For cricket-lovers, Indian winters have been synonymous to setting the alarm clock at five in the morning. Winters were synonymous to the warmth of quilts and Richie Benaud’s dignified, unbiased voice. The Test series that went on till noon with the Craig McDermotts and Glenn McGraths and Shane Warnes on the prowl.
Once the adventures in whites got over (or, in earlier days, during the Test series), the same teams took field in yellow. Unlike their counterparts across the world, One-Day International (ODI) tournaments in Australia were long; they followed the same pattern, with each side playing each other four (even five) times before a best-of-three final.
In 43 years of hosting ODIs, Australia has hosted only 25 bilateral series, the most recent being the five-match series against South Africa. Four of these (including the first ODI ever and the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal match) were one-match contests; and only one of these (between Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea earlier this season) was a neutral series; two series (the World Cricket Tsunami Appeal match and the ICC Super Series ODIs) involved non-international teams.
There have also been 33 tournaments (including World Cup 1992) including more than one side. One of these, in 1994-95, was supposed to be played between Australia, England, and Zimbabwe. The organisers did not take the two touring teams seriously, and put an Australia A side in the mix; to add to the confusion, players were being moved from one Australian team to another throughout the tournament. The two teams met in the final, which mean that though there were ODIs throughout the tournament, the final was merely a List A encounter.
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