World Cup thrills cannot erase future ODI concerns

AHMEDABAD: A World Cup that started with questions over the future of 50-over One-day Internationals ended with doubts still being expressed about their worth outside the context of a showpiece event.

Australia´s six-wicket win over India in front of a 92,000 crowd at Ahmedabad´s Narendra Modi Stadium may have been a disappointingly one-sided final for home and neutral fans.

But the memory of several more dramatic contests earlier in the tournament was still vivid, with Afghanistan overwhelming defending champions England by 69 runs and non-Test nation the Netherlands defeating eventual semi-finalists South Africa. One of the plus points of an ODI is that it allows a team to stage the kind of epic comeback more often associated with a Test match, while still producing a result in a day.

And while the high velocity, smash-and-grab Twenty20 game may be increasingly important to the finances of players and national boards alike, as evidenced by the lucrative Indian Premier League, it rarely produces drama to compete with cricket´s longer formats.

Nowhere was this more evident at this World Cup than during Australia´s remarkable pool play victory over Afghanistan when, on the brink of defeat at 91-7 chasing 292, a staggering double century from Glenn Maxwell secured an extraordinary three-wicket win. Pat Cummins, who kept Maxwell company during an unbroken stand of 202 in that memorable match at Mumbai´s Wankhede Stadium, admitted to mixed emotions after leading Australia to a record-extending sixth World Cup title.

“It´s hard to say. Maybe because we won, but I did fall in love with ODI again this World Cup,” said fast bowler Cummins, who took a superb 2-34 from his maximum 10 overs as Australia held India to a modest total of 240 all out. Australia briefly wobbled at 47-3 in reply before Travis Head´s 137 and the opener´s partnership of 192 with Marnus Labuschagne (58 not out) took Cummins´s side to victory with seven overs to spare.