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Updated January 5th, 2021 at 19:21 IST

ODI cricket 50th anniversary: The story behind the original shortest format's invention

On January 5, 1971, the 1st ever ODI cricket match was played out between Ashes rivals Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Reported by: Aakash Saini
ODI cricket 50th anniversary
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Tuesday, January 5 marks the 50th anniversary of One Day International (ODI) cricket. It was on this day, exactly 50 years ago when the 1st ever ODI was contested between any two international sides. The match was played out between Ashes rivals Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), which the hosts ended up winning by five wickets.

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ODI cricket 50th anniversary: History behind 1st ever ODI

The English cricket team toured Australia in 1970-71 for a seven-match Ashes Test series. The third Test, scheduled to be played at the MCG between December 31, 1970, and January 4, 1971, turned out to be a damp, squib affair due to excessive rains at the venue. The Australian Cricket Board later decided to host a 40-overs-a-side international match to give eager fans some cricketing action.

The match was played out at the same venue on January 5, i.e. a day after the completion of the soddened MCG Test. As many as 44,000 spectators gathered for the game, thus hinting at the earliest signs of popularity the format would end up gaining in the subsequent decades. The success of the match prompted the International Cricket Council (ICC) to prioritise One Day cricket and also gifted the first ever limited-overs international contest with an ODI status a year later.

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ODI cricket 50th anniversary: Highlights of Australia vs England 1971 ODI

Prior to the match, Australia won the toss and opted to field first. The visitors were folded out for 190 before their allotted 40 overs and the total was comfortably chased down by the Australians with five wickets and five overs to spare. Here is a look at the highlights of the Australia vs England 1971 ODI match.

Video credits: Fred Boycott

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The triumph of the 1st ever ODI affair later spun out several more bilateral matches and even played an integral role in launching the first-ever World Cup for the sport in any format. The Prudential World Cup was hosted by England for the first time in 1975, which saw West Indies emerge victorious in the final.

West Indies also won the second World Cup four years later and looked all set to complete a hattrick of world titles in the very next edition. However, a Kapil Dev-led Indian side halted West Indies’ juggernaut in the final by winning the coveted honour by 43 runs to get crowned as the new World Champions.

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Image source: ICC Twitter

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Published January 5th, 2021 at 19:21 IST

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