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One-Day international cricket may not have been in the limelight in 2016, given the World T20 and the number of Test series that were held this year.
However, the cricket stars have taken their chances and have produced some brilliant performances in the 50-over format as well.
There were ten 150-plus scores recorded in the year, with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma featuring in the list from the Indian side.
The Quint takes a look at the top seven ODI innings of the year.
1. Quinton de Kock’s 178 vs Australia, Centurion
George Bailey put his hand up in the first ODI (September) and put up a brilliant performance against South Africa after the Australians were put into bat by the Proteas captain Faf du Plessis.
Bailey’s innings of 74 runs off 90 balls helped the Baggy Greens set a daunting target of 295.
But Quinton de Kock wasn’t going to let the match slip out of the home team’s hands, if he had anything to do with it.
First, the wicket-keeper batsman began fantastically with an opening partnership of 145 runs with Rilee Rossouw and then put together 123 runs with Du Plessis.
By the time De Kock was dismissed for 178 runs (113 balls), South Africa needed only 15 runs to win from 16.2 overs.
South Africa won the match by six wickets.
2. Steven Smith’s 164 vs New Zealand, Sydney
After Australia lost the home Test series to South Africa 2-1, the Baggy Greens were totally depleted. So, when Steve Smith led the Australian team in the first ODI in December, he certainly wanted to make things right.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Smith walked into bat in the fourth ball of the match.
What happened next was a massacre. Smith took on the New Zealand bowlers and smashed them all over the park.
He cracked 164 runs in 157 balls, which included 14 fours and four sixes. The innings helped Australia set a daunting target of 325 runs.
Eventually, the home team won the match by 68 runs.
3. Rohit Sharma’s 171 vs Australia, Perth
The Indian cricket team have always been known as poor travellers, and therefore it was brilliant to watch Rohit Sharma blaze away to a big century against Australia in the first ODI at Perth in January.
After MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat, Rohit Sharma began scoring boundaries right from the first over.
The Mumbai batsman batted for the entire quota of 50 overs and scored 171 runs off 163 balls. He smacked 13 fours and sent the ball over the boundary line seven times.
But, unfortunately, Australia won the match by five wickets.
4. Virat Kohli’s 154 vs New Zealand, Mohali
After India lost the second ODI of the five-match series to New Zealand in October, the men in blue needed their main batsman, Virat Kohli to see them to victory in the third ODI at Mohali.
And as he has done so often in his career, the Delhi lad didn’t disappoint.
While chasing New Zealand’s decent target of 286, India lost two early wickets and were quickly reduced to 41/2.
Then Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni (80) took over. Kohli played a brilliant innings of 154 runs off 134 balls. The knock included 16 fours and a six.
The 28-year-old remained unbeaten until the end and guided India to a seven-wicket victory.
5. Alex Hales’ 171 vs Pakistan, Nottingham
Alex Hales played one of the greatest one-day innings in the third ODI against Pakistan at Nottingham in August.
Hales, who entered the match out of form, played a stupendous innings against a good bowling attack comprising Mohammad Amir, Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz.
The 27-year-old smashed 22 boundaries and four sixes in his innings of 171 runs off 122 balls. Hales recorded England’s highest individual score in ODIs and England registered the highest ever total in an innings – 444/3.
The Three Lions won the match by 169 runs.
6. David Warner’s 173 vs South Africa, Cape Town
Australia moved into the fifth ODI against South Africa after losing the first four matches. If there was one Australian who wanted to make things right, it was certainly David Warner.
After Rossouw’s 122 propelled South Africa to a big total of 327/8, David Warner came out to bat, determined to take Australia home.
He took on South Africa right from the beginning of the innings. And even as wickets tumbled around him, Warner kept going and going.
The left-hand batsman single-handedly took Australia to 287/8 at the end of the 47th over.
But, then the unthinkable happened. Warner played a delivery off Andile Phehlukwayo to deep cover, went for a run and came back for a second.
On his way back, Imran Tahir effected a fantastic throw to dismiss the Australian for a well made 173 runs.
Australia lost the match by 31 runs.
7. Marlon Samuels’s 125 vs Australia, Barbados
Marlon Samuels had to take up the role of the disaster manager in the eighth match of the tri-series against Australia at Barbados in June.
After being put into bat by the Baggy Greens, West Indies lost three wickets for just 31 runs by the ninth over.
Then Samuels and Denesh Ramdin (91) got together and led West Indies’ fight back. The former played a controlled innings of 125 runs off 134 balls, which included 14 fours and two sixes.
Samuels batted right till the end of the innings and saw to it that the West Indies posted a decent total of 282/8.
However, Steven Smith (78) and Mitchell Marsh (79) stole the show and handed their team a six-wicket victory.
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