For long we have heard that toss would play a crucial role in deciding the winner of the match. But the question is does it really matter?
To understand if a toss really matters in an ODI game we would take a look at the performance of top teams. We would compare the number of matches where the team has won the toss and then gone on to also win the match since January 2000.
Let us take a look at these numbers first:
|
Team |
Matches played |
Toss Won |
Won |
Lost |
|
India |
445 |
229 |
130 |
85 |
|
Australia |
402 |
192 |
125 |
57 |
|
Sri Lanka |
425 |
213 |
125 |
81 |
|
South Africa |
348 |
180 |
111 |
62 |
|
Pakistan |
385 |
196 |
109 |
81 |
|
England |
334 |
170 |
91 |
84 |
|
New Zealand |
331 |
169 |
77 |
77 |
|
West Indies |
333 |
163 |
69 |
82 |
|
Bangladesh |
257 |
127 |
39 |
85 |
|
Zimbabwe |
299 |
150 |
36 |
111 |
Stat updated till 20 January, 2015
Won: Indicates matches won after winning the toss.
Loss: Indicates matches loss after winning the toss.
It is Team India, which has won most number of matches after winning the toss since the year 2000. Having played 445 ODIs, India have won the toss in 229 matches and have won 130 of those. Though it is India that has most wins after winning the toss, in terms of win percentage it is Australia that gets ahead of the Indian team with 125 wins in 192 matches where they won the toss.
Sri Lanka and India have an almost similar win percentage. England, New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe have lost more number of matches that won after winning the toss.
So one thing that clarifies here is that winning the toss doesn’t guarantee even a 50% chance of a win, it is a good team that should back the decision of the captain which would in turn help in winning the match. But toss does help in making use of the circumstances at its best, only when the players are present to use make use of it.