A good start helps the side gain a distinct advantage over the opposition and goes a long way in deciding the outcome of the match.
Toss plays a crucial role in all formats of the game and the ODI format is one which allows the opposition very little time to make a comeback once they are on the backfoot.
Be it bowling or batting, it is essential to make a good start to proceedings, else there could be very little time for the team to recover. A look at results since the first ever ODI international was played between England and Australia at the MCG in 1971 proves that point.
In terms of batting, there have been 41 instances where both the team’s openers have been dismissed without scoring. Only on ten such occasions has that team managed to claw their way back into the contest odds and stage a brilliant comeback to win the match.
Let’s have a look at all of these matches in detail.
#1 India vs Zimbabwe, 20th Match, 1983 ODI World Cup
Players dismissed: Sunil Gavaskar and Krishnamachari Srikanth
Match Summary: India 266/8 (60 overs) defeated Zimbabwe 235 all out (57 overs) by 31 runs
The first instance of a team winning a match despite losing both their openers for a duck happened during the 1983 ODI World Cup when India defeated Zimbabwe in a group stage encounter that long lives in the memories of cricket fanatics for Kapil Dev’s majestic match-winning knock of 175.
India lost both their openers - Sunil Gavaskar and Krishanmachari Srikanth - without scoring and was staring at an embarrassing defeat being reduced to 17/5 before the Indian skipper played one of the most defining knocks in World Cup history.
Dev’s unbeaten knock helped India 266/8 in their 60 overs and a disciplined bowling performance by India saw them emerge victorious by 31 runs en route lifting the World Cup title defeating hot-favourites West Indies in the final.
#2 India vs West Indies, second ODI, West Indies tour of India 1994/95
Batsmen dismissed: Sachin Tendulkar and Manoj Prabhakar
Match Summary: West Indies 192/9 (50 overs) lost to India 135/4 (33.1 overs) by 8 runs (Revised Target 128 runs)
Following West Indies’ 96-run defeat in the first ODI of the 5-match series against India at Faridabad, the hosts were desperate for a win to get back into the series and looked to be on their way to victory after restricting the Courtney Walsh-led side to 192/9 in their 50 overs.
However, India’s run chase got off to the worst possible start as they lost both openers - Sachin Tendulkar and Manoj Prabhakar - without scoring.
Navjot Singh Sidhu got India back on track along with skipper Mohammad Azharuddin with the former remaining unbeaten on 65 when rain halted proceedings. India, who were 135/4 after 33.1 overs, won the match by eight runs based on the revised target of 128 runs.
#3 Pakistan vs Australia, eighth Match, Carlton&United Series, 1996/97
Batsmen dismissed: Aamir Sohail and Zahoor Elahi
Match Summary: Pakistan 149 all out (45.2 overs) defeated Australia 120 all out (41.3 overs) by 29 runs
The eighth match of the 1996/97 Carlton & United Series turned out to be a low-scoring thriller with Pakistan emerging victorious against the hosts despite being dismissed for a paltry 149 after winning the toss and batting first.
Pakistan lost both their openers - Aamir Sohail and Zahoor Elahi - as well as the No. 3 batsman, Ijaz Ahmed, for a duck before a half-century by Mohammad Wasim helped Pakistan recover to post a total their bowlers could have a chance to fight with and fight they did!
Wasim Akram was the main architect of Pakistan’s victory with a miserly spell of 8-2-13-3 while Mohammad Zahid and a young Shahid Afridi picked up a couple of wickets each to dismiss Australia for just 120 runs.
#4 India vs Sri Lanka, eighth Match, Coca-Cola Cup, 2001
Batsmen dismissed: Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly
Match Summary: India 227/8 (50 overs) beat Sri Lanka 181 all out (45.5 overs) by 46 runs
The 2001 Coca-Cola Cup was a tri-series tournament involving hosts Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand which featured many low-scoring affairs.
India made their way to the finals but were defeated by the hosts in the final.
The eighth match of the series saw India take on Sri Lanka at Colombo and the Men in Blue were in a spot of bother early on losing both openers Virender Sehwag and skipper Sourav Ganguly for a duck - the latter falling after a 16-ball struggle at the crease.
Rahul Dravid’s gritty 47 helped India steady the ship before Yuvraj Singh’s 110-ball 98 helped them post 227 runs on the board in their allotted 50 overs.
A collective effort from the Indian bowlers saw India clinch victory by a margin of 46 runs as the hosts were bundled out for a total of 181 runs.
#5 India vs Zimbabwe, 8th Match, 2003/04 VB series
Batsmen dismissed: Sanjay Bangar and Parthiv Patel
Match Summary: India 280/7 (50 overs) beat Zimbabwe 277/6 (50 overs) by 3 runs
The 2003/04 VB series saw India and Zimbabwe join hosts Australia for a tri-series that would have the teams facing off each other four times before the best-of-three finals.
India and Australia had pretty much ensured their passage to the finals with victories over Zimbabwe, but the eighth match of the tournament that saw Sourav Ganguly’s side face off against the African nation provided plenty of scare for the travelling Indian fans.
