Sam Curran 95* vs India
With the series squared at 1-1, the stage was set for a series decider and it proved to be exactly the same, with India clinching it by winning the third ODI by seven runs. It was another high-scoring contest but this time none of the batters breached the 100-run mark but Sam Curran hogged all the limelight after displaying some great resilience on the pitch. The image of Curran sitting on his knees went viral as the young all-rounder pulled England out of a tough situation and drew them tantalisingly close to securing a win. Curran then scored an unbeaten 95 off 83 balls but his efforts saw England moving from 168/6 in 25.4 overs to 322/9 in 50 overs.
Fakhar Zaman - 193 off 155 vs South Africa
Pakistan had a good 2021 campaign and much of the credit goes to their star batting pair of Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam. However, in this particular incident, Zaman's top-class knock, which also saw him set a record of scoring the most number of runs while batting second, came in a losing cause. In the 2nd ODI against South Africa in Johannesburg, Zaman scored 193 runs off 155 balls before he was run out in the final over. His efforts saw him go past Shane Watson, whose 185 was the previous highest individual run-scorer while chasing ODIs.
Deepak Chahar 69* vs Sri Lanka
Yes, you read that right. Deepak Chahar's gritty 69 against Sri Lanka also features in the list of top 10 ODI knocks. The medium-pacer walked into bat in a tricky situation as India were six down at 160 and needed another 115 to win with 23 overs still remaining in the contest. He first started out slow adding 33 runs with Krunal Pandya in the next eight overs. However, the better batter among the two, Krunal was dismissed in the first delivery of the 36th over, leaving India hanging at the mouth of defeat, with 82 still required and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Chahar in the middle. However, what followed next was nothing short of a heist as the pair added 84 runs for the 8th wicket as India chased down the stiff 276-run target with five balls to spare. Chahar was named player of the match for his match-winning efforts, as he contributed 69 with the bat and scalped two wickets in the contest.
Babar Azam 158 vs England
One of Pakistan's best batters and currently the number one in T20Is, Babar Azam scored his highest individual score earlier this year against England. The right-handed batter smashed 158 off 139 balls, which was also the most by any Pakistani player against England in ODIs. However, his effort too came in a losing cause as England chased down the 332-run target, riding on James Vince's 102 off 95 balls.
Andy Balbirnie - 102 off 117 vs South Africa
It was Andy Balbirine stunning 102 off 117 balls, which helped Ireland register their first-ever ODI win against South Africa. After inviting Ireland to bat first, Balbirine helped his side post 290/5 in 50 overs and in response South Africa could only manage 247.
