With the 7 wicket win over Bangladesh match in the Asia Cup, India breaks even. They have now a win loss ratio of more than one for the first time since they started playing ODIs. India started playing ODI in 1974 and if we look at their performance in the break up of 5 years, they have gradually improved their win loss ratio.

Table below gives their performance in spans of five years since 1974. Not surprisingly with just one win in the first 5 years that too against a non test playing nation, the ratio was 0.17. But it improved significantly in the next 5 years which includes a world cup win. Out of total 17 wins, 7 came in 1983 world cup. India had the best win loss ratio of 1 against England whereas against mighty West Indies, they won 3 of 7 games. All these three games were significant – one before the world cup which game them some self belief that West Indies were beatable and 2 in 1983 world cup.

One expects a world cup winning side to be formidable for at least a couple of years after their world cup win. India did prove in 1985 World Championship trophy in Australia that their world cup victory was not a fluke by winning all the matches they played and winning them comfortably. Their win loss ratio also improved from 0.71 to 0.91. They had the best ratio of 4.5 against New Zealand and a “then weak opposition” Sri Lanka. They lost twice to Sri Lanka and in one of these losses; India was bundled out for 78 in Kanpur.  In this period, West Indies took their revenge of 1983 world cup final bloodily by beating India 14 times out of 15. Only match India won was at the end of this period in January 1988.

The win loss ratio went down in 1988-1993 period when the team was in transformation phase with Kapil Dev in the last stage of his career and the seniors of last decade were being replaced by the Tendulkars and Manjrakers.  India toured Australia and South Africa in this period. Pace and bounce of their tracks didn’t help the matters much and India lost 18 out of 25 ODIs played in these countries. The Ghost of Javed Miynadad’s last ball six was also at its peak and India could only win 33% of its matched against Pakistan. Even against Sri Lanka they lost 4 matches and could only win 5 although Sri Lanka had yet not become a super power of ODI world. India maintained its supremacy against New Zealand with a win loss ratio of 2.5 in 7 matches.

If Tendulkar was emerging to be a batting great between 1988 & 1993, 1993-1998 followed a simple norm – India wins only if he scores. There was a period of 39 matches when India had won only once even after Sachin failed to score. The biggest positive of this period was India’s performance against Australia. They won 8 out of 13 matches against them. The psychological barrier to win against Pakistan was also becoming weaker as reflected in the number of matches won against Pakistan – 43%. Although India managed to find a new Pakistan in Sri Lanka with the haunting ghost being 1996 world cup semi final. India could manage a win loss ratio of 0.71 in 27 matches against them and after the world cup semi final, they could only win 3 out of 14 matches against them. Although this was the first period when the over all win loss ratio exceeded 1.

Between 1998 & 2003, it was again a transformation stage with the Dravids, Gangulys and some of the currently playing young generation finding its feet in the side. The over all win loss ratio reached 1.15 although this was largely helped by the win loss ratio of 3.16 against Zimbabwe in 25 matches which were more than the matches played against any other side. India regained its supremacy against Sri Lanka by winning 57% of 23 matches played against them but they lost heavily to Australia (75%) and Pakistan (70%). For the first time, they lost more matches to New Zealand than they won. Number of ODIs played rose by 26% to an alarming figure of 175. 31 of the total 90 victories came against minnows including Bangladesh in 38 matches.

The over all win loss ratio has remained almost same in the last 5 years at 1.14. 21 of the total 75 victories have come against minnows in 23 matches.  For the first time they achieved a win loss ratio of 1 against Pakistan which no longer is as formidable opposition as it used to be 5 years back. With such high opinions about current team strength in ODIs, the record doesn’t speak well against stronger oppositions. They have won only 37% of the total 11 matches against South Africa with almost all the wins coming in the sub continent. India could only win 26% of the total 27 matches against Australia with 4 of these victories coming in last 7 matches.

The figure below represents India’s win loss ratio against major test playing nations (apart from Bangladesh) in these periods.

A typical complain about Team India has been about their inability to win out side sub continent. In the last five years, India has won 56% of matches played in Sub Continent where as the same number outside sub continent has been 41%. India has won 77% of the matches played (total 13) in Pakistan which have mainly been against them. Surely once an invincible den is no longer invincible. In India they have won only 51% out of total 54 matches. Their big challenge have been Australia where they have majorly beaten teams other than Australia.But South Africa has been even tougher as Team India have not won a single match there in last 5 years.

The story has been little different in tests with frequent victories coming on foreign soil. That story  - in next post.  

- Vibhash