Zimbabwe skipper Heath Streak got his side off to the perfect start dismissing Indian openers Parthiv Patel and Sanjay Bangar without scoring.
Andy Blignaut’s dismissal of Ganguly for 1 left India reeling at 4/3 before VVS Laxman played arguably his greatest ODI innings ever to rescue the Men in Blue.
Laxman scored 131 off 138 balls while Dravid and Rohan Gavaskar scored half-centuries to help India post 280 in their 50 overs.
Centuries by Stuart Carlisle and Sean Ervine saw Zimbabwe nearly chase down the target but they ultimately fell short of the target by three runs.
#6 South Africa vs India, 4th ODI, India tour of South Africa, 2006/07
Batsmen dismissed: Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman
Match Summary: South Africa 243/8 (50 overs) beat India 163 all out by 80 runs
The five-match ODI series during India’s tour of South Africa in 2006/07 was one to forget for the tourists as they were thoroughly outplayed, losing the series 4-0 with the opener being abandoned without a ball being bowled.
After losing the second and third ODI’s at Durban and Cape Town respectively, India had a golden chance to stage a comeback in the series after dismissing the South African opening combo of Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman without scoring during the fourth ODI.
However, the hosts fought back on the back of Herschelle Gibbs’ 93 to post 243 runs on the board before a brilliant collective effort by the South African bowlers saw India being dismissed for just 163 runs.
#7 England vs India, 7th ODI, India tour of England, 2007
Batsmen dismissed: Matt Prior and Luke Wright
Match Summary: India 187 all out (47.3 overs) lost to England 188/3 (36.2 overs) by seven wickets
The seven-match ODI series between India and England in 2007 was a thoroughly enjoyable contest with both sides winning three matches each to set up a perfect finale at Lord’s on September 8.
Indian skipper Dravid’s decision to bat first after winning the toss didn’t pan out the way as he would have hoped for as the visitors were dismissed for just 187 runs despite the fact that as many as seven Indian batsmen reached double figures.
RP Singh’s twin dismissals of England openers Matt Prior and Luke Wright ignited India’s hopes for an unlikely victory but it quickly faded away with Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood chasing down the target easily to give England the match and thereby the series.
#8 Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan, 12th Match, 2015 World Cup
Batsmen dismissed: Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan
Match Summary: Afghanistan 232 all out(49.4 overs) lost to Sri Lanka 236/6 (48.2 overs) by four wickets
Afghanistan has made great strides in international cricket and is set to play their ever Test match against India later this year.
They also qualified for the 2019 World Cup after making their debut in ODI cricket’s premier competition in 2015 where they claimed one win defeating Scotland.
They nearly got another victory under the belt against fellow Asian country Sri Lanka before the latter’s experience prevailed in the end as they won the match by four wickets with 10 balls remaining.
In the group stage encounter at Dunedin, Afghanistan scored 232 runs batting first and had both Sri Lankan openers Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan back in the pavilion without scoring.
However, a century by Mahela Jayawardene saw Sri Lanka through and avoid a big embarrassment.
#9 Zimbabwe vs Afghanistan, third match, five-match ODI series at Sharjah, 2015-16
Batsmen dismissed: Peter Moor and Justice Chibabha
Match Summary: Zimbabwe 175 all out (48.3 overs) beat Afghanistan 58 all out (16.1 overs) by 117 runs
Zimbabwe and Afghanistan played out a five-match ODI series at Sharjah in 2015-16 with the latter coming out on top 3-2.
However, the third match of the series is one they won’t be looking back on fondly as it was the day they registered their lowest ever total in ODI cricket.
It started out well for Afghanistan as they had Zimbabwe two down without any runs on the board dismissing both openers Peter Moor and Justice Chibabha for a duck. The African nation recovered to post 175 on the board.
It didn’t seem like a big total then, but it proved more than enough as Afghanistan were bundled out for just 58 runs, giving Zimbabwe a 117-run victory. Luke Jongwe was the star for Zimbabwe picking up five wickets and conceding just six runs.
#10 New Zealand vs England, 4th ODI, England tour of New Zealand, 2017-18
Batsmen dismissed: Martin Guptill and Colin Munro
Match Summary: England 335/9 (50 overs) lost to New Zealand 339/5 (49.3 overs) by 5 wickets
New Zealand and England played out a thrilling 5-match ODI series recently and the highlight of the tour was the fourth ODI at Dunedin which saw Black Caps veteran Ross Taylor play one of the greatest ODI innings of all time to help his side chase down the target of 336.
Centuries by Jonny Bairstow and skipper Joe Root saw England score a mammoth total of 335 runs and when the hosts lost both their openers - Martin Guptill and Colin Munro - without scoring, it seemed the series was lost as far as they were concerned.
Taylor had other ideas though as the 34-year-old turned back the clock to score an unbeaten 181 off just 147 balls to guide New Zealand to a five-wicket win thereby keeping them alive in the series.
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