The seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup in Karachi on Saturday was a grant achievement for Team India that went unnoticed, well almost!
India's record in One-Day Internationals after this match reads as follows:
Played | Won | Lost | No Result/Tied | Won% |
688 | 328 | 327 | 30/3 | 47.67 |
Did you notice anything peculiar in the above table?
If not, then have a look at the win and loss record again. This is the first time in India's One-Day Internationals history that they have won more matches than they have lost.
Never before India's tally of wins exceeded the tally of losses, not even when they looked quite invincible.
The following table gives India's win-loss record after three major tournaments (when the side was supposed to be in its best form).
India did not have an impressive win-loss record even after the grand success in the 1983 World Cup in England or even after the 1984-85 World Championship of Cricket in Australia. However, the gap between losses and victories had narrowed down at the end of the 2002-03 World Cup in South Africa.
In 2006, India managed to have identical figures under won and lost columns, but they never had more wins than losses.
India's ODI record:
Played | Won | Lost | NR/Tied | Won% | |
after 1983 World Cup | 48 | 18 | 30 | - | 37.50 |
after 1984-85 World Championship | 74 | 28 | 43 | 3/- | 37.84 |
after 2002-03 World Cup | 534 | 250 | 260 | 21/3 | 46.82 |
after the game v Bangladesh | 688 | 328 | 327 | 30/3 | 47.67 |
Among the regular ODI-playing countries, only Australia, Pakistan, West Indies , South Africa and England have won more games than they lost, while New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Kenya all have lost more games than they won.