Team history at Cricket World Cup - India (1975-2011)

2015 Beckons: Will the cricketing world Bleed Blue again?

As the quadrennial showpiece event of One-Day International Cricket returns to Australian & Kiwi shores in just a couple of months, it is for the second time in its rich, 40-year old history that the Indian squad enters the tournament as defending champions. Experts, both from the media as well as from the armchair, have been debating, dissecting and evaluating the Men in Blue’s chances on the fast, bouncy tracks on offer Down Under.

While I will reserve my judgments on that aspect, what intrigues me even more is the statistical perspective – and that means records, facts and details.

Since 1975, there has been a plethora of performances, ranging from the superlative to the infuriatingly ordinary. Heroic deeds of men who carved places of honour in the glittering annals of cricketing folklore, the transition from flannel whites to coloured jerseys, the use of the white ball - all of these have only just whetted the appetite of cricket lovers around the world, and caused the fact fanatics to go into overdrive.

Here’s an in-depth analysis of the Indian contingent’s performance at the World Cup:

Overall Performances since 1975

Over the last forty years, the team has played 67 matches, with 39 victories and 26 defeats. Some of those defeats have been highly controversial, such as the semi-finals of the 1996 edition, India’s opening game against England in the inaugural World Cup, or even the Caribbean debacle in 2007. There have also been a few upsets along the way, some thrilling comebacks and a set of heroic performances – all reminiscent of a typical Bollywood potboiler!

The switch from Test cricket to the limited-overs version took the Indians nearly two editions to get adjusted to. Nevertheless, the proud nation triumphed over the hitherto invincible West Indies in 1983, ending the Calypso dominance in grand style at that hallowed ground called Lord’s.

They repeated their feat, this time in the familiar environs of the subcontinent, in 2011 – that edition saw them record their first ever tied World Cup game, a far cry from the struggling sides of the 1975 and 1979 editions.

Since the first time India and Pakistan squared off at the 1992 World Cup, the former has enjoyed total dominance over their arch rivals with five straight victories. It is, therefore, not surprising that the 2015 edition also gives spectators a chance to witness yet another high-voltage encounter between these cricketing heavyweights.

In summary, India’s overall record across all editions stands thus:

Total Matches Played	67
Wins	39
Losses	26
Tie & No Result	2
Win Percentage	58.2%
Favourite Opposition	Pakistan (5-0 record since 1992)
Best Captain	Sourav Ganguly (81% Win Record)

Best Performance

I had to think long and hard about this particular category, because there was sufficient data to pick not just one, but four editions where the Blue Brigade have done remarkably well. They lifted the trophy twice, made it to the finals thrice and entered the penultimate stage five times.

It’s not easy to achieve such feats without putting in more than the usual hard labor; it’s about how desperately you want to win against all odds.

Given that desperation, India’s best performance came in the 2003 edition, when South Africa hosted the World Cup for the first time. After a scrappy win over the Dutch in their first outing and being thoroughly outplayed by defending champions Australia, multiple criticisms of the squad were made in various media outlets back home.

It prompted a very public vow from the peerless Sachin Tendulkar to fight on till the last ball, and it showed in their on-field performances as they won seven games in a row, including one against traditional foes Pakistan.

Despite losing the summit clash to the Kangaroos by a heavy margin, the consistency, aggressive ground-fielding by young turks Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, & lion-hearted displays with both bat and ball won the admiration of many.

Total Matches Played	11
Wins	9
Losses	2
Win Percentage	81.81%

Worst Performance

One would normally expect the disastrous outing in the Caribbean nearly eight years ago to be Team India’s worst show in the tournament’s history. While it definitely was a fiasco, I’d bracket it with the not-so impressive displays in 1975 and 1979 either; the memories of Sunil Gavaskar scoring at snail’s pace in pursuit of England’s 334 are still rather painful, while the winless outcome in the second edition was neither unexpected nor very welcome.

It was in 1992 that India delivered their worst ever performance on the world’s biggest stage. Disaster seemed to follow them after suffering a nine-run loss to the Poms in their first match, despite Ravi Shastri’s patient half century. A washout occurred in their game against Sri Lanka, pushing them back even further. Skipper Mohammad Azharuddin & Sanjay Manjrekar’s efforts went in vain in the next outing against the Aussies, as the South Asian powerhouse fell to a second loss.

Consolation wins came against Pakistan and Zimbabwe, but three more defeats at the hands of New Zealand, the West Indies and South Africa sent the 1983 champions hurtling out of the tournament in shame. This shambolic performance was enough to end the careers of a few veterans, although a precocious new talent was unearthed in the form of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, who would go on to dominate the world stage for the next twenty one years.

