5 most memorable India-England ODIs
After the Tests and T20I series, the India-England rivalry now moves on to the one-day format. India have won both series and will look to complete a hat-trick of wins by clinching the upcoming three-game ODI series.
The visitors were on top in the early part of the T20I series. The number one team in the format was expected to win the series, but India fought back to clinch the five-match affair.
India will be the slight favourites going into the three-match ODI series. The first match of the series starts in Pune on March 23, with the two other games to be played at the same venue on March 26 and 28, respectively.
India and England have played exactly 100 ODIs over the years. India have the edge over England, winning 53 and losing 42. At home, India have an exceptional ODI record against the visitors, emerging victorious on 31 while losing only 16 of 48 games.
Five most competitive India-England ODIs:
As India-England prepare for the one-day series, let's take a look back at five cliff-hangers between the two teams in the format over the years.
#5 Second India-England ODI, January 1993 in Jaipur
Brief Scores: England (224 for 6) beat India (223 for 6) by 4 wickets (0 balls remaining).
This India-England ODI was decided off the last ball of the match.
The visitors won the toss and inserted India into bat. Paul Jarvis got England off to a brilliant start, cleaning up openers Navjot Sidhu (0) and Manoj Prabhakar (25). Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin also perished cheaply, trapped lbw by Chris Lewis for six.
However, what followed next was one of the most memorable partnerships featuring childhood pals Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli. They added an unbeaten 164 runs for the fourth wicket in the 48-overs-a-side contest.
Kambli, who was celebrating his 21st birthday that day, made the occasion extra special by notching up his maiden one-day hundred. Scoring 100 not out off 149 balls, the left-hander became the first batsman to register three-figures on his birthday in ODIs.
Tendulkar remained unbeaten on 82 off 81 as India posted 223 for 3, a competitive total back in the day.
In the England chase, Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar dismissed Graham Gooch (4) and Robin Smith (16), respectively. However, Alec Stewart thwarted India with a defiant 91, while Mike Gatting chipped in with a quickfire 30 off 39.
The match was still a close affair, though. It needed the calm head of Neil Fairbrother (46* off 38) and a short cameo from Lewis (8* off 7) to help England scamper home off the last ball.
#4 Fifth India-England ODI, January 2002 in Delhi
Brief Scores: England (271 for 5) beat India (269 for 8) by two runs.
India won the toss in this match and sent England into bat. The visitors posted an impressive 271 for 5 on the board, courtesy opener Nick Knight’s 105. Andrew Flintoff scored a quick 52 off 39, while captain Nasser Hussain chipped in with 49 off 71.
India lost Sachin Tendulkar for 18 in their chase. Virender Sehwag contributed a quickfire 42 off 36m, but it was skipper Sourav Ganguly’s defiant 74 that kept India in the game.
Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles, however, turned around the game for England. After dismissing Ganguly, he also accounted for Mohammad Kaif (46), Hemang Badani (2) and Ajay Ratra (10).
There was still a twist left in the ‘tail’, though. The underrated Ajit Agarkar scored a few boundaries, and India went into the last over, needing nine. The experienced Darren Gough, though, bowled a brilliant last over, conceding only six, as India went down by two runs.
Agarkar was unbeaten on a valiant 36 off 24, while Giles walked away the hero, with figures of 5 for 57.
England went on to win the next ODI of the series in Mumbai by five runs. This India-England contest attained greater recall value following Andrew Flintoff’s shirt-waving celebrations.
#3 Fourth India-England ODI, September 2011 in London
Brief Scores: India (280 for 5) tied with England (270/8) - D/L method.
This India-England ODI ended in a tie under rather bizarre circumstances. Chasing 281, England needed 15 off the last two overs with four wickets in hand.
Munaf Patel bowled the penultimate over. Graeme Swann (31) was run out off the fourth ball, while Ravi Bopara (96) was caught at the deep midwicket boundary on the next delivery.
England were 270 for 8 after 48.5 overs. Rain did not allow any further play. On the basis of the D/L method, the match was declared a tie.
The match seemed firmly in India’s grasp when England lost half their side for 173. However, Bopara played an incredible innings under pressure and found able support from Swann. The two featured in a 50-run stand for the seventh wicket before being dismissed off consecutive deliveries.
Earlier, India’s innings of 280 for 5 was built around Suresh Raina’s 75-ball 84 and captain MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 78 off 71 balls. The duo featured in a fifth-wicket stand of 169 runs.
Later in the day, RP Singh sent back both England openers, Alastair Cook and Craig Kieswetter, for 12. Praveen Kumar then chipped in with the big wicket of Jonathan Trott (23) to leave England tottering at 61 for 3. A half-century from Ian Bell steadied England before Bopara’s brilliance nearly pulled off a win for them.
#2 India-England 2011 World Cup match, February 2011 in Bengaluru
Brief scores: India (338) tied with England (338 for 8).
India-England played out another tie, this time on the biggest of all stages, the World Cup. India batted first after winning the toss and put up a mammoth 338 runs on the board.
India’s batting was led by Sachin Tendulkar. Playing in his last World Cup, he slammed 120 off 115 balls with the aid of ten fours and five sixes. Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh chipped in with half-centuries, while Virender Sehwag and captain MS Dhoni contributed 30s as India feasted on the English bowling.
Tim Bresnan led a late fightback for England with a five-for as India slumped from 3 for 305 to 338 all out. Nevertheless, the hosts would have fancied their chances of a win at the halfway stage.
England captain Andrew Strauss, however, came up with one of the finest knocks in a World Cup chase. He transferred the pressure back on the Indian bowlers with a stroke-filled 158 off 145 balls. The left-hander smashed 18 fours and a six during his innings to raise hopes of a famous England triumph.
Strauss and Ian Bell (69) were involved in a third-wicket stand of 170. At 281 for 2, England seemed in command. However, Zaheer Khan brought India back into the game by dismissing both players off consecutive deliveries. Khan also accounted for Paul Collingwood (1).
It all came down to 14 runs off the last over, which was bowled by Munaf Patel. Ajmal Shahzad creamed the third ball down the ground for a maximum. England needed two to win off the last ball, but Patel did not give Graeme Swann any room. The batsmen, nevertheless, managed a single to mid-off as the game ended in a famous tie.
#1 India-England Natwest Trophy Final, July 2002 in London
Brief scores: India (326 for 8) beat England (325 for 5) by two wickets.
Inarguably, it was the most famous India-England ODI game ever. Young guns Yuvraj Singh (69) and Mohammad Kaif (87 not out) featured in an incredible partnership to help India recover after stuttering in a chase of 326.
In a match that saw numerous ebbs and flows, India went from 106 for no loss to 146 for 5. Kaif and Yuvraj Singh then strung together a sixth-wicket stand of 121 in a wonderful display of stroke-making. When the left-hander was dismissed for 69, though, the match again seemed to be heading England’s way.
Kaif, however, kept India afloat with help from Harbhajan Singh (15). Kaif and Zaheer Khan (4 not out) scampered two runs in the last over as India sneaked home with three balls to spare.
Kaif-Singh apart, there were numerous memorable performances in the India-England Natwest final at Lord's that year. Sourav Ganguly scored a breezy 60 to get India off to a flier in the company of Virender Sehwag (45).
Earlier in the day, when England batted first, Marcus Trescothick (109) and captain Nasser Hussain (115) plundered the Indian bowling. Andrew Flintoff chipped in with 40 off 32 as England posted a mammoth 325 for 5.
Kaif and Singh, however, rose to the occasion for India. 325 was never seen as a match-winning total in ODIs thereafter.