Cricket doesn’t really use the words ‘offense’ and ‘defence’ as nouns so the point is moot. The closest term used is probably a bowling attack, but a defensive bowler (one who concedes very few runs without getting many wickets) remains a valuable asset to any team. As Malacandra points out the aggressiveness of the bowling and batting teams will depend very much on the state of the match.
While fachverwirrt’s one-day example is true as far as it goes, it doesn’t really apply to the oldest (and arguably still most important) form of the game - test matches. And if in a test team A is dismissed for 250 while team B has 180 for 3 any cricket fan would say team B is in much the better position.
So perhaps we have established that cricket is unique in the degrees to which “attack” and “defence” can ebb and flow during a game.
over by over, session by session, day by day, wicket by wicket, ground by ground.
In the end though, the point is that wins and losses are determined by runs scored, not wickets, draws not withstanding.
On the subject of ODIs vs. test matches, are there any other sports with such wildly divergent forms that can so radically affect strategy?
Now that’s a good point. Perhaps Golf’s matchplay vs strokeplay formats might count?
Tour de France vs. track cycling?
Indeed, I was thinking of the Astros when I mentioned flagpoles. I had forgotten that the pole was also atop a hill.
I like how there’s a warning track before the hill, then grass again.
Courting v speed dating?
A bit closer to the question:
Rugby Union v Rugby Sevens
Field Hockey v Indoor Hockey (v Underwater Hockey :eek: )
And handball (although the raquetball-like form and the soccer-like form are sufficiently different to be considered completely different sports that just happen to have the same name).
Heading the ball. Only in football (soccer) is it actively pursued. You can head the ball in Voleyball, but it is not actively looked for.
I believe Equestrian sports are the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete against each other in every level of the sport, and in all Olympic divisions.
Sailing also has a coed “open division” but there are also mens & women’s divisions which are separated. Equestrian events have no separated divisions.
I think that’s also true of some gun sports.
Maybe at the local level, but at the Olympic level, all shooting events are split into men’s and women’s divisions. (see 2008 Olympic Shooting event schedule, courtesy of USA Shooting, the national org.)
Wouldn’t golf be included here as well?
I was thinking this as well, but I’m pretty sure trees aren’t allowed on the fairways or greens.
Maybe not on greens, but I’ve certainly played courses that have trees in the fairway.
Table tennis the only sport I know of where the players can actually be bigger than the playing field 
In pool, there is an “instant lose” rule (hitting the 8 ball into the pockets at the wrong time) that doesn’t have anything to do with cheating
Tennis has a huge variation in what you can wear.
I like this one!
Isn’t this true in most individual sports? Bowling, golf, billiards…most have dress standards that need to be met, but a wide variety of outfits that would fit within those standards.
Darts.
Arm wrestling.
ETA: Kabaddi is the only sport where players are required to chant, as far as I’m aware.
I thought theoretically, ping pong has an infinite playing field only limited by the size of the room, that’s why you often see players standing 10 feet behind the table. Pool tables can also vary in size, down to 6X4" for bar tables.
Pool and poker also don’t have uniform requirements.