Total Matches Played	8
Wins	2
Losses	5
No Result	1
Win Percentage	25%

Top Performers

I was tempted to restrict this list to just one name – Tendulkar. The Mumbai maestro has literally demolished every batting record in existence (save triple centuries in Test cricket), and in the World Cups too, he has stamped his authority completely.

If the 1996 World Cup saw him amass 523 runs, he smashed 673 runs seven years later in South Africa, with telling performances against Pakistan & England. The trophy still eluded his grasp on both occasions, until he finally claimed it with a 482-run performance in the 2011 edition.

With 2,278 runs made in seven versions of the ODI showpiece, one would naturally assume the Master Blaster to be the sole occupant of the top spot.

I found nine more key performers whose deeds have been immortalized in Indian cricketing lore. Some of these were extremely crucial to the team’s success, while for a couple of others, the agony of seeing the side falling at the last hurdle still haunts them at times.

And for one set of these valiant warriors, the ultimate ignominy is of being dumped from the squad for the 2015 edition.

Here are my top ten Indian performers at all World Cup tournaments since 1975:

1. Sachin Tendulkar (482 runs – 2011 WC, 673 runs & 2 wickets – 2003 WC, 523 runs – 1996 WC)
2. Rahul Dravid (461 runs – 1999 WC)
3. Yuvraj Singh (362 runs & 15 wickets – 2011 WC)
4. Zaheer Khan (21 wickets – 2011 WC)
5. Roger Binny (18 wickets – 1983 WC)
6. Gautam Gambhir (393 runs – 2011 WC)
7. Mohammad Azharuddin (332 runs – 1992 WC)
8. Kapil Dev (303 runs & 12 wickets – 1983 WC)
9. Maninder Singh (14 wickets – 1987 WC)
10. Anil Kumble (15 wickets – 1996 WC)

Memorable Matches:

There have been many remarkable outings for the various teams which represented the nation at the World Cup. Five of them have been detailed here:

5. India vs New Zealand, Nagpur, October 1987 (Chetan Sharma’s Hat Trick & Gavaskar’s Last Century)

It turned out to be a day of firsts for the defending champions, and the occasion chosen had a much larger purpose. At stake was a spot in the semi-finals, and the obvious preference in venue was for Mumbai rather than Lahore. Something truly magical was needed if India were to avoid facing arch rivals Pakistan in the penultimate clash.

The first of the two unexpected occurrences was brought about by the bearded Chetan Sharma. With Ken Rutherford looking set at the crease and determined to push the Kiwis to a 240-plus total, Sharma sent down his lethal in-dipper, and it crashed through the batsman’s defences, shocking the opposition into silence. Ian Smith & Ewen Chatfield also fell prey to similar, though slightly fuller, deliveries, and the first-ever World Cup hat-trick had been achieved, with NZ setting a 222-run target for the hosts to achieve in 42.2 overs. That’s when the other surprise occurred.

Sunil Gavaskar, having been hauled over the coals for his snail-paced 36 in the inaugural edition, then provided the second ‘first’. He launched a murderous assault on the rival bowling, powering his way through to a maiden ODI century in 105 appearances in the limited-overs version.

With Srikkanth and Azharuddin for company, the Mumbai stalwart delivered India to the doorsteps of victory in 32.1 overs – it was his last opus, as the defending champions fell to England in the semi final.

Sharjah Forgotten: Chetan Sharma in 1987

4. India vs Sri Lanka, Kolkata, March 1996 (Heartbreak at the Penultimate Line)

Passion for the game of cricket is one thing. Winning is a good habit to have, but the equation has to be balanced. You have to be able to take losses in your stride, even though you desperately wish things could have been different.

The 1996 semi-final between India and Sri Lanka still brings tears to each die-hard fan’s eyes, even more so than the defeat to Bangladesh eleven years later.

Veteran batsman Aravinda de Silva had earlier rescued his side from a precarious position with a masterly knock of 66, and with decent contributions from an injured Roshan Mahanama & skipper Arjuna Ranatunga, Sri Lanka set a target of 252 for the home team to chase on an Eden Gardens track which was as dry as the Sahara desert.

In response, the 1983 champions cruised to 98/1 with Sachin Tendulkar displaying his full repertoire of strokes, matching de Silva’s innings with his own style. However, it was too good to last.

