Top 6 Knocks by Indian Batsmen in Successful Chases
Chasing is an art of cricket that requires a strong temperament, critical evaluation and calculative risks. The batsman has to go about his business extremely vigilantly, targeting the weak bowlers of the opposition and tactfully negotiating the good ones.
Traditionally, batting second has been viewed as a challenging task in cricket. The pressure of maintaining the required rate with keeping wickets in hand always goes on in the batsman's mind.
Runs on the board are guarded by lethal, attacking bowlers make the job more daunting. Chasing requires a sound understanding of the situation, such as when to adopt a cautious approach and when to switch gears.
The approach is of a team is vital, as it decides the fate of their innings. While chasing a high total, the batsmen, especially the openers are expected to come out all guns blazing and make the most of the powerplay overs.
In tricky, medium score matches, the onus is on the middle order to keep the scoreboard ticking while keeping the wickets in hand.
Close chases are as good as a roller coaster ride, with the fans' heartbeats increasing with every ball and over, let alone the players. As a result, we have seen many players, including several batting prodigies, falter under the pressure of a mammoth score over the years.
Nevertheless, there have been instances where new, inexperienced batsmen have thrived under pressure and held their nerve to take their team across the line.
In the previous decade, players like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Michael Hussey have mastered the art of chasing, by seizing the opportunities with a cool head and adapting themselves to the situation.
We take a look at the best knocks by Indian batsmen in successful chases, some of which enabled India to clinch prestigious ICC titles
6. MS Dhoni 183* vs Sri Lanka, 2005
Played at The Sawai Man Singh Stadium, this was the third ODI Match of the seven-match bilateral series between the two sides. Sri Lanka came into the game trailing 0-2 and looked to change their fortunes.
Legendary wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara smashed a scintillating 138*, followed by a knock of 71 by his veteran partner Mahela Jayawardene, as Sri Lanka raced to 298/4 in their 50 overs. A target of 299 was never easy to chase and losing the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in the first over only made things worse for India.
However, what followed was an exhibition of sheer class and power-hitting, as an in-form, Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed the Sri Lankan bowlers to all the parts of the ground. Dhoni exercised equal control over pace and spin and brought up his hundred in just 85 balls.
He added another 83 runs of just 60 balls, en route the highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs, beating Adam Gilchrist's 172.
MS Dhoni hit 15 fours and 10 sixes in his knock of 183* off 145 balls, which till date remains the highest score by an Indian while chasing and the second highest globally.