When was the last time India lost an ODI series at home?
Team India suffered a rare ODI series loss at home after losing the third ODI against Australia on Wednesday, March 22, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai by 21 runs. The Men in Blue squandered a 1-0 lead to lose the series to Steve Smith and Co. by losing two consecutive matches.
Rohit Sharma and Co. failed to chase down the 270-run target set by the opposition despite getting a credible start. None of the batters, however, converted their starts and anchored the run chase till the end, leading to wickets falling at regular intervals and the team eventually falling short of the target.
The Men in Blue secured a 1-0 lead after a gritty win in the first ODI at the Wankhede Stadium. However, they went on to suffer one of their most brutal losses in the format in the subsequent contest in Vishakapatnam.
The 2-1 series result, with the defeat in Chennai, marks India's first ODI series defeat on home soil since 2019. Australia secured a comeback after being 0-2 down, which served as the ideal preparation for the World Cup in England.
Australia secured an unprecedented series win in 2019 in India
The Australian team, devoid of David Warner and Steve Smith, led by Aaron Finch, toured the subcontinent for a white-ball series in early 2019.
The Aussies managed to win the T20I series by a 2-0 margin to gather some serious confidence ahead of the ODI series.
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Embarrassing series loss for team India 🤯
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However, the hosts secured relatively comfortable wins in Hyderabad and Nagpur to attain a near-unassailable 2-0 lead in the five-match affair.
However, Australia bounced back in style by defending 313 in Ranchi, despite Virat Kohli scoring a magnificent ton, marking a rare century by him in a losing run chase.
They then went on to level the series by chasing down a mammoth 359-run target courtesy of an Ashton Turner clinic after MS Dhoni was rested for the final two ODIs.
In the decider, it was the visitors who prevailed by 32 runs to complete the comeback and hand India a series defeat on home soil.
The ODI series defeat against Pakistan in 2012 and South Africa in 2015 mark the only two other instances where the Men in Blue failed to win a bilateral ODI series on home soil since 2010.
When will an opposition team secure a ODI series win on Indian soil next? Let us know what you think.