A Defense of the One-Day International: A Cricketing Format That's Not Dead Yet

Kindly, Twenty20

I hope your time away from the spotlight is enjoyable. These days, you don't take breaks from selling cricket's newest, ready-to-eat product while switching between leagues too frequently.

I am doing well too, for once. The World Cup is underway, and because you're not in the starting lineup, the world is realizing my importance once again.

I thought of you on Wednesday as the Indian hitters were busy launching the ball into space. Even though it was just a 50-over-a-side match at the Wankhede, you had a noticeable impact. They managed to string together 724 runs and 38 sixes, all in a World Cup semi-final! It's a sight to witness when everything comes together, and you have taught batters how to step over the edge of danger. I'm grateful.

However, I must admit that I missed you even more at Eden Gardens during Australia's match against South Africa to secure a spot in Sunday's championship match versus India. Not because the first semi-final was more exciting than this one, but it wasn't if exciting meant only fours and sixes. However, if you had been there, we might have enjoyed a refreshing November wind while sitting on the top level of the BC Roy Clubhouse, observing how, in this era of massive hits, a straightforward tale of survival on the Eden greens was becoming more popular. You would have adored the way one side presented the challenge and the other resisted it mercilessly, I promise. That's cricket too. That was always the case.

In a frantic effort to make me important in relation to the markers you have set for the game, they have dubbed the opening ten overs the "Powerplay." The audience at the Wankhede was ecstatic as India reached 84/1 in their first 10 overs. After their first ten, South Africa was 18/2 at the Eden. With the ball slithering left and right under a cloudy sky like to a cunning serpent, the Proteas players were attempting to avoid the hazards. And guess what? The majority of the onlookers were just as absorbed. I had two quite different games in a day, and I enjoyed them both.

In my kind of cricket, I like the textures and variety that I can afford. Can you, though? In a 20-over match, would South Africa have been willing to score fewer than 20 in 10 overs? In spite of their sluggish beginning, David Miller's Proteas skillfully navigated their way out of difficulties, accruing runs like a conscientious bookkeeper. They could have done it in time. Cricketers get that time from me. Yes, Test, the older brother, too gives the gift of time, but mine is a long trip and his is a difficult climb.

When they compare me to you, I know that people refer to me as "dead," "boring," or "out of style," but I'm none of those things. I am the World Cup, I am the rebellious Afghans, I am Virat Kohli's 50th ton, and I am Glenn Maxwell's one-legged double hundred. It is

nor the people who believe I'm out of date, nor when over 50,000 people show up to see a game that doesn't include "their" team; rather, it's the officials and a few players who have a bias towards you due to the wealth you offer. It is their story.

Since I am the bridge, the game would not be possible without me. If it was all about playing 20-over cricket, the Test format would disappear because no one would know how to play it, and no young person would want to play cricket for the sole purpose of missing out on big T20 contracts. A cricketer may acquire the art of striking a balance between the outrageous and the conservative from me.

One may wonder what is ahead for me. Whether biases are at work, to be honest, I'm not sure. That belongs to Grandpa ICC to resolve. Get rid of the bilateral ODI series if it doesn't work. Even with a month of practice matches and simply the World Cup and the Champions Trophy, the major meetings will continue to draw large crowds as specialized events. Better still, revive the practice of holding ODI meetings in triangles or quadrangles; these configurations provide a significantly more competitive arena than bilaterals.

Alright, let's give it some time. I have a lot of work ahead of me in the next days. For Sunday's India vs. Australia World Cup final in Ahmedabad, I'm going to prepare Nihari. Are you familiar with Nihari? Don't bother; you wouldn't be aware.

'Dead' relative of yours

International One-Day

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