Looking back at the game of cricket, it is well established in more than 30 countries around the world. However, only 11 countries play all three formats (Test, ODI and T20I) at the highest level. Let’s delve into the evolution of this knight game, from its roots to today.

The game of cricket has its existence in history since 1725. It has been noted that the game was mainly played in Great Britain but they succeeded in establishing the games in the Commonwealth countries in the 19th century or around that date. However, the focus of this article is more on its international format than its roots.

Tests

Currently, this format of cricket is played for 5 days in a row, with both teams having the opportunity to bat and play twice in the match. Each of these possibilities is known as an input. Therefore, test matches are four innings.

However, this was a six-day affair in the past with a rest day between the third and fourth days, ultimately making it a five-day game. However, times changed and so did fitness levels, allowing the decision to be made that the rest day and the game would be played over five continuous days.

According to history, the game on an international level was first played between the United States and Canada in the mid-19th century, in its longest format called a test match. However, they are not the ones who dominate the game today. Instead, its Commonwealth countries like India, Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand, England, etc.

Limited Overs Cricket

Over a period of time, the audience began to feel bored and felt that the game should be played in a limited time to induce an outcome, to add excitement to the game, unlike test matches. The result of this desire is limited overs cricket, which evolved stronger and stronger, from 50 overs to 20 overs, to rule the world.

To better understand limited over cricket, let us first understand the concept of over.

An over is a collection of six deliveries bowled at a batsman one after the other by the same person (known as a bowler).

ODI

One Day International, popularly known by its shorter name ODI, has a limited format, where each team gets a chance to bowl and win once. Therefore, this is a two-inning game. Each innings consists of 50 overs, allowing 300 legal balls (with wide balls and no balls) to be bowled per innings. This game is played in a single day for about three and a half hours per inning, with a 45 minute break between innings, making it a matter of approx. 8 hours.

In contemporary cricket, this is the format used to decide a world champion of the game, once every four years, like other popular sports.

T20I

Twenty-20 cricket or popularly known as T20 is the shortest recognized format of the game played internationally. The format is quite similar to ODI, with the exception that each innings consists of 20 overs instead of 50, making it a matter of just 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The evolution of this format has also brought glamor to the game, as the format attracts audiences and entertainment more than the core values ​​of the game. However, this is the popular format among the masses and has helped spread the game around the world, due to its lower time and entertainment values.

The important thing to note here is that the test format is still their best format and highlights the core values ​​of the game such as technique, physical endurance, mental toughness, focus and team ethics.