Heroic hundreds in wrecked innings

In the first one-day international between Zimbabwe and New Zealand in Harare, Brendan Taylor scored a century after his team had been reduced to 21 for 4. We decided to find out what the lowest scores were for the fall of each wicket in innings that contained a century.

The Sydney Cricket Ground, February 12, 2006. Sri Lanka were 1-0 up in the best-of-three finals of the triangular series in Australia, and they reduced the hosts to 10 for 3 in the second match.

Andrew Symonds joined Ricky Ponting in the fourth over and they set about orchestrating a marvellous turnaround. Ponting had scored 124 when he departed in the 41st over, with Australia on 247, and Symonds remained unbeaten on 151 off 127 balls after firing his team to 368 for 5. Muttiah Muralitharan was hammered for 99 without a wicket, the worst ten-over spell in ODIs at the time.

Tunbridge Wells, June 18, 1983. India were 9 for 4 and 17 for 5 against World Cup debutants Zimbabwe. Enter Kapil Dev, who played the greatest international innings not seen by anyone outside the venue, because the match wasn't televised. Kapil scored 175 off 138 balls, hitting 16 fours and six sixes, to lead India to 266 for 8. They eventually won by 31 runs. No century has been scored in an innings in which the fourth wicket has fallen at a lower score.

Two days before Kapil's 175 rescued India, Imran Khan had pulled Pakistan out of trouble against Sri Lanka at Headingley. Pakistan struggled against the moving ball after they were sent in, and were floundering at 43 for 5. Imran and Shahid Mahboob then added 144 for the sixth wicket and Imran remained unbeaten on 102 as Pakistan reached 235 for 7. Sri Lanka were on course for victory at 162 for 2 before they lost 4 for 4 and collapsed to 224.

Viv Richards' 189 not out, which stood for nearly 13 years as the highest individual score in ODIs, was made after West Indies were in strife at Old Trafford in May 1984. Richards walked out with West Indies on 11 for 2 and watched batsmen come and go as the innings collapsed to 98 for 6 and then 107 for 7. He then added 59 for the eighth wicket with Eldine Baptiste, who made 26, and 106 with the No. 11, Michael Holding, whose contribution was 12, as West Indies surged to 272 for 9. England were routed for 168 in their chase.

Russel Arnold made only one ODI century, but what an innings it was. Sri Lanka were reduced to 103 for 7 in the first ODI in Bulawayo in 1999 and Arnold was batting with Pramodya Wickramasinghe. They added 57 for the eighth wicket after which Wickramasinghe and Muttiah Muralitharan fell quickly. Arnold put on 51 more with Sajeewa de Silva to lead Sri Lanka to 213. His first 50 had come off 86 balls and his second off 34, and he finished on 103. Zimbabwe were dismissed for 200 in their chase.

Yusuf Pathan is presently out of India's one-day set-up, after poor performances in the 2011 World Cup and in the West Indies, but in January this year he produced the sort of innings only he can. Chasing 268 in 46 overs, India were finished at 119 for 8 at SuperSport Park, or so everyone thought. Yusuf began to swing and cleared the boundary eight times during a 70-ball 105. While he was doing his thing, India had an outside chance, but Yusuf fell with the score on 219 in the 36th over. India were all out for 234.

Eden Park, January 11, 2003. New Zealand had made 199 for 9 and India were cruising during the chase, having reached 142 for 1 in the 33rd over, when wickets began to fall. Virender Sehwag had scored 112 out of 182 when he was dismissed in the 42nd over, with only 18 needed to win. India then went into a spectacular freefall, losing 6 for 16 before Ashish Nehra hit the winning runs off the penultimate delivery.

The lowest total (where a team has been dismissed) to contain a century is Australia's 191 at Eden Park in March 2000. Damien Martyn opened the innings and scored his maiden ODI century, making 116 off 135 balls. He remained unbeaten, too, as his team-mates collapsed around him. Adam Gilchrist's 22 was the next best score, as Australia were dismissed in 46.2 overs. New Zealand won by seven wickets and with nine overs to spare.