SSC
The Duckworth-Lewis method was first used in international cricket on:
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Answer: Option D — 1 January 1997
Detailed Solution
The Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method was first used in an international match on 1 January 1997, in the second One-Day International between Zimbabwe and England at Harare, Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe won the match by 7 runs under the D/L calculation.
What is the Duckworth-Lewis method?
It is a mathematical method used to calculate a fair target score for the team batting second when a limited-overs match (ODI or T20) is interrupted and shortened by rain or bad light.
It was devised by two English statisticians, Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis.
The method is based on the idea of "resources": a team's ability to score runs depends on two resources, the overs remaining and the wickets in hand. When overs are lost, the target is adjusted according to the resources each team had.
It replaced earlier methods such as the "Average Run Rate" method and the "Most Productive Overs" method. The latter caused a famous problem in the 1992 World Cup semi-final, when South Africa's target against England was changed from 22 runs off 13 balls to 21 runs off 1 ball after a short rain delay.
The ICC formally adopted the D/L method as the standard in 1999.
Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS):
- In 2014, after Duckworth and Lewis retired, the Australian statistician Professor Steven Stern updated the method to reflect modern scoring patterns, especially higher scores in the later overs.
- It was renamed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in 2015 and has been used in international cricket since then.
The Indian connection:
An Indian engineer, V. Jayadevan from Kerala, developed an alternative method called the VJD (V. Jayadevan) system. It has been used in some Indian domestic matches but was not adopted by the ICC.
Why not the other options?
- ✗25 June 1983 is the date of India's first World Cup win (final at Lord's).
- ✗15 March 1977 is close to the date of the first Test match (15 March 1877) and its centenary in 1977.
- ✗1 January 2001 is not linked to the D/L method.
Quick tip
Remember: Duckworth-Lewis = first used 1 January 1997 (Zimbabwe vs England, Harare); adopted by ICC 1999; became DLS (Steven Stern) in 2015; Indian alternative = VJD system (V. Jayadevan).
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Sports — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Sports, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers sports GK: major tournaments and their venues, trophies and cups associated with each sport, sports terms, the number of players in a team, sports awards in India, Olympic and Asian Games facts, and famous sportspersons and their achievements. Common questions ask which sport a trophy belongs to (such as the Durand Cup for football or the Ranji Trophy for cricket), which term is used in which sport, and where a tournament was held. Records and results change after every season, so pair static facts such as team sizes and terms with recent results from current affairs. Practise the sports questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.