India vs England in recent years: An underrated ODI rivalry
In early 2000s, India were more than just a decent ODI side at home. They had beaten South Africa and Zimbabwe, and fought hard before going down to world champions Australia in 2001.
When England toured India in 2001-02, India were the overwhelming favorites. Staying true to the tag, they took a 3-1 lead in the six-ODI series after their Test triumph. But England struck back.
Even with India needing less than run-a-ball in the last 12 overs in the fifth ODI, England were able to pull things back to win by 2 runs.
In the series decider, the equation was even simpler. India needed just 67 runs off the last 14 overs, with Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Kaif at the crease. But England kept picking up wickets at regular intervals, winning yet another nail-biter. The series finished 3-3.
Andrew Flintoff's ecstatic celebrations after the result caught everyone's eyes. It added another chapter to the India-England rivalry.
On July 13th that year, India fought back to win the Natwest Trophy final at Lord's, and it was Ganguly's turn to hit back. The India captain celebrated on the Lord's balcony by taking his shirt off.
India-England One-Day International rivalry in recent years
India-England ODI encounters don’t evoke emotions akin to an India-Pakistan or England-Australia match, but in recent years, they have provided great entertainment to fans on both sides.
India vs England in India: 2006-2011
Between 2006 and 2011, India dominated England at home. On England's 2006 tour, India won the ODI series 5-1. However, the final scoreline doesn’t show how the England team ran a young India close on several occasions.
The 2008 tour saw India clean-sweeping England 5-0. In 2011, England were once again blanked by India in the ODIs, before winning the one-off T20.
England vs India in England: 2004-2014
England did much better at home against India. A rejuvenated team under Michael Vaughan won the three-match Natwest Challenge 2-1 in 2004.
The first game of the series featured a Steve Harmison hat-trick, while the last match saw Dinesh Karthik impress on his debut and a splendid run-out by Mohammad Kaif.
Another brilliant ODI series was played after the 2007 Pataudi Trophy. England were leading the series 3-1 at one stage but India fought back to win the fifth and sixth matches.
The sixth ODI was a memorable one. Dimitri Mascarenhas slammed five sixes in a Yuvraj Singh over and Robin Uthappa pulled off a brilliant chase. But in the end, England won the seventh ODI to seal the series 4-3.
In 2011, England again got the better of India. The best India could manage was a tie in the fourth ODI. England won the series 3-0.
In 2014, however, India turned the tide, winning the ODI series 3-1 in England.
India vs England: Post-2015
With England drastically improving as a limited-overs side following the 2015 World Cup, the India-England encounters have produced quite a few exciting results.
In 2017, a closely-fought ODI series was played in India. The first match in Pune was a thriller. India were struggling at 63/4 in their chase of 351 when Kedar Jadhav and Virat Kohli joined hands for a 200-run partnership to win the game for India. The series went 2-1 in the hosts' favor.
When India toured England in 2018, they started off the white-ball leg on the front-foot, winning the T20I series against Ireland and England. They carried their form into the first ODI, winning it on the back of Kuldeep Yadav’s six-for and Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 137.
However, England fought back, as has been the theme in the India-England ODI rivalry over the years, and won the ODI series 2-1.
The two well-oiled ODI units will now take on each other in a three-match series starting March 23. England will be looking to avenge their Test and T20I losses, while Virat Kohli’s India will try and register a clean sweep of series wins.