India has historically been one of the teams which have been batting heavy in ODI cricket. They have had a few world class bowlers over the years as well, but there is no denying the fact that bowling has also been India’s weakness at times in ODIs.
There have been quite a few rapid ODI hundreds scored against India in batting friendly condions and although India have lost most of those games, those hundreds have actually produced serious entertainment for the neutral cricket lovers as the stroke play has been magnificent and the ball has flown way back into the stands.
Here are the 5 fastest hundreds against India in ODI cricket –
1. Shahid Afridi (45 balls)
Shahid Afridi scored a 45-ball hundred in the 5th ODI of the 7-match series between India and Pakistan in Kanpur back in 2005.
India batted first in that game and put 249 on the board which seemed to be a reasonable total at one stage as the pitch was slow. But, Afridi turned the game completely one-sided by smashing a hundred off just 45 balls with 10 fours and 9 sixes.
2. James Faulkner (57 balls)
It was the 7th and last game of the bilateral ODI series between India and Australia in 2013 which was the series decider as well and it was the same game where Rohit Sharma scored a double hundred.
Chasing the target of 384 runs set by India, Australia lost early wickets and seemed to be completely out of the game at one stage, but Faulkner walked in at no. 7 and absolutely carted the bowlers to all corners on his way to a 57-ball hundred.
Australia, however, still fell short of the target by 57 runs. India Won Comfortably amid the show put on by James Faulkner.
3. AB de Villiers (57 balls)
This was the series decider between India and South Africa at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in 2015. Batting first, South Africa almost batted India out of the game in the first innings itself as they went past the tally of 400 runs and it was the captain AB de Villiers himself who was in control of the ship smashing all over the park.
De Villiers got to the three-figure mark in just 57 balls with 3 fours and 11 sixes and it proved to be a match-defining knock at the end as South Africa won the game by more than 200 runs.
4. AB de Villiers (58 balls)
It was the third match of the bilateral ODI series between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad in 2010. De Villiers was a fairly young player at that time, and he showed what he could do with the bat with a 58-ball hundred which powered South Africa to a total well above par.
De Villiers hit 11 fours during that innings and pumped the ball out of the ground thrice. India had a target of 366 runs to chase to win the game and they couldn’t even cross 300.
5. Steve Smith (62 balls)
Steve Smith has scored two hundreds in the ongoing ODI series against India and incidentally, he has completed both those hundreds off just 62 balls.
It’s not only the 5th fastest hundred scored by any batsman against India in ODI cricket, but it’s also Smith’s fastest hundred against any team in ODIs.
Both of Smith’s hundreds have resulted in victories for Australia as they have already taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the series.
