3 Times India came back from behind to win an ODI series at home in the recent past

For Team India, it has come down to this. They are now compelled to channelize all their energy and options to save the one-day series against the depleted West Indies at home. To further emphasize the agony, the West Indies are ranked the No. 9 ODI team in the world while India are the No. 2 team in the ICC rankings.

No one expected such an excellent fightback from the West Indies after their capitulation in the Test series. The fact that India have been forced to call back Bhuvi and Bumrah for the third one-day in itself was ample proof of the tough challenge the Windies have posted in this one-day series.

Turning back, had Umesh Yadav bowled a yorker off the last ball of the second ODI, this awkward situation would not have arisen. Again, in the third ODI, had one of the middle-order batsmen stayed put with Kohli, the story would have been different altogether.

Now the Indians will have to ensure that they don’t lose the fourth ODI at Mumbai. In fact, they have to win both the remaining ODIs to restore pride. The last time a visiting team won a one-day series in India was way back in October 2015 when South Africa managed to achieve that feat by a margin of 3-2.

To put the records straight, since the World Cup win at home in April 2011, India have played a total of 14 bilateral one-day series at home and lost only two series, one against South Africa and the other against Pakistan.

Such has been India’s dominance at home that teams like Australia, New Zealand, England, Sri Lanka and West Indies have all been humbled in the past. The last time India had lost 2 matches in a one-day series at home was in 2016 against New Zealand. Since then, no team has won more than one match in a one-day series.

Against this track record, India are now up against the West Indies in the fourth one-day at Mumbai where their unbeaten home record will be severely tested. It would be a moral victory for the West Indies if they manage to hang on to a two-all draw in the series.

But from the West Indies point of view, they should certainly expect a backlash from India on the back of their humiliating defeat in Pune if one were to go by past records. In the past, India have been ruthless in the match that succeeded immediately after a humiliating defeat.

Here is a list of some of those instances where India came back from a deficit to win a home one-day series in the recent past.

#1. Against Sri Lanka in December 2017

Rohit Sharma's double century sealed the series for India

The first match of the three-match series was played at Dharamshala where the conditions were ideal for seam bowlers. For India, Virat Kohli was rested for the series and Rohit Sharma was captaining the team for the first time.

Sri Lanka won the toss and put India into bat. In no time, the Sri Lankan pacers: Lakmal, Pradeep and Mathews, reduced India to 29 for 7. India were staring at their lowest ODI total before Dhoni brought about some respectability to the Indian total with a score of 65 which took the Indian score to 112. Sri Lanka won the match easily and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

India reached Mohali with the knowledge that one more slip up would jeopardize their unbeaten home run. Anticipating the same kind of response on the Mohali pitch as in Dharamshala, Sri Lanka won the toss and once again put India into bat.

The Indian top order got going with Rohit Sharma in a murderous mood. Rohit Sharma and Dhawan put on 115 runs for the first wicket before Dhawan got out for 68. Shreyas Iyer, the new No. 3 for India in the absence of Kohli, joined his captain. It was total mayhem thereafter as Rohit went on the rampage hitting the Sri Lankan bowlers to all parts of the ground.

The heroes of the first ODI: Lakmal and Pradeep were mauled along with Perera. Pradeep ended up conceding 106 runs in his 10 runs, while Lakmal and Perere were plundered for 71 and 80 runs respectively. In the end, Rohit Sharma finished with 208 not out off 153 balls with the help of 13 fours and 12 sixes. Shreyas Iyer scored 88 off 70 balls.

India finished with 392 for 4. In reply, Sri Lanka could manage only 251 and India won by a massive margin of 141 runs. Sri Lanka never expected this backlash from India after their meek surrender in the first ODI.

India won the third ODI at Visakhapatnam quite convincingly by 8 wickets, and with that, the series by 2-1. India managed to retain their unbeaten home record.

#2. Against New Zealand in October 2017

Kohli and Rohit Sharma added 230 runs for the second wicket at Kanpur

The first match of the 3 match-series was played in Mumbai. After scoring 280, India were comfortably placed with the Kiwis struggling on 80 for 3. But India never expected a double century partnership from Ross Taylor and Tom Latham, which enabled New Zealand to win by an easy margin of 6 wickets.

