It’s approaching 50 years since the maiden ODI was played between Australia and England at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). While T20s are the current darlings of cricket, it was the 50-over format which initially helped raise the popularity and exposure of the sport.
The format gave birth to the ICC World Cup in 1975, a quadrennial competition, which has become the benchmark for greatness in the game. Over the years, there have been several teams to have dazzled with their brilliant performances over both bilateral series and ICC competitions.
In this series, we take a look at eight of the best ODI squads in history. England’s 2017-19 ODI side is the focus of our attention below.
SQUAD
Openers: Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow
Middle-order: Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (C), Jos Buttler (WK), Alex Hales
All-Rounders: Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Sam Curran
Spinners: Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali
Pacers: Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood
Overview
Following a disastrous 2015 ICC World Cup campaign, England completely re-engineered their 50-over unit in a bold new direction under skipper Eoin Morgan. With an emphasis on fearless and aggressive batting from the get-go, Morgan’s men adopted an approach never seen before in the history of cricket.
After a few teething issues at the start, England slowly transformed into the most feared ODI side in the business. Swatting aside some of the more formidable sides with consummate ease, the English ascended to the top of the ODI rankings in 2018 after toppling India in a bilateral series.
Scores of over 350 became common for a unit which batted deeper than any of their contemporaries, while a world-record total of 481 was attained against arch-rivals Australia at Trent Bridge.
Their prolonged focus on limited-overs cricket might have come as a deterrent to their simultaneously sliding Test fortunes, but it was a ploy triggered in a bid end their World Cup agony on home soil. Though there were the rare blips such as a shocking loss to lowly Scotland and a dismal ICC Champions Trophy campaign on home soil in 2017, England were otherwise the undisputed top dogs in the format.
Ultimately, the title drought was ended in the most dramatic of fashions in a low-scoring final against New Zealand at Lord’s.
Captain – Eoin Morgan
Born in Dublin, Morgan represented Ireland in cricket before a desire to further his cricketing ambitions saw him switch allegiances to England in 2007. An explosive left-handed batsman with the power to clear the boundary ropes with ease, Morgan replaced Alastair Cook as England’s ODI skipper just two months ahead of the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
What followed was a horrendous campaign for both Morgan and the team as England exited the tournament after winning just two of their six outings. Undeterred by the harsh introduction to captaincy, Morgan set the wheels in motion for an adventurous England ODI unit built in his image.
England’s gutsy approach to batting is derivative from Morgan’s own style, with the Dubliner’s penchant for going on the immediate offensive. His tally of 17 sixes against Afghanistan in the 2019 World Cup is the most by any batsman in a single ODI innings, while he also holds the record of the fastest fifty in the format by an English batsman.
As of now, the southpaw is England’s most-capped ODI batsman, as well as the leading run-scorer for the country (6,624 runs).
STRENGTHS
Opening salvo
In Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow, England possess the most devastating set of ODI openers of the era. Since June 2016, Roy and Bairstow have combined to aggregate 5,539 runs between them in the 65-odd matches they have batted together.
Not only do Roy and Bairstow score consistently for England at the top, they do it in brisk fashion. Both the right-handers have scored runs at a strike-rate of nearly 110 in this golden period for England, and they are crucial in setting the tone for the rest of the innings.
Anchor-man Root
While England have an array of big-hitters in their side, it is Joe Root who provides the balance with his ability to propel the innings forward. The Yorkshireman is a master of keeping the scoreboard ticking over once the initial tempo has been set by the openers. Since June, 2016, only Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have scored more heavily in the format than Root who has accumulated 3,350 runs at an average of nearly 58.
While he might not take undue risks with his batting, the right-hander still manages to score his runs at a strike-rate of nearly 90. With his staying power at the crease and the explosion provided by other batsman, England have really hit the winning formula in ODIs.
Morgan and Buttler firepower
Lower down the order, England have the firepower provided by Morgan and Jos Buttler. Two batsman who love dealing in boundaries, Morgan and Buttler are adept at stepping up the gears for England once they come in.
In the period in question, both of them have averaged more than 45 with the bat while also combining for a total of 165 sixes between them. With Root playing the role of the anchor at the other end, the duo have the license to attack during their stay at the crease.
Stokes’ craft
While he might have had his legal troubles during the period, Stokes emerged from it stronger than ever. He was the man for the crisis in their victorious World Cup campaign, constantly coming up with the goods when the chips were down.
He might provide Morgan with the option of 10 overs of his medium-fast bowling, but it is with the bat where Stokes’ real brilliance lies. He can tailor his approach according to the situation and is just the man England need at the crease after a top-order collapse. There is simply no other all-rounder currently in the world with the match-winning calibre of Stokes.
Bat deep
England’s greatest strength undoubtedly lies in their ability to bat deep. By picking bowlers who are also adept with the bat in hand, England’s top-order batsmen have the luxury of going hell for leather from the start of the innings.
With Stokes, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid in tow, England have fielded an XI where they have capable batsmen all the way down to No10.
This provides England with a template that no other team in the world can match and it is no surprise they have breached the 400-run barrier on four separate occasions. They also hold the record for the two highest ODI totals currently.
Greatest feat – 2019 ICC World Cup title
They have lost just two bilateral series in their last 18 attempts and have also handed Australia a 5-0 whitewash at home among their many conquests. However, the 2019 World Cup title will always remain their crowning achievement even though it might have come in the most un-England like fashion.
Losses against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia had threatened to derail England’s World Cup bid, and Morgan’s men were in real danger of missing out on semi-final qualification at one stage.
They showed their ability to hold their nerves by emerging victorious in must-win clashes against India and New Zealand to set up a blockbuster semi-final against Australia.
They were ruthless against the Aussies when it mattered most, winning by eight wickets with nearly 18 overs to spare. Just when it looked like they would choke against the Kiwis in the final at Lord’s, Stokes bailed them out with a heroic innings under pressure. A huge slice of luck and a super over later, England were World Cup champions for the first time in their history and it fittingly had come in front of their home fans.
That they were able to translate their ODI dominance over the last three years into a World Cup title means they will deservedly go down as one of the greatest teams in history.
