How to watch ODIs in the T20 era
Caught somewhere between the fast-acquired taste of T20s and the undetachable tradition of Tests, how much does 50-overs cricket still appeal to a fan?
It’s around noon on a baking Mumbai Tuesday and cricket talk has hit fever pitch among a small group of youngsters in a local train. The topic of discussion is around the South Africa-Bangladesh duel starting in a couple of hours’ time at Wankhede Stadium. One guy predicts the Proteas to cross 400, another for "apna de Kock” (Quinton de Kock was a Mumbai Indians regular in the Indian Premier League) to get going while the third reckons Shakib Al Hasan’s return will lift Bangladesh.

The 2023 ODI World Cup in India has brought out distinct visuals and numbers in terms of fan engagement. There are several ways to look at it too. Viewership records for the tournament's digital streaming platform in the country are touching new highs, and packed stadiums have roared along wherever the Indian team has played.
In contrast, non-India matches have generally witnessed empty pockets in stadiums across the country, although cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru have been happy to tweak the trend. An overlapping theme through this tournament so far is the presence of more bums on seats towards the evening than right from the start; the Wankhede on Tuesday, for instance, had more than double the spectator count at 6pm compared to 2pm.
Which also brings out the question: caught somewhere between the fast-acquired taste of T20s and the undetachable tradition of Tests, how much does 50-overs cricket still appeal to a fan? One that is, as ex-England skipper Nasser Hussain put it while commentating during World Cup, the “life blood of the game” who cannot be “taken for granted”.
Purely on nuances of the sport, it does to a large extent. While the five-day game provides a slow burn by testing every aspect of cricket's skill and the T20 version showcases the quick thrills of a hitting spectacle, one-dayers, sort of, blends the best of both.
“The 50-over game is a proper day out. It gives you time to build an innings, to work a way out of trouble, and factors like captaincy have a lot more impact. It's not just about big hits and some luck,” said Allan Smith, who has travelled from UK to watch matches in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune.
For him and Hasan Rahman, the Dhaka-born fan sporting a Bangladesh jersey in Mumbai, the increasing frequency of 350-400 totals in ODIs is thus not a welcome change. For them, the essence of ODIs is seeing the bowlers more into play rather than it being merely an extension of the slam-bang format.
“In a T20 match, a bowler can go for 50 runs in four overs and not have an opportunity to come back. In ODIs, a bowler will still have six overs to find his rhythm and make an impact. I like that bowlers can also have a say here," Rahman, 30, said. “For batters too, unlike in T20s, you can take a few balls to settle down and build an innings.”
That “few balls to settle down” syndrome of ODI cricket is something that, incidentally, also goes against it. An eight-hour sit through – add the travel time to and fro stadiums – can often be a drag and test the patience of even the most cricket-hooked fans. It perhaps reflects in emptier stands during this World Cup’s afternoon starts, and fewer eyeballs on television during phases of a particular game.
“ODIs is my least favourite format to watch on TV, because you can't sit for eight hours at a stretch. You can keep watching a Test from time to time through the day, while an entire T20 can be watched easily,” said Richard, a 56-year-old English fan from London who saw his team get thrashed by South Africa over the weekend. “So maybe you could say there's an attraction to come to the stadium for an ODI.”
Like it was for Lisa Williams from Johannesburg, who is in India for work and decided to catch her team play in Mumbai. She “can’t watch” Test cricket and loves the T20 stuff “because it’s exciting”. This World Cup, by the way, is yet to dish out an exciting finish that doesn't involve Virat Kohli and centuries.
Like it was for Utsav Trivedi, who brought his wife and kid along for Tuesday’s match for a “family day out”. “Honestly, I wouldn’t watch the entire South Africa-Bangladesh match on TV. But since it was happening at Wankhede, I thought it’ll be a nice experience for me and my family as well,” he said.
The in-stadia experience, which adds to the viewing charm, in India compared to other parts of the world is like chalk and cheese.
“In England and other places, you can have a beer in the stands and a good time with your mates. The match doesn't feel too long then,” Richard said, adding that the late schedule announcement and ticketing hassles soured his first trip to India. “But I like the mayhem and energy in the stadium here.”
Rahman has watched ODIs in Bangladesh, India – he will also travel to Kolkata where his national team plays next – and UK, where he currently works. “In our part, we are so much more about our own team,” he said.
That’s especially true for this World Cup in India. That said, the 50-overs contest still seems to offer its bit to lure spectators for any game, albeit in varied quantity.
