Australian captain Michael Clarke believes it is possible a batsman will crack the 300-run barrier in one-day international cricket.
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Clarke was speaking after his side demolished Afghanistan by a World Cup record 275 runs yesterday at the WACA Ground, led by a punishing David Warner century.
The left-handed opener belted 178 from 133 balls in the Australian innings of 417 for six, falling when the chance to become the fifth batsman to score an ODI double century beckoned. There were still 12.3 overs remaining in the Australian innings at the time.
Indian Rohit Sharma holds the record for the highest individual score with 264 against Sri Lanka at Kolkata last November, while Chris Gayle scored 215 earlier in the World Cup for the West Indies.
All the individual scores of 200 have been made since 2010 and Clarke said it was no longer unthinkable that a batsman could make 300 in a 50-over game.
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He said there were a handful of batsmen who were capable of reaching what was once an unimaginable milestone.
“Someone like Davey, or Chris Gayle or AB de Villiers … on a smaller ground I think they possibly could,” he said.
“You probably have to open the batting so you have the full 50 overs.
“In this game at the moment who knows, we are seeing so many different shots, different deliveries, so much power. There is a handful of players round the world who probably could do it.”
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Warner, who looked set to become the second batsman in the tournament to reach 200 after Gayle before holing out in the 38th over, dismissed any disappointment at falling short of the milestone, which would have been the first by an Australian in a World Cup.
“I’m not disappointed at all,” Warner explained. “I went out there to score some runs and I managed to do that once the concrete shoes came off.
“It was good to get a great total on the board and obviously the bowlers did their job at the end there.”
Australia went past the previous World Cup best of 413-5 made by India against Bermuda in 2007 before dismissing Afghanistan for just 142.
It was the third 400-plus total in the last six days after South Africa twice went through the barrier – 408-5 against the West Indies and 411-4 in the game with Ireland.
OUT! Nabi falls sweeping as Michael Clarke takes the catch #Afg slide to 103 for 6 http://t.co/a2RoktbW0q #AFGvAUS pic.twitter.com/ZNeJd8PAXf
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Warner made Australia’s highest World Cup individual score, beating the 158 of Matthew Hayden against West Indies at Antigua in 2007. He was just seven short of Shane Watson’s national record in all ODIs of 185 not out against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2011.
Warner’s 260-run second-wicket partnership with Steve Smith, who went on to make 95, was also an Australian ODI record beating the 252 of Ricky Ponting and Watson against England at Centurion in 2009. Glenn Maxwell hit a rapid 88 off just 39 balls with six fours and seven sixes.
In reply, Afghanistan were bundled out in 37.3 overs, although Nawroz Mangal, who top-scored with 33, gave their smattering of fans something to cheer when he hit Mitchell Marsh for successive sixes.
Mitchell Johnson did much of the damage to claim 4-22 from 7.3 overs while fellow left-armer Mitchell Starc continued his amazing vein of World Cup form with 2-18 and has 10 wickets in the event at just 9.3 runs apiece.
