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India’s ODI series triumphs outside Asia — a statistical review

The win against England is only India's sixth win outside Asia in ODIs.

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India breezed to a comfortable 9-wicket win the 4th ODI © Getty Images

India have taken a victorious lead of 3-0 in the 5-match One-Day International (ODI) series against England with one match to go. This is only the 12th time the Indian team won a series/tournament outside Asia except in Zimbabwe. Bharath Seervi lists those triumphs of the past.

Despite meekly surrendering to England in the Test series, the ODI series has brought out the youthful exuberance and verve that has been a significant part of their trimuphs in recent times. After the first ODI at Bristol was washed out due to rain, the Indian team went on to beat the hapless hosts convincingly in the next three ODIs to take a victorious lead of 3-0 in the series. With this victory, India have registered only their second bilateral ODI series victory in England.

The only victory for India in a bilateral ODI series in England was back in 1990 when the team led by Mohammad Azharuddin defeated the home side 2-0 in the 2-match series. Apart from the solitary ODI series victory, India have won few of their biggest trophies in England. They won the World Cup in 1983, the Natwest tri series in 2002 and the Champions Trophy in 2013. The current series is the fifth ODI series/tournament victory for India in England.

Bilateral ODI series wins for India outside Asia

In the past, India won five bilateral ODI series outside Asia except Zimbabwe. The first was the series win against England in 1990.The rest of the victories were in this century. The next such victory was in 2002 in West Indies under Sourav Ganguly where India won the 3-match ODI series 3-2. The remaining victories were under MS Dhoni. The victories of 3-1 in New Zealand in 2009, 2-1 in West Indies in 2009 and in 3-2 in West Indies in 2011 were also under the Ranchi dasher. And now the series victory in England in 2014 is the sixth.

Year Host Margin Indian Captain
1990 England 2-0 (2) Mohammad Azharuddin
2002 West Indies 2-1 (3) SouravGanguly
2009 New Zealand 3-1 (5) MS Dhoni
2009 West Indies 2-1 (4) MS Dhoni
2011 West Indies 3-2 (5) MS Dhoni
2014 England 3-0* MS Dhoni

*Yet to be completed

Triangular ODI series wins for India outside Asia

So far, India have won three triangular ODI series outside Asia. They have participated in a total of 12 triangular ODI tournaments in those countries. All the three wins have come in this century. In the 2002 Natwest tri series in England, India won under Ganguly where the other team was Sri Lanka was the first such victory. The next, was again a historical victory, this time in the Triangular series in Australia in 2008 were Sri Lanka were the other contenders and Indian team was spearheaded by Dhoni. The most recent triumph came in West Indies, where Sri Lanka was yet again the other participant. Dhoni’s exhillarating last over blitz off Shaminda Eranga gave India the cup.

Year Host Involving teams Indian Captain
2002 England India, England, Sri Lanka Sourav Ganguly
2008 Australia Australia, India, Sri Lanka MS Dhoni
2013 West Indies India, Sri Lanka, West Indies MS Dhoni

Multiple-team tournament victories for India outside Asia (4 or more teams)

India have found victories in three of the 12 ODI tournaments involving four or more teams they took part outside Asia. The 1983 World Cup win under Kapil Dev in England was the first tournament win outside Asia for India. The World Championships in Australia in 1985 under Sunil Gavaskar was the second. The third victory came after almost three decades later, in 2013, where Dhoni’s men clinched then ICC Champions Trophy.

Year Tournament Indian Captain
1983 World Cup Kapil Dev
1985 World Championship Sunil Gavaskar
2013 Champions Trophy MS Dhoni

India not losing a single game in an ODI series outside Asia has happened only thrice in the past.  The only other instances where it happened wasthe World Championship in 1985, where India won all the five matches, in the two-match ODI series in England in 1990 and  the ICC Champions Trophy 2013. At the end of fourth ODI, India are yet to lose in this series. If they can win the last ODI as well it will be only the fourth series without any loss outside Asia.

At all mentions of ‘outside Asia’, series in Zimbabwe are not included.

Complete coverage of India’s tour to England here

(Bharath Seervi is a cricket statistician who is obsessed with digging numbers, facts and records related to the game. An active member of Society of Cricket Statisticians of India, he blogs at www.cricketseervistats.blogspot.com. He can be followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SeerviBharath and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SeerviCricket)

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