A pitch-perfect format

ON this day today, captained by the late batsman, Ajit Wadekar, the Indian cricket team played its first-ever One Day International (ODI) at Leeds in Headingley, England. The match between India and England turned out to be historic, particularly for Indian cricket fans who thought it tedious to commit five days to Test matches under Ashes Series played by England and Australian teams.

Cricketers believe that the first ODI played between England and Australia on January 5, 1971, was the result of a washed-out Test match during the 1970-71 Ashes Series.

While the world’s first ODI game was a 40-over match, with 8 balls per over, India’s maiden ODI was played with 55-over per side, later shifting to a game of 60-over per side until 1987. The format was reduced to 50-over per inning soon after the 1987 Cricket World Cup.

India batted first in the 1974 ODI and scored 265 runs, while England chased the target in 51.1 overs, winning the match by four wickets.

The ODI format brought about a drastic change, broadening the base of cricket enthusiasts, offering them “more bang for the buck" with a quick wrap-up. More people could now take out time to watch the game — from toss to conclusion, all in a single day.

Although Team India lost the first ODI, they exhibited significant improvement during the following years, ultimately transforming into a world-class tough team of the T20 format.

Of the total 1,066 ODIs played, India have won 567 matches, with the overall victory rate of 53 per cent. With 10 games ending in a tie, 44 matches yielded no results. India won the 50-over World Cup twice — in 1983 and 2011; besides the Champions Trophy in 2002, 2013, and 2025.

India has produced some of the greatest batters and bowlers in the ODI format. While Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Saurav Ganguly, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid were the leading run-scorers, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh emerged as impactful bowlers.

Experts say ODIs require a delicate blend of traditional cricketing skills and faced-paced strategies, with the focus on pacing the innings and power hitting later in the innings. Test matches, on the other hand, quite literally test the endurance levels and mental tenacity, examining teams over a longer period lasting five days per match; and in the case of the Ashes, five Test matches.

Mahesh Sharma

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