5 best high-scoring ODIs of all time

South Africa vs Australia (Johannesburg 2006)

The innings of 175 by Gibbs turned the match around

Australia: 434/4

South Africa: 438/9

Many believe that this match was one of the best One Day Internationals ever in the history of the game.

The series was standing at 2-2 between South Africa and Australia going into the fifth and final match of the series at the Wanderers. Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat on a true Wanderers surface. The batsmen went out and smacked the Proteas bowling to all parts.

Captain Ricky Ponting himself scored 164 and then Michael Hussey bludgeoned 81 runs from 51 balls and Australia crossed 400 for the very first time in One Day Cricket. They ended with 434 runs at the end of the 50 overs.

Many believed the score was enough for Australia to saunter home. Not the South Africans, not the captain Graeme Smith and certainly not Herschelle Gibbs.

Smith and Gibbs forged a partnership of 187 runs in almost 22 overs and set the stage for something historic. Smith scored a 55-ball 90, but when he got out Gibbs exploded. He smoked a belligerent 111-ball 175, but got out at a crucial stage.

However, Mark Boucher kept his calm even as 9 wickets fell down. He chipped Brett Lee over mid-on to spark a series of manic celebrations. South Africa became the second team to post a score in excess of 400 and breached the target of 434 with one ball to spare.

A total of 872 runs were scored in the match, which remains the highest score in a match in a One Day International.