The Mumbai whiz kid played down the wrong line to a Sanath Jayasuriya delivery, and was smartly stumped by Romesh Kaluwitharana. This acted as the trigger for a collapse that India never recovered from, losing six more wickets for just 22 runs. The crowd, which had witnessed the shocking turnaround, erupted violently.

Riots broke out in the stands, many missiles were hurled at the ground, mostly directed in anger at their heroes’ abject surrender. Eventually, match referee Clive Lloyd awarded the win to Sri Lanka after the violence persisted, and the Indians crashed out of yet another edition. For posterity, the lasting image of this game was that of an inconsolable, weeping Vinod Kambli.

The Agony and Anguish: India’s collapse triggered riots, resulting in Sri Lanka winning by default

3. India vs Pakistan, Centurion, March 2003 (Sachin’s Masterpiece)

Nothing is bigger than the sight of traditional rivals squaring off on the cricket field. It quickly transforms into a war zone, with batsmen wielding their willows like assault weapons, and bowlers playing the supporting act with their mastery over the grenade-like white ball. Passions run high, with players sometimes losing their cool out in the middle. In short – it is for a glimpse of this encounter that draws people to the World Cup in the first place.

Saeed Anwar’s stroke-filled 101 had set the ball rolling for the Pakistanis, but the Men in Blue bowled fairly well towards the closing stages, picking up wickets at regular intervals. Nevertheless, the 1992 winners had racked up a daunting total of 273, and with the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar in the pace department, India had their task cut out.

Out came the broad MRF blade of Sachin Tendulkar. His target: the Rawalpindi Express. On the fourth delivery, he let loose a powerful upper-cut that soared over backward point and into the crowd. Having found the opening he sought, Tendulkar unleashed two more gorgeous strokes for boundaries, eventually taking eighteen off the over and effectively rendering Akhtar’s pre-match claims useless.

He proceeded to make 98 runs off 75 deliveries – a knock he termed later as the best of his career- as his side cantered to a 6 wicket win and a 100% win record against their arch rivals in World Cups.

Master Blaster: Sachin’s 98 paved the way for a famous triumph over Pakistan in 2003

2. India v/s Sri Lanka, Mumbai, April 2011 (Summit Clash – Gambhir’s Innings and Dhoni’s Six):

A 28-year wait finally came to an end at the Wankhede Stadium, and it was perhaps fitting that the elder statesman of the game bow out of the marquee event with the title that had proven elusive till then. Sri Lanka stood in the way though, and a magnificent century from Mahela Jayawardene enabled them to reach 274 in the allotted 50 overs.

In reply, the host nation lost their opening pair rather early to the guiles of Lasith Malinga. It brought the Delhi duo of Virat Kohli & Gautam Gambhir together for the first of three match-winning partnerships. Following the former’s dismissal, another surprise move was unveiled: skipper MS Dhoni came in at No. 4, and provided steady support to the left-handed Gambhir, consolidating brilliantly and frustrating the Lankans further.

The KKR skipper departed with India within striking distance of victory, but the Indian captain sealed the deal with a massive six off Nuwan Kulasekara, triggering wild celebrations across the nation, and burying the ghosts of the Caribbean sojourn from four years ago.

The Shot That Rang Around the Stadium: MS Dhoni Secures The Cup for India

1. India vs West Indies, Lord’s Cricket Ground, June 1983 (Ending the Caribbean Dominance)

Low scoring matches are always the stuff of thrills. After all, one of the finalists had thoroughly dominated the World Stage since 1975. Boasting of the finest pace quartet in Marshall, Roberts, Garner & Holding, a master tactician in skipper Clive Lloyd and the swaggering, nonchalant brutality of Viv Richards, not many would have bet on the West Indies to surrender the Prudential Trophy after two successive finishes on the winner’s podium.

The Indian team, on the other hand, had defied many odds throughout the tournament, even upsetting the defending champions once in the early stages. However, nothing in their essay at the batting crease suggested the possibility of a victory – they totalled 183 runs, with Krish Srikkanth’s 38 being the top score.

Certainly not enough to challenge the might of the Calypso kings, one would have thought. The early loss of Gordon Greenidge was seen as a minor irritant, as Richards began punishing the bowling in his indomitable style.

It was that man Kapil Dev again who brought India back into the game with a stunning display of athleticism, calmness and self-belief; a 20-yard dash from mid-on, eyes on the looping red cherry as it began its descent, and completing a remarkable catch to send back the King.

The Caribbean supporters were shocked into sepulchral silence, while the Indian squad grasped their opportunities, and eventually turned the cricketing world upside down with a 43-run victory.