Only instances of four players scoring a century in the same ODI
A player or two reaching the three-figure mark in a one-day international match is a common sight. It’s a big achievement for any batter to smash a hundred in any particular format which not only helps him personally but it also puts his side in a great position in the match. It’s a rarity for more than three cricketers to smash a century in the same ODI match. The first-ever one-day international took place way back in the year 1971 and since then there have been only three instances of a total of four players slamming a ton in the same game and they feature in this article.
Let’s take a look at the hat-trick of instances of four cricketers scoring a hundred in the same ODI match:
1) Pakistan vs Australia (1998)
The Australians toured Pakistan for a three-match Test and ODI series in the 1998/99 season. Having already sealed the 50-overs series with victories in the first two encounters, the visitors then played with the home side in the third and dead rubber game in Lahore. The home side batted first and posted a big total of 315/8 on the board in their allotted 50 overs. Ijaz Ahmed and Mohammad Yousuf scored 111 and 100 runs respectively. In the run-chase, wicketkeeper batter and opener Adam Gilchrist smashed 103 while Ricky Ponting struck an unbeaten 124 as the Aussies won by six wickets to also whitewash Pakistan 3-0. This was the first instance where a total of four players reached the three-figure mark in the same fixture.
2) India vs Australia (2013)
The second instance also involved the five-time World Cup winners Australia. They toured the sub-continent to play out a seven-match ODI series with India in October-November 2013. The visitors had a 2-1 lead heading into the sixth match in Nagpur where it turned out to be yet another run-fest in the already high-scoring series. Shane Watson smashed 102 while skipper George Bailey played a spectacular knock of 156 as the Kangaroos posted a mammoth total of 350/6 on the board. An Australian victory looked inevitable that could have also helped them
in sealing the series but Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli had other ideas. The former racked up 100 off 102 while Kohli hammered an unbeaten 115 off just 66 as team India chased down their target in 49.3 overs with the loss of just four wickets. With this, they also leveled the series 2-2 eventually winning it 3-2 in Bangalore.
3) Pakistan vs Sri Lanka (2023)
The third and final instance involved the Asian sides Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The match took place in the ongoing edition of the World Cup in Hyderabad. The Lankan Lions batted first in Game No. 10 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and managed to reach a massive total of 344/9 in their allotted 50 overs. Wicketkeeper batter Kusal Mendis played a whirlwind knock of 122 off just 77 while Sadeera Samarawickrama struck 108. In reply, right-handed opener Abdullah Shafique amassed 113 off 103 with the help of ten fours and three maximums while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan took the responsibility of guiding his side home as he remained not out on 131 off 121, which included eight fours and three sixes. The Men in Green emerged victorious by a margin of six wickets.
