5 worst defeats for Australia in ODIs
Australia is the world’s most successful cricketing nation and they carry a league of their own in ODI cricket, having won five World Cups. However, even a nation with the cricketing pedigree of Australia have suffered humiliating losses over the course of its existence as an ODI team.
Much of that has to do with the fact that Australia have played hundreds of ODIs across eras and a team is bound to suffer some embarrassing losses along the way.
Hence, it is not a surprise that Australia have suffered such defeats in ODIs as well but unlike some other teams, it is not a frequent occurrence for the Australians.
That makes it interesting to take a look at some of the rather forgettable defeats that they have suffered over the years; here is a look at 5 of them.
#5 13 run loss to Zimbabwe in World Cup group game at Nottingham, 1983
The early 1980s were not a good time for Australian cricket as the team was still trying to come to terms with the retirement of key players. Their 1983 World Cup campaign was an eminently forgettable one and in their very first game, they lost to minnows Zimbabwe in embarrassing fashion.
Australia put Zimbabwe in to bat first and had them on the mat at 94 for 5, but their captain Duncan Fletcher (yes, the same) played a brilliant innings to dig them out of trouble. He made an unbeaten 69 and with help from the lower order, dragged Zimbabwe to 239 for 6 in 60 overs.
Australia were still expected to win the game comfortably and they started off well as Graeme Wood and Kepler Wessels put on 61 for the 1st wicket. However, the middle-order fared hopelessly and Australia were soon reduced to 176 for 7 from 114 for 2. Wood was run out for 76 and despite a heroic unbeaten 50 from Rodney Marsh (50 off 42, 3 fours, 2 sixes), Australia fell short by 13 runs. It remains one of the most embarrassing episodes in the nation’s ODI history.