Stats: When two centuries were scored in the same ODI innings

Yesterday, in the 4th one-day international of the series, two Pakistan batsmen, Abid Ali and Mohammad Rizwan scored centuries in the same innings against Australia. This was 168th instance in the ODI history that two or more batsmen have achieved this feat. The record shows that for 83% of such cases the team ends up winning the match. However, there have been 28 matches where the team had lost the match after two batsmen scored centuries for them, including yesterday's match. Following are some interesting statistics for such occurrences:

The team won 139 times, lost 28 and there was no result in 1 match.

AB de Villiers has been associated with 12 such innings, closely followed by his teammate Hasim Amla, who was part in 11 occurrences. In fact, ABD and Amla were involved together in 5 such instances – a record.

There have been only 2 instances where 3 batsmen from a team scored centuries in the same ODI innings. In both cases, it was achieved by South Africa in 2015. The first one was against West Indies in Wanderers and the second one against India in Wankhede Stadium. There is little wonder that de Villiers was involved in both scenarios.

AB De Villiers during his whirlwind knock of 149 in 44 balls against West Indies

There has been only 1 ODI where two batsmen scored more than 150 runs in the same innings. New Zealand batsmen, Brendon McCullum (166) and Hamish Marshall (161), did this against Ireland in 2008. They won the match by 290 runs, the highest margin of victory where two batsmen have scored centuries.

From a team perspective, India has the highest of such achievements. Their batsmen did it 34 times, followed by South Africa, who have had 26 such scenarios.

Sri Lanka is the team against whom maximum such occurrences happened – 27 times, followed by India (23).

In terms of head-to-head, India has done this maximum time against Sri Lanka – 10 times. No other country could achieve this more than 6 times against a specific country.

Among these 168 instances, the highest score has been 481 for 6, achieved by England against Australia on 19th June 2018. Incidentally, that has been the highest score to date in ODI history. The lowest has been 225 for 1, by Afghanistan against Scotland in 2010.

Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan during the World record breaking 481 against Australia

There have been 4 instances where the team has not lost any wickets while both the batsmen scored centuries:

1. 231/0, Dilshan (108) and Tharanga (102), Sri Lanka against England in 2011

2. 236/0, Guptill (116) and Latham (110), New Zealand against Zimbabwe in 2015
3. 256/0, Hales (133) and Roy (112), England against Sri Lanka in 2016
4. 282/0, de Kock (168), Amla (110), South Africa against Bangladesh in 2017

In terms of the cricket grounds, Sharjah Cricket Stadium has seen the maximum number of such instances – 8, followed by Shere Bangla National Stadium, Gaddafi Stadium, R Premadasa (6 each).

If we take year wise stats:

1. This was achieved only 8 times till 1990

2. 26 times between 1991 to 2000
3. 55 times between 2001 to 2010
4. 79 times from 2011 till date, with 2015 having a record of 17 such occurrences

Most of such batting performance, not surprisingly came in the 1st innings of the match – 129 times out of 168. Out of this, the batting team won 104 times

Out of the 39 times when team batted second and two batsmen scored centuries, the team won 35 times. India lost twice such cases and Zimbabwe, Pakistan lost 1 each – Pakistan’s loss coming yesterday.

The lowest victory margin by runs in such cases happened in 2010 when Afghanistan defeated Canada by 1 run in 2010.

The Lowest victory margin by wickets:

1. Thomas Odoyo scored a brilliant 61 from 36 balls in 2007 against Ireland to chase down 284 made by Ireland and Kenya won by 1 wicket. Porterfield (104) and Kevin O’Brien (142 not out) scored centuries for Ireland earlier.

2. In a memorable chase against New Zealand, Malcolm Waller from Zimbabwe scored 99 from just 74 balls to win by 1 wicket in 2011. New Zealand earlier scored 328, with centuries from Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson

There have been just 2 matches in ODI history where this feat was achieved by both the teams in the same match:

1. In 1998, Pakistan scored 315, with centuries from Ijaz Ahmed and Mohammad Yousuf. However, a 203 runs partnership between Adam Gilchrist (103) and Ricky Ponting (124 not out) helped Australia to achieve the target with 7 balls to spare

2. In October 2013, at Nagpur, Australia posted a mammoth 350/6 with centuries from George Bailey and Shane Watson. India overcame the total with a century from Dhawan and a masterful 66-ball 115 not out by Virat Kohli