As the ODI World Cup meanders on, the past week finally threw up a couple of edge-of the-seat thrillers. The first one was between Pakistan and South Africa in Chennai and the second, between New Zealand and Australia. For a match that didn’t involve India, the Pakistan-South Africa match attracted a crowd of 27,000-odd spectators in a 35,000 capacity stadium — a proof of cricket-mad Chennai fans’ love for good cricket. The match swung one way, then the other and when South Africa were 260-9 it looked like Pakistan had revived its chances of qualifying for the semis. But Keshav Maharaj’s cool head saw South Africa through, crushing Pakistan’s hope.

Saturday’s New Zealand-Australia match was another nail-biter with New Zealand coming within six runs of overhauling Australia’s humongous target of 389. The capacity crowd at high-altitude Dharamshala was treated to an exceptional run chase by New Zealand where Rachin Ravindra and Jimmy Neesham’s heroics almost got them past the finish line.

Afghanistan and The Netherlands also punched far above their weight. The giant killing Afghanistan have been a revelation defeating former champions Pakistan and England.

But a couple of thrillers and Afghanistan’s spirited journey can’t conceal the wider cracks in the ODI format. When the tournament started there were many obituaries written about cricket’s original white ball format, which ironically started with the red ball and white flannels. The ICC and the various cricket boards across the world have some serious thinking to do on ODIs. Should the World Cup tournament format be tweaked to breathe new life into it? Should the number of overs be brought down to 40 from 50? Or should a 100-over match be split into four innings?

India lifting the Cup on November 19 may not necessarily ensure ODIs’ longevity. As a first step, ICC could set up a panel of former cricketers to suggest a roadmap for ODIs’ future.