What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
On Sunday, India edged West Indies by two wickets in the 2nd ODI at Port-of-Spain to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. This is the 11th time on the trot that India has defeated West Indies in a bilateral ODI series. Six of these series victories have come in West Indies which makes it abundantly clear that whether at home or outside, India has comprehensively dominated the ‘Men in Maroon’ in this format.
Overall, India and West Indies have played 138 ODIs in which India emerged victorious in 69 encounters and West Indies in 63, while 2 ended as ties. However, if we deconstruct the numbers meticulously, India only started winning relentlessly against the West Indies after 2000. Before the turn of the century, the ‘Men in Maroon’ had a massive edge over the ‘Men in Blue’.
Till 1999, both the teams had locked horns in 63 matches with West Indies winning 40 and India only 21. One match – Perth 1991 – had resulted in a tie. West Indies was even more dominating in the 1980s. Till 1989, out of 33 matches between them, West Indies had notched up victories in a staggering 27 encounters. India eked out wins only in 6.
India’s solitary redeeming factor against the rampaging West Indies till the 1980s was outstripping them in the all-important World Cup final in 1983.
From the start of the 1990s, the ‘Men in Blue’ started catching up as the fortunes of the West Indies began to decline after their golden run from the mid-70s to early 90s. One of the remarkable wins for India in the 1990s was routing West Indies in the final of the Hero Cup at Kolkata in 1993.
By 2000, West Indies were a pale shadow of their glorious past and were clutching at straws. At the same time, under the tutelage of Sourav Ganguly and later MS Dhoni, India began growing from strength to strength and became a formidable force.
Since the turn of the century – January 1, 2000 – India has West Indies have crossed swords in 75 matches. The ‘Men in Blue’ have won 48 and lost only 23. 1 encounter was a tie while 3 were washed out due to rains. From 2010 onwards, India’s record is even more potent as they emerged triumphant in 31 ODIs and were at the receiving end of defeats in only 9 matches.
If we talk about bilateral series between these two teams, India has now won 15 out of 23 while West Indies have been victorious in only 8. But India had not won a single bilateral ODI series against West Indies till 1993. Only in 1994, did they win their first bilateral ODI series against the ‘Men in Maroon’.
Since 2000, India has snapped up 13 bilateral ODI series while West Indies have managed to win only 2. The last time West Indies defeated India in a bilateral ODI series was way back in 2006.
These numbers are emblematic of India’s spectacular rise since the 2000s and West Indies’ steep decline during the same phase.
