5 slowest fifties by Indian batsmen in ODIs

In the modern day cricket, when the batsman look in all hurry to score maximum runs at fast pace, records for the same are broken every day. While on one hand, AB de Villiers holds the record of scoring fastest One Day International (ODIs) fifties, which he achieved this feat in just 16 balls against West Indies.

For India, Ajit Agarkar holds this record when he achieved this in a match against Zimbabwe on December 14, 2000, at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground in Rajkot. He got to fifty in just 21 balls and ended the innings at 67* from 25 balls which included 7 fours and 4 sixes.

But here we will talk about the Indian players who got to a half century in an ODI after consuming the maximum number of balls. Let's look at five of the slowest innings of fifty runs by a batsman in the history of Indian cricket in 50-over cricket:

#5 Mohammad Kaif (98 balls)

Mohammad Kaif is placed fifth in this list as he got to fifty off 98 balls in a match against Zimbabwe on March 14, 2003. After a superb bowling effort from Zaheer Khan, India reduced Zimbabwe for a paltry 146 in 45.1 overs. Chasing 147, India were reduced to 21 for three but Kaif batted sensibly with Rahul Dravid to take India home with seven wickets remaining in hand with 56 balls to spare.

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#4 Sourav Ganguly (104 balls)

India v Australia - 4th ODI

The former India captain's half-century against Bangladesh on April 17, 2007, at Port of Spain, Trinidad features fourth in this list. With wickets kept on falling at one end, Ganguly helped India post a respectable total of 191 on the board but with the help of half-centuries from Tamim Iqbal, Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim, Bangladesh stunned India by 5 wickets.

#3 Sourav Ganguly (105 balls)

India v Australia - 4th ODI

Ganguly appears for the second time in this with his half-century in 105 balls against Sri Lanka at Dambulla on August 3, 2005. With small contributions from Irfan Pathan, Mohammad Kaif, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag, India posted 220 for 8 in their 50 overs but Mahela Jayawardena's 94* helped Sri Lanka win the match by 4 wickets with 2 overs to spare.

#2 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (108 balls)

England v India - 3rd ODI: Royal London One-Day Series

One of the hardest digestible name in this list is of Mahendra Singh Dhoni when the former Indian captain struggled against West Indies at the Sir Vivan Richards Ground, Antigua on July 2, 2017. India were reduced to 47 for three when Dhoni came to bat and kept on playing until he was caught and dismissed for 54 in 114 balls. India lost the match by 11 runs against a highly spirited West Indian bowling line up.

#1 Sadagoppan Ramesh (110 balls)

India A v Aus X.jpg

Sadagoppan Ramesh played a knock of 50 runs in 110 balls against Kenya at Nairobi on September 29, 1999, to become the slowest Indian to score a fifty in an ODI. The Indian team posted 220 for seven and while bowling, they bundled out the Kenyan side for just 162. As a result, the men in blue won the match by 58 runs.