5 Strangest instances of a team losing in International Cricket

3. Losing an ODI despite scoring more runs while chasing

England were 0-3 down in the 7-match ODI series during the 2008 tour of India before they took on the hosts in Bangalore. Sachin Tendulkar, who was making a comeback after an injury, got out early after England elected to bowl first. Rain intervened the game for two hours after 14 overs when India were going well at 82/1. The game was reduced to 44 overs-a-side and India scored 24 runs in 3 overs after resumption. The rain returned to intervene for 3 hours which further reduced the game to 22 overs.

India, who were 106/1 after 17 overs, were set to be benefited by the Duckworth-Lewis method having lost only one wicket till then. Virender Sehwag scored 69 from 57 balls while Yuvraj Singh made an unbeaten 25 off 11 deliveries. As a result, the home side finished with 166/4 in their 22 overs scoring 60 runs in the last five overs. England needed to chase a revised target of 198 to stay alive in the series. The Indian pacers kept the things tight for the visitors and reducing them to 52/3 in 8.5 overs.

But Owais Shah and Andrew Flintoff rescued England by smashing 82 runs in 8 overs as the equation came down to 64 from 32 balls. Owais Shah (48-ball 72) and Flintoff (41 off 30) were dismissed in successive overs as England could only make 178 in their 22 overs and lost the match by 19 runs. Interestingly, England made 178/8 in the restricted 22 overs which are 12 runs more than what India (166/4) amassed in the match.