6 times India whitewashed a team 5-0

Getting the better of a team in five consecutive games isn’t a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination. It’s more so when the opposition is an established side at the international level. It also speaks tons about the quality of the winning side.

India have performed exceptionally well in limited overs cricket over the past decade and their records have exhibited their dominance on the cricketing field. Over the last ten years, India have whitewashed a team in a 5-match ODI series as many as six times.

In our article, we take a look at the instances when India have rolled their opposition over on every occasion in a 5-match ODI series.

#6 Sri Lanka, 2017- Sri Lanka

India came into the One Day International series on the back of a thumping victory in the Test series. The players oozed confidence as they looked to replicate the same form in the One Day format. Quite expectantly, they did it in style and with sheer disdain.

For the second time, they went on to beat Sri Lanka by a margin of 5-0 in a bilateral ODI series. Sri Lanka had their moments in the series, but couldn’t latch on to the opportunities.

In the second and third ODI, India found themselves in more than a spot of bother. However, the Sri Lankan attack was unable to turn the screws on the Indian batsmen and allowed the pressure to release.

#5 England, 2011- India

England struggled to find their feet against a robust bunch of Indian cricketers

During July, India toured England and were comprehensively humbled in all the three formats of the game. Later that year, England visited India for a 5-match One Day International series.

This time around, India took full advantage of the home conditions and annihilated England 5-0. The English team was unable come to terms with the sub-continent wickets and were left clueless through the entire series.

In the third ODI at Mohali, England presented India with a stiff task to chase - nearly 300. For a substantial period, England had the upper hand, but stern resistance from India’s lower order ensured that the Men in Blue run past the finishing line without any further hiccups.

#4 Zimbabwe, 2013- Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe were no match for Team India in the series

In 2013, the Indian team led by Virat Kohli toured Zimbabwe for a 5-match One Day International series. While Zimbabwe weren’t expected to pose much of a threat for India, the Men in Blue were speculated to win the series without much fuss.

The Zimbabwean players tried their hearts out, but couldn’t evade a drubbing by a margin of 5-0 in the series. Virat Kohli also gave a glimpse of his prowess as a leader at the highest level.

Before the commencement of the series, the odds were highly stacked against Zimbabwe and the result of the series didn’t pan out to be any different from what was predicted earlier.

#3 New Zealand, 2010- India

Gautam Gambhir's Indian team humbled the Kiwis in the series

After winning the Test series against New Zealand, India looked to carry forward their momentum in the One Day International series. Several of India’s heavyweights, including Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag were rested for the home series.

It gave Gautam Gambhir a chance to captain the Indian team and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. The Kiwis struggled big time as India romped home to a series victory by a margin of 5-0.

Not only did Gambhir lead India to a series whitewash, but he also turned out to be the leading run-scorer of the series with 329 runs at a staggering average of 109.66.

#2 Sri Lanka, 2014- India

The victorious Indian team after beating Sri Lanka

In November 2014, Sri Lanka toured India for a 5-match One Day International series. The Lankans had the likes of Tillekaratne Dilshan, Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardena in their ranks. Beating them didn’t look like an easy task before the start of the series.

Nevertheless, India came out all guns blazing and stormed their way to a triumph by a margin of 5-0. It was only in the last game when Sri Lanka looked like giving India a run for their money.

However, Virat Kohli’s awe-inspiring knock of 139 runs in 126 balls guided India to a victory by three wickets, which also completed the series whitewash in favour India.

#1 England, 2008- India

Yuvraj Singh hammered a couple of centuries in the series

England’s tour of India initially comprised seven One Day Internationals, scheduled to be played over three weeks. However, following the infamous Mumbai terror attacks, two matches were cancelled and the series eventually turned out to be a 5-match affair.

On a couple of occasions, rain threatened to turn spoilsport, but they weren’t enough to deny India a victory by 5-0. Starting from the opening game in Rajkot, India put their opposition on the back-foot and had them by the scruff of the neck.

There were sparks of brilliance from the English cricketers, but India turned out to be a team strong enough to let go any opportunity. Kevin Pietersen’s century in Cuttack panned out to be the only bright spot for England in the series.