5 teams with the most 300+ totals in ODIs
Twenty years back, a total of over 300 was a luxurious sight for fans in One Day Internationals. 270-280 was considered a match-winning score even at a time when ODIs featured 60 overs a side. But the advent of bigger bats, smaller grounds, and freakish talents like Adam Gilchrist, Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, and AB de Villiers have made even 400 look pretty easy.
A score above 300 is no longer regarded as a safe first innings total. Chases in excess of 300 have become regular place in ODIs. Much to the dismay of bowlers from around the world, batsmen have made batting look extremely easy and found new avenues of scoring runs.
Smaller grounds and thick bats have also been crucial factors in promoting 300+ totals in ODIs. Boundaries that used to be 85-90 metres long in the 20th century became 60-70 metres. With the bats that modern batsmen use, even edges fly over the boundary rope. With this in mind, let us look at teams that have scored the maximum number of totals above 300.
5. England - 78
England post World Cup 2015 has risen as a powerhouse in ODI cricket. Leaving their classics approach behind, England amped up their batting prowess in the run to the 2019 World Cup and scored 300+ scores for fun.
England, despite being the last in this list, are the record holders of the most staggering total scored in the history of ODI cricket. In an absolute demolition by Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow, they scored a monstrous score of 481 against Australia in June 2019.
England have posted a total of 78 scores above 300 with their lowest being 302. In those 78 games, England have won 56, lost 20 and drew two of them.
4. Pakistan - 81
Pakistan was among the first few teams to crack the 300 mark. In the 1975 World Cup against Sri Lanka, Pakistan scored 330, albeit in 60 overs. They crossed the mark 65 more times in the next 41 years.
The advent of Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam, and Abdul Razzaq saw Pakistan exceed 300 many times. Incidentally, Pakistan is the only team on this list to not score a 400 yet in ODIs. They missed the mark by just one against Zimbabwe in 2018, when Fakhar Zaman's 210* took them to a mammoth total of 399.
In the 81 times, Pakistan has crossed 300, they have lost 15 games and won the rest.
3. South Africa - 84
South Africa has 84 scores above 300, but considering they started playing international cricket with such frequency only post 1992, the feat is admirable. They have also managed to win 75 of those 84 matches.
Their first such total came against the Kiwis in Centurion in 1994 when they posted 314 batting first. They had only nine more than 300+ totals in the 20th century. But some powerful batsmen in Gibbs, Klusener, De Villiers and later on guys like Miller and De Kock ensured South Africa were regular scorers above 300.
Their highest ODI total came against West Indies in 2015. An AB de Villiers whirlwind knock of 149 from 44 balls towered them to the score fo 439. They bettered their earlier score of 438, which was made in a historic chase against the Australian team.
2. Australia - 108
Australia holds the record for the second-most scores above 300 with 108 totals, the first of which came in the 1975 World Cup against Sri Lanka at Oval. A prolific ODI team, Australia kept breaching the mark many more times in the 20th century.
As explosive players like Gilchrist, Hayden, Ponting, Hussey, Watson and Warner came onto the scene, the frequency of scaling 300 increased many folds. They have won 91 of the 108 times they crossed 300, losing 16, with one match ending in a No Result.
They were the first team to cross 400 in ODIs, but unfortunately ended up on the losing side as an inspired South African side shut them out in the chase. They scored one more total above 400, against Afghanistan in the 2015 World Cup.
1. India - 114
With the sub-continental pitches favouring batting, it is no surprise that 3 of the four most prominent Asian teams make this list. India stands at the first position with 114 totals over 300. Interestingly, they have five 400+ totals too, positioning themselves second in the list just behind South Africa, who have six.
The first time India breached 300 was against their arch-rivals, Pakistan in Sharjah in 1996. They went on to win 88 of their 114 scores above 300, losing 23 and tieing three games.
The highest they have scored was 418 against West Indies in Indore in 2011. With conditions in India expected to continue favouring batsmen, India can surely go on to increase their count in forthcoming years.