Top 5 knocks by an Indian batter in Men's ODIs vs England ft. Virat Kohli

After a resounding 4-1 victory in the five-match T20I series against England, Team India are all set to host them for a three-match ODI series, starting from February 6 at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur. This will be the final preparation for both teams ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which will be played in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 onwards.

Over the years, India and England have been involved in some mouth-watering clashes that have gone down to the wire. The Men in Blue have been a top-class white ball team since the early 2000s, while England failed to realize their potential for the first 15 years of the 21st century.

It was their shambolic exit from the 2015 ODI World Cup that actually prompted them to change their approach in the white ball formats. They went on to become one of the finest white ball sides and also won their maiden ODI World Cup in 2019 at home.

Meanwhile, India played a stunning brand of cricket in the 2023 World Cup at home but stumbled in the final hurdle against Australia. Overall, both teams have some top-quality players in their ranks and the upcoming three-match ODI series should be a high-scoring one. In 108 ODIs between the two sides, India have won 58 matches, while England have come out triumphant on 44 occasions.

With the ODI series slated to commence on February 6, let us have a look at the top five knocks from Indian batters in ODIs against England.

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#5 Rohit Sharma- 137 in Nottingham, 2018

The current Indian ODI and Test skipper, Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant ton against England back in 2018 during the opening ODI of the three-match ODI series at Trent Bridge. It was an exceptional spell of spin bowling from Kuldeep Yadav, which restricted England to an under-par score of 268.

The target wasn't going to challenge India unless England got some early wickets. Shikhar Dhawan in particular came out all guns blazing and smashed a quickfire 40 off just 27 deliveries to lay the platform for India. Rohit and Virat then anchored the ship beautifully in the middle overs.

They kept scoring at a healthy rate and found the boundaries from time to time. With the target in sight, Rohit went absolutely berserk and completed a well-deserved century. He toyed with the English bowling towards the latter half of the innings, scoring an unbeaten 137 off 114 deliveries, including 15 fours and four sixes. India eventually won the match by eight wickets and with 9.5 overs to spare.

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#4. Virat Kohli - 122 in Pune, 2017

Very few lists in the ODI format can be made without including a Virat Kohli masterclass. The then-Indian captain scored a match-winning century and it was one of the classy knocks that came during a run chase. India was set a stiff target of 351 and it required something special from the batting unit to chase it down.

However, when India was reduced to 63/4, it seemed that the tale was written on the wall. Despite Kohli being out in the middle, it looked too steep a mountain to climb. However, Kohli and Kedar Jadhav had other ideas.

Virat started off in an aggressive manner his partnership with Kedar brought India back into the game. He couldn't quite finish the match off and was eventually dismissed for 122 which came in 105 deliveries and was studded with eight fours and five sixes. India chased down the target in the penultimate over.

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#3 Yuvraj Singh - 150 in Cuttack, 2017

One of the finest white ball batters to have graced the game of cricket, Yuvraj Singh notched up his highest ODI score in 2017 when he scored a magical 150 against England at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The knock was special for Yuvraj as it was his first international century since his return to the Indian team after recovering from cancer.

After batting first, the Men in Blue were reduced to 25/3 as KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli departed in quick time. It was the stand between Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni that helped India claw their way back into the game. Yuvraj was at his ominous best right from the word go.

He played some of his trademark shots and oozed class all through the knock. A knock of 150 from the stylish southpaw and 134 from MS Dhoni helped India recover and post a mammoth score of 381. England captain Eoin Morgan’s century went in vain as India registered a hard-fought 15-run win.

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#2 Kedar Jadhav- 120 in Pune, 2017

Such was the impact of this particular knock from Kedar Jadhav, that it was very difficult to keep him out of this list. The impact of this knock has made us include him at number two on the list. Back in 2017, it was his stupendous knock of 120 against England that paved the way for an exceptional come-from-behind win for India.

Chasing a massive target of 351, India was reduced to 63/4 and it seemed to be staring down the barrel. That is when the pair of Virat Kohli and Kedar Jadhav turned the heat on the English bowlers. Kedar played a stunning counter-attacking knock and never allowed any bowlers to settle.

He played all around the wicket and used the depth of the crease to perfection. The Virat-Kedar partnership yielded 200 runs to bring India back on track. Both Kedar and Virat didn't manage to take their side over the finish line but they had laid the foundation for players like Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Ravichandran Ashwin to see them through.

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#1 Mohammed Kaif- 87 in Lord’s, 2002

Not many would argue with why Mohammed Kaif occupies the number one spot in the list. It wasn't a hundred but it remains one of the most valuable ODI knocks in the history of Indian cricket. Kaif scored a match-winning 87 against England in the final of the Natwest Trophy in 2002 as the whole of India went into delirium.

Back in those days, it was a huge challenge to chase anything above 300. After batting first, England posted a massive 325 on the board and at the halfway stage, the result looked like a foregone conclusion. However, the hopes were reignited when Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag shared a superb stand of 106 runs.

The England bowlers bounced back strongly and reduced the Men in Blue to 146/5 and the Indian section of the crowd started leaving the ground. That is when two youngsters Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif batted out of their skin to orchestrate what remains perhaps the most famous Indian win.

They played some exquisite shots and were never bothered by the situation. The confidence kept growing but when Yuvraj departed with India still needing 59 runs to win, England had the upper hand again. Defying all odds, India chased down the target in the final over with Kaif remaining unbeaten on 87 off 75 deliveries.