India beat South Africa in ODI series: Men in Blue’s 5 top success stories in 50-over format outside Asia

India came back strongly after a disappointing 1-2 loss in the Test series in South Africa to pocket the six-game One-Day International (ODI) series 4-1 with one match to go. It was an emphatic victory for Virat Kohli’s men after they received a serious hammering in the fourth ODI in Johannesburg last Saturday (February 10) to allow the cornered hosts a life in the series.

The series victory meant India are now unbeaten in nine consecutive bilateral series’ since their 3-0 away series win versus Zimbabwe in 2016. Here we take a look at India’s top ODI titles or series victories outside Asia in their 44-year-old history in the 50-over format of the game. The latest series triumph over South Africa will certainly be high up in this list but there have been more than deserve a recalling at this hour of joy.

1. Prudential World Cup in England, June 1983

The title that had changed the course of Indian cricket forever. The Prudential World Cup that Kapil’s Devils had won at the Lord’s in June 1983 had not stopped a Caribbean hat-trick, it had also marked a new era in India’s sporting history.

They were non-performers in this format (60 overs then) till that point of time but Kapil’s boys proved everybody wrong by winning six out of their eight matches played in the tournament, including the semi-final and final. India had started the tournament by defeating the defenders West Indies by 34 runs and they had signed it off winning by 43 runs against the same opponents.

2. Benson & Hedges World Championship in Australia, March 1985

This is India’s second-biggest international trophy abroad to date. Led by Sunil Gavaskar, the world champions played like true winners in this tournament played Down Under. Seven teams were in the fray and India were the only team to remain unbeaten in this mini World Cup. They defeated Pakistan, Australia and England in the group table; New Zealand in the semi-final and Pakistan in the final.

Current Indian coach Ravi Shastri was picked as the man of the series and the champion of the champions’ winning an Audi for his performance in the world series still remains an iconic moment of cricket advertisement in this country. For many, the 1984-85 win had proved that India’s 1983 world title wasn’t a fluke and they were indeed world beaters at that time, capable of beating any opposition anywhere.

3. Beating Pakistan 4-1 in Sahara Cup in Toronto, September 1997

It was the second season of the Sahara ‘Friendship’ Cup in Toronto, Canada, and buoyed by Sourav Ganguly’s all-round performance, Sachin Tendulkar’s men took a sweet revenge of the 2-3 loss against the arch-rivals the previous year. Sourav Ganguly was the automatic choice as the man of the series as he finished as the highest scorer (222 runs) as well as the highest wicket-taker (18) in the five-match series that India won 4-1.

Ganguly was also judged the Man of the Match in the last four matches. This was one of India’s biggest bilateral series wins over Pakistan which was later matched by Rahul Dravid’s side in 2005-06. The 4-1 victory was more satisfying since it came on Pakistani soil but as we are dealing with the series wins outside Asia in this space, the win in Toronto claims more significance.

4. Commonwealth Bank Series 2007-08 in Australia, March 2008

India won a title in Australia after a generation when they defeated the hosts 2-0 in the best-of-three finals and it is one of the best wins by the Men in Blue in ODIs. They had played 10 matches in the series which also featured Sri Lanka, winning five, including the finals, losing three while two games were inconclusive. Led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India defeated Australia thrice in this tournament.

Gautam Gambhir had a tremendous run in the tournament as he amassed 440 runs – the highest by any batsman – while Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten 117 in the first final had played a big part in eclipsing his ill reputation of not playing well in big finals.

5. Beating New Zealand 3-1 in New Zealand, March 2009

MS Dhoni’s Tiger Pataudi moment came in March 2009 when his team defeated New Zealand, a very strong outfit in home conditions, 3-1 in a five-match ODI series. This was India’s first-ever ODI series victory in New Zealand, just as Pataudi had led India’s Test team to defeat the Kiwis on their soil by the same margin in 1967-68.

Virender Sehwag was on a rampage in this series, scoring 259 runs while Tendulkar’s retiring hurt at 163 off 133 balls is still remembered as a missed chance of scoring the first double-hundred in the 50-over format which he eventually did within a year against the South Africans.

6. India’s other memorable ODI wins outside Asia

Apart from these, India have also beaten England 2-0 in a two-match away series in 1990, the West Indies 2-1 in a five-match series in the Caribbeans in 2002 and Zimbabwe 5-0 in their den in 2013. Winning the NatWest Trophy final (2002) at the Lord’s where captain Ganguly had taken off his shirt to take his revenge against Andrew Flintoff after Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif had led an extraordinary chase of 327 successfully is also a high point.

The Kohli brigade’s remarkable feat achieved in South Africa on Tuesday indeed brought alive a great many sweet moments of India’s rich ODI history.

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