India’s Poor Performances in ODI WC: India has been one of the most consistent teams in the World Cup. They won their maiden World Cup in 1983 after a forgettable first two editions. India qualified for the semis 7 times with 3 consecutive appearances from 2011-19. They are one of the powerhouses in world cricket. But the side has also had its fair share of poor performances. These games at times also led to their exit while at times it has let their fans down. Indian cricket will want to put these poor performances behind them come the upcoming World Cup.
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We look at India’s Poor Performances in ODI WC:
#3 India vs Australia, 2015
It was touted as the game of the tournament with two high quality sides having a go against each other. India was unbeaten right until the semifinals. Australia had lost just one game but had the advantage of playing in home conditions. They won an important toss and chose to bat first. Steve Smith’s ton powered Australia to a formidable score of 328-7. Chasing a score requiring 6.58 runs per over, India had to fire on all cylinders.
But the side adopted a strange approach in the run-chase. None of the batters apart from Shikhar Dhawan scored at a strike rate of 100+. Rohit Sharma (34 off 48), Virat Kohli (1 off 13), Ajinkya Rahane (44 off 68), and MS Dhoni (65 off 65) all were guilty of playing conservative cricket. The manner of the defeat rankled everyone as the side showed no intention to risk a win.
#2 India vs England, 1975
It remains one of India’s most questionable performance in a World Cup game. The first 3 editions of the tournament were 60-overs per side affair. India’s first-ever World Cup game was against hosts England in London. England posted 334 batting first against an inexperienced Indian bowling lineup. The side had played their first-ever ODI only last year in 1974. The target of 335 was always going to be daunting. But India’s reply was inexplicable.
They mustered just 132-3 batting out entire 60 overs. Sunil Gavaskar, the batting mainstay of the side hit a painful unbeaten 36 off 174 balls hitting just a single boundary. Cricketing experts and fans termed this performance as a disgrace. The game didn’t give out the correct intentions of a side playing its very first World Cup match.
#1 India vs Bangladesh, 2007
The game was expected to be a cakewalk for India. Their first game in the 2007 World Cup was against ’supposed’ minnows, Bangladesh. The Indian team though wasn’t in the best state of mental preparation heading into the tournament. Their issues with the coach, batting lineup, and team combinations had gotten the team into a fix. It clearly reflected in the performance as they put up a shoddy show against Bangladesh.
India was restricted to a score of 190 odd. The bowling was expected to still make a match out of it. But a lethargic Indian team couldn’t get the better of a determined Bangladesh side. This defeat sent shockwaves across the country. To make matters worse India lost a must-win game against Sri Lanka. India was knocked out of the tournament in the first round itself.
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