Top 10 greatest ODI cricket matches of all time
On 5 January 1971, Australia and England competed in the first ever One Day International (ODI) cricket match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and in the space of over 48 years, there have been 4192 ODI matches, 12 World Cups and six different World Champions.
The ODI format is arguably the most popular format of the game and over the years this format has presented some nail-biting finishes, remarkable individual performances and some truly astonishing victories against the odds.
To pick the top ten greatest ODI matches of all-time is a herculean task and there will be debates over the inclusion or exclusion of a particular match. However, based on the scenario of the game and its importance, we’ve compiled a top ten list.
#10. Sri Lanka vs Australia - 1st ODI at Melbourne (3 Nov 2010)
Prior to the 2010/11 Ashes series, Australia, who were the three-time defending world champions, hosted Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series. In the first match at the MCG, the hosts won the toss and chose to bat first but they could only set the Sri Lankans a target of 240.
The visitors got off to a poor start and lost both their openers with only 19 runs on the board. Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene added 54 runs for the third wicket before the latter was dismissed. By the time Sri Lanka huffed and puffed to 107, they had lost eight wickets with Lasith Malinga joining Angelo Mathews in the middle.
It looked like the Aussies were cruising towards victory but what followed was one of the biggest rescue acts in cricket history. Mathews and Malinga added a record 132 runs for the ninth wicket with the tailender scoring 56 runs off only 48 balls. Malinga was run out when the Lankans needed one run to win but the last batsman, Muttiah Muralitharan hit a boundary to seal the win.
Mathews, who was only 23 years old at that time, scored a brilliant 77 off only 84 balls under pressure and was adjudged the man of the match.
Also read - World cup all-time records