IND v AUS 2020: How many times have India won the third match in a three-match bilateral ODI series after losing first two?
The Tour Down Under has not started well for the Indian side. They have been handed comprehensive defeats in the first two matches of the three-match ODI series by hosts Australia.
Now the action moves from the Sydney Cricket Ground to the Manuka Oval in Canberra for the third ODI which is scheduled to be played on Wednesday.
India would be hoping for a victory to end the series, not only as a consolation but also to take some confidence going into the three-match T20I series which will commence from December 4.
At this juncture, let us take a look at how India has done in three-match bilateral ODI series, and see how many times the side has been able to come back and win the third match after losing the first two.
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How many times have India won the third match in a three-match bilateral ODI series after losing first two?
India have played a total of 37 bilateral ODI series which constituted three matches. While the side has won 24 of them, they have been at the wrong end of the results 11 times. 2 series were tied 1-1 after one match getting abandoned.
Occasions when India managed to win the third match after losing the first two
There have been only two occasions when India have come back to win the third match after losing the first two ODIs in a three-match series.
The first time this happened was during Pakistan’s tour of India in 2012. After losing the first two matches at Chennai and Kolkata comprehensively, India came back to edge the visitors out in a thriller at Delhi.
India once again won the third ODI after losing the first two during their tour of Bangladesh in 2015. All the three matches were played in Dhaka. While the batting department failed in the first two matches, India managed to post a 300-plus total in the third and defended it to clinch victory.
Occasions when India ended a series without a win
India have been whitewashed 3-0 in a three-match ODI series only once in history. It happened during India’s tour of New Zealand earlier this year.
India have returned zero wins in a three-match series three other times. Two matches were won by the opposition on these occasions, while one match was abandoned. All the three series were played away from home, in Pakistan (1989), England (1996) and South Africa (2013).
Occasions when India ended a series without a loss
The Indian side has managed to whitewash the opposition four times in three-match ODI series. Zimbabwe was the opposition on three out of four occasions while Sri Lanka was the opposition once. They have managed to win the series 2-0 twice, once each against Bangladesh and West Indies.
Also read: 3 reasons why the 3rd ODI is more than a dead rubber for India