5 instances of teams bowling most overs of an ODI with spinners

Overview

• During the second ODI of the series against Bangladesh in 2025, the West Indies bowled all their 50 overs with spinners, which is a new record
• Sri Lanka had bowled 44 of their overs with spinners in ODIs thrice against the West Indies, New Zealand, and Australia, respectively
• Oman in an ODI against the Netherlands in 2024 bowled 43.3 overs of spin, which is the fifth-most for a team in an innings in the 50-over format

Spinners are an integral part of a bowling attack in a team. While pacers are known for their ability to take wickets by making a difference with their sheer pace, genuine spinners can turn the ball on any kind of surfaces and make a difference to the result of a match. Spinners can turn matches and win tournaments on their own.

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Arguably the greatest spinner of all time, Shane Warne, helped Australia win the ODI World Cup in 1999 with his 4-wicket hauls in both the Semifinal and the final. Along with Muttiah Muralitharan and James Anderson, he is the one of the only three bowlers to have taken over 700 wickets in the longest format of the game.

Spinners are less prone to injuries and tend to have longer careers, compared to pacers. As they take the old ball more often than not, their role in a team becomes crucial. In some instances, there are spin friendly surfaces, where the spinners deliver the bulk of the overs. 

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5 instances of teams bowling most overs of an ODI with spinners

Oman (43.3 overs against the Netherlands in 2024)

In 2024, Oman played against the Netherlands in an ODI in Al Ameerat. The two associate teams had many spinners in their XI as per the need of the surface. Oman took spin bowling to a different level by bowling 43.3 overs of spin, where they took all 10 wickets of the opponents.

Sri Lanka (44 overs against Australia in 2004)

Sri Lanka played against Australia in 2004 in Dambulla in an ODI. The joint winners of the Champions Trophy 2002 ensured that a bulk of the overs were delivered by the spinners on a surface that was slow and had turn on offer. The Sri Lankan spinners bowled 44 overs and claimed 5 wickets.

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Sri Lanka (44 overs against New Zealand in 1998)

Sri Lanka played against New Zealand in 1998 at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo in an ODI. The 1996 World Cup winners played with an all-spin attack and troubled the Kiwi batters. The Sri Lankan spinners bowled 44 overs and claimed 7 wickets.

Sri Lanka (44 overs against the West Indies in 1996)

Sri Lanka played against the West Indies back in 1996 in Port of Spain in an ODI. It was the first of the three instances where they bowled a majority of their innings with spinners. The Sri Lankan spinners bowled 44 overs and claimed 7 wickets.

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West Indies (50 overs against Bangladesh in 2025)

The latest record is created by the West Indies, which can only be equalled. In the second ODI against Bangladesh in Dhaka, the West Indies bowlers operated with an all-spin attack. All 50 overs of the match were bowled by the slower bowlers, where they claimed 7 wickets.