Top five 300+ successful run chases by India at home
The first match between India and England might have certainly reminded the cricket loving nation and the cricketing buffs of the success that India achieved at home. We are speaking about the top five 300+ successful run chases by India at home. This is when India was able to get past the finish line by scoring that one important run to win the match.
India Vs. West Indies
It was the fourth match of the series between India and West Indies in the 2002-03 series. After winning the toss India decided to field first. However, it looked as if their decision backfired on them as the big man – Chris Gayle got going. He scored 140 runs in only 127 balls with the help of 12 fours and five huge sixes. Ramnaresh Sarwan was the other prominent contributor with the bat. He remained not out on 99 with eight fours in 104 balls. India had to chase 325 for victory.
It was the middle order efforts of Rahul Dravid and later a cameo by Sanjay Banger that made the win for India possible. Both remained not out to see India home. Dravid scored 109 runs in 124 balls with 8 fours. Banger had a brilliant run in the match with a score of 57 runs in just 41 balls. He hits 5 fours and 2 sixes. India won by 5 wickets with 14 balls to spare.
India Vs. New Zeeland
This particular match played between India and New Zealand ranks at the second number in the list of top five successful 300+ chases for India at home. Incidentally, this was also the fourth match of the series played in 2011-12 season. Like the above, here too India won the toss and chose to field and won with five wickets. New Zeeland batted first to score 315 runs. Though there was no century from any Black Cap player, it was largely due to James Franklin that New Zealand could go past the 300 run-mark.
He scored 98 runs at number 6 with 12 fours and 3 sixes in only 69 balls. There were three 40+ contributions to the total of 315.
It was another fine batting performance by a number six player – as was for New Zealand. It was a swashbuckling innings of 123 not out by Yusuf Pathan in just 96 balls that saw India home. Yusuf hit 7 fours and as many sixes to win the match for India with 7 balls to spare.
India Vs. Sri Lanka
And what’s this? It was yet another fourth match of yet another series that gave India a 300+ win. Upul Tharanga batted almost the entire Sri Lankan innings to take them past 300 runs. Giving him company was the ever-dependent Kumar Sangakkara. Upul Tharanga scored 118 runs in 128 balls with 14 fours and a couple of sixes, while Sangakkara scored 60 runs in 75 balls with five boundaries. Thilina Kandamby scored a brisk 23 in 15 balls while Thisara Perera managed 31 in only 14 balls with 4 fours and one six.
The Indian reply mainly revolved around only two players – Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli. Both were the centurions on the day. Gambhir scored 150 runs in 137 balls with the help of 14 fours. Kohli was out soon after his century after scoring 107 runs. He consumed 114 balls and hit 11 fours and 1 six. India won by seven wickets with 11 balls remaining.
India Vs. Sri Lanka
It was yet another match against the islanders. It was the third match of the 2005-06 season. Kumar Sangakkara will be remembered for this match, as he carried his bat through. He scored 138 runs in 147 balls. In the process he hit 13 fours and two sixes. Mahela Jayawardene was the other prominent batman for Sri Lanka, who scored 71 runs in 70 balls by hitting 10 fours. This time it was Farveez Maharoof who helped Lanka past 300 runs. With four fours and a six, he scored 31 runs in 16 balls.
It was once again a memorable successful chase by India. Needing to win 299 runs, the chase was dominated by the long-haired M S Dhoni. He scored a breathtaking 183 runs in 145 balls. He hit 15 fours and as many as 10 sixes to win the match for India in only 46.1 overs with six wickets remaining.
India Vs. South Africa
The oldest of the five matches, it was played during the 1999-2000 season and was the first match of the series. It was one exciting match that went all the way down to the wire. India won the match with only 2 balls and 3 wickets to spare. Batting first South Africa scored a massive 301 runs losing only 3 wickets. There were two centurions in that innings - former India coach Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs. They put on 235 runs for the first wicket in 39.3 overs.
None of the Indian batsman scored a century in the case, but it was Ajay Jadeja who top-scored with 92 runs in 109 balls. A couple of cameos by Mohd. Azharuddin and Robin Singh turned the match in India's favor. It should be admitted that the middle-order had more important role to play in the chase than the top-order. But all's well that ends well. Ajay Jadeja was named the Player of the match for his brilliant match-winning knock.
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