India had to win the second one-day at Pune to stay alive in the series. New Zealand won the toss and surprisingly elected to bat. Fine opening spells by Bhuvi and Bumrah left New Zealand struggling at 58 for 4. After that, the spinners Chahal and Axar Patel took over, and at one stage, New Zeland were 188 for 8. Santner and Southee added 32 runs for the ninth wicket to finish at 230.

India reached the target comfortably with contributions from Dhawan(68) and Dinesh Karthik(64 not out). With this win, India levelled the series one all before the third ODI at Kanpur.

The Kanpur wicket was a belter in which Rohit Sharma (147) and Virat Kohli (113) added 230 runs for the second wicket. When India reached 337 in the first innings, everyone thought it was all over for New Zealand. But, New Zealand, with half-centuries from Colin Munro, Williamson and Tom Latham, almost reached the target.

When New Zealand needed just 35 runs off 24 balls with six wickets in hand, a home series defeat for India looked inevitable. But luckily for India, they had two best death bowlers in the world in their line-up: Bhuvi and Bumrah.

Bumrah and Bhuvi saved the series for India

Bhuvi bowled the 47th over and gave away just 5 runs and yorked the well-set Nicholls. Bumrah replicated Kumar’s performance in the 48th over in which the other well-set batsmen Tom Latham was run-out for 65. India were back in the game.

New Zealand needed 15 runs in the last over, but Bumrah restricted them to just 9. India won by a narrow margin of 6 runs.

Another ODI series at home in which India managed to come back from behind to retain their clean home record.

#3. Against Australia in October 2013

Kohli scored a 60 ball hundred to take India home

This was a seven-match ODI series which was later reduced to 5 matches due to the abandonment of the games at Ranchi and Cuttack due to inclement weather.

The Australians were leading 2-1 in the series with 2 matches to go. One win out of two was enough for Australia to win the series. On the other hand, India had to win both the matches to win the series.

The fourth match was played at Nagpur. Going in tune with the trend in the series, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. Australia piled up 350 on the back of centuries from Shane Watson (102) and George Bailey (156).

When Australia reached 350, they thought the series was in their pocket. But the Indian top order had other ideas. It all started with the openers Rohit and Dhawan blasting 178 runs for the first wicket in 30 overs. When Rohit got out for 79 runs in the 30th over, India still needed 172 runs in 20 overs, which was a tall order.

Kohli walked in and made his intentions quite clear by hitting part-time spinners Maxwell and Finch for a boundary each. The regular spinner Doherty was hit for 2 fours and a six in the next over. The fast bowlers Faulkner and Mckay were not spared either as Kohli reached 40 off 26 balls.

At the other end, Dhawan reached his century off 100 balls before he got out in the same over to Faulkner. India needed 117 runs in 14 overs when Raina joined Kohli. Kohli reached his 50 off 31 balls.

India needed 84 runs off the last 10 overs. In the 41st over bowled by Johnson, Kohli hit 3 consecutive fours and raced into the 70s. In his next over, Johnson hit back by removing both Raina and Yuvraj. India needed 60 off 7 overs when Dhoni joined Kohli in the middle.

Kohli raced away to his century off 60 balls and India reached the target in the last over. With this win, India after conceding a lead had once again kept a home series alive. With the series tied two all, the decider was to be played at Bangalore.

At Bangalore, India off to a good start with the openers putting on 112 runs. Kohli came and went due to a misunderstanding in running between the wickets with Rohit.

Rohit stayed at one end and scored a fabulous double century. It was Rohit’s first double hundred and the third one from an Indian batsman after Sachin and Sehwag. In fact, these 3 were the first 3 batsmen to reach a double hundred in ODIs.

Rohit’s second hundred runs came off just 40 balls. Dhoni (62) and Rohit Sharma added 167 runs in 16 overs to pile up 383. That target proved to be too much for Australia and they fell short by 57 runs in spite of a century from James Faulkner.

In the end, India came back from behind and won another home series against the mighty Australians by a margin of 3-2.

To sum up, for the West Indies in the current one-day series, it is so far so good. They are at the brink of upsetting India at home. But the track record shows that the Indians are quite capable of inflicting a huge backlash against oppositions at home whenever they are pushed to the corner. This series against the West Indies will be no different.