Longest Streaks in ODI: ODI cricket has transformed big time since its inception in the year 1971 when the first ever ODI got played out of a washed out test match between Australia and England in Melbourne. It was within the same match that 40 overs of 8 balls/ over got bowled and the format has witnessed some significant changes ever since that period.
Top 5 Team which Retained Longest Streaks in ODI Team
Longest Streaks in ODI: On the other side, ICC, the main governing body of cricket around the world, has introduced the ranking system in ODI cricket in the year 2002. The same has led to the awarding of some rating points to the teams around the world on the basis of their performances. Moreover, there have been teams which have shown their dominance in the limited over cricket and stayed up for long spells on the top of the ICC ODI rankings. Looking into the same aspect, let’s take an overview of the Top 5 longest streaks as the number 1 ODI team.
#1 Australia (52 months )
Period: Oct 2002 till January 2007
You simply can’t deny the fact that Australian cricket team has been the most dominant force in the context of the ODI cricket and that is the reason why they have won the world cup tournament for the maximum times (5). Also, they have featured in the finals of the other two instances and that very well sums up their stature in the world of ODI cricket over the past few decades.
Talking about their spell at the top of the ODI cricket rankings, Australia gained the number one spot within the start of the ODI rankings system and went on to hold that position until the year 2007. This was the time when they have won the World cup in the year 2003 and 2007 respectively and became the only team to have won the three consecutive world cups within a specified period of time. Along with their longest streak of being a number one ODI team, they have also gained the best rating points (140) within the same period. Truly, it can be quoted as the “Golden era “of the Australian cricket which has been led by names like Rickey Ponting, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, and Glenn McGrath.
Also Read: Top 5 Teams With Most ODI Wins Till Date
#2 Australia ( 35 months )
Period: Sep 2009 till August 2012
Longest Streaks in ODI: On the second spot, we once again have the Australian teams who have literally ruled the world of cricket for the past few decades with their exceptional performances. Still, this was the time when they were unable to win any world cup and lost to the world cup winning Indian side in the quarterfinals of the world cup 2011. Still, that doesn’t take away anything from the fact that Australia did dominate the cricket world during the same times as well and they have scored crucial victories against most of the tough teams like India, England and South Africa within the same period.
Moreover, they have reached to the 134 rating points which were the second best by any team ever since the points system came into existence. This was also the time that their team was going through the rebuilding process and big names like Warne, McGrath and Waugh brothers took retirement from their international careers at the same time.
#3 Australia ( 26 months )
Period: Nov 2014 till Feb 2017
Yet again it’s the ever dominant Australian team, which we have on the third spot of our list and yet again we have their success story to cherish about in the same process. This was the time when their most successful captain and one of the best ever batsman Ricky Ponting hung up his boots and the new deputy Michael Clarke took the charge in his place. This was a team loaded with a lot of youngsters like Aaron Finch, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, James Faulkner and so on.
Australia won the world cup 2015 quite convincingly at their own backyard and once again proved that they are almost immortal in familiar conditions. This was also the last world cup of their captain Michael Clarke and he was all set to hand over the captaincy to their latest sensation Steve Smith who was proving his prowess around the world with some exceptional batting. Australia stayed at the top for 26 months and achieved rating points 129 within the same process.
#4 Australia and India ( 12 months )
Finally, we have someone in our list apart from the Australian team and this time, it’s the Indian cricket team which shares the honors with their dominant fellow of the cricket world. If we talk about India, they were going great guns under the captaincy of their captain cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni and won the prestigious Triangular VB series tournament at Australia for the very first time in their history. The team was loaded with some of the biggest stars like Dhoni, Kohli, Jadeja, Zaheer Khan and so on. They stayed on the number one spot from January 2013 till January 2014 and achieved a 124 rating point within the process.
On the other side, we have the Australian team which really doesn’t need any introduction about their undisputed ruling of the world cricket for some good time. They stayed on the top of the ODI rankings from March 2007 till February 2008 and achieved 130 rating points during the same process. Australia won the 2007 world cup during the same era and literally, there wasn’t any team near to their “One-sided Dominance” of the world cricket at that time.
Also Read: 3 Most Thrilling Last Over in ODI Matches
#5 England ( 11 months)
Period: May 2018 till present
Longest Streaks in ODI: Its right within the past 12 months that England team have come up to deliver some magnificent performances in the ODI cricket and that could well be the reason for their emerging domination in the limited over’s cricket. They have been the team which is loaded with some of the best players of the limited overs format and the list includes names like Jose butler, Johnny Bairstow, Joe Root, Moeen Ali and so on.
Not only they have defeated every other team in their home games, but they have also outscored teams like Sri Lanka at their own backyard for the very first time in their cricket history. Moreover, all of their players are in top form and as they are entering into the world cup 2019 at their home conditions, they have rightly been quoted as the main contenders of winning the trophy for the very first time. Well, we can only say that although there is every chance for the English team to end the drought of ODI world cup in their trophy cabinet, other teams are also jumping through to pout a serious challenge up front.
