At the time of publishing, England have won only one of their five matches, and are on the brink of being eliminated from the run to the semifinals of the 2023 World Cup. Few defending champions have had a horror run to match England’s.
West Indies: 1979, 1983
Across the first two decades of ODI World Cups – the 1970s and the 1980s – the West Indies had a win-loss ratio of 2.673 (139 wins, 52 defeats). For perspective, this ratio was more than twice of the next-best side (England, 1.3). The West Indians were, thus, the first outstanding ODI side in history by some distance.
They won the first edition, in 1975, without losing a match (though Pakistan ran them close). In 1979, the West Indies defended their title – yet again, without a single defeat. This time, there was not even a close contest.
They finally lost a World Cup match in 1983 – their tournament opener, against India. However, they brushed that aside quickly to win their next six matches to reach the final. There, they bowled out India for 183.
Then, against all expectations, the World Cup had a new champion. For rank outsiders, India stunned the cricket fraternity by bowling out the West Indies for 140. The West Indies never made it to the final again. In 2023, they did not even qualify for the World Cup.
India: 1987
Not only did India win the 1983 edition but they also managed to bring the World Cup out of England. As co-hosts in the Reliance Cup 1987, they were touted to defend their title, and the hype was – perhaps justifiably – immense.
Just like the West Indies in 1983, they lost their first match, against Australia, but won five on the trot to steamroll their way to the top four. When Australia felled Pakistan in the first semifinal at Lahore, Indian fans back home celebrated – for their arch-rivals were out of the way now. Surely the World Cup was theirs?
Unfortunately, they had no response when Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting swept the Indian spinners into submission. Sunil Gavaskar’s last international match, at the Wankhede Stadium – his home venue – ended in heartbreak.
Also read: A look back at the Indian cricket team's track record in ODI World Cups
Australia: 1992
Like India in 1987, co-hosts Australia were considered favourites as well. By the time the World Cup began, however, it was evident that they were too jaded after a summer of five Test matches and a 15-match triangular tournament.
Of their first four matches, Australia won only one – that too by a solitary run. Never in the hunt after that, they became the first defending world champion side to not qualify for the top four at a World Cup.
Pakistan: 1996
Despite losing to South Africa, Pakistan beat both England and New Zealand to finish second in the group stage. In the New Zealand match, however, Wasim Akram – their captain, bowling spearhead, and hero of the previous edition – picked up an injury.
Wasim did not recover in time for the high-octane quarterfinal at Bangalore, where Pakistan crashed out against co-hosts India. Yet another legendary batter from the subcontinent – Javed Miandad – bowed out of international cricket.
Sri Lanka: 1999
Sri Lanka’s performance in 1999 was, until 2023, easily the worst by a defending champion side. They beat only Zimbabwe (with some difficulty) and Kenya to finish fifth in a group of six teams.
Sri Lanka's play that year was so ordinary that they were eliminated even before the delayed official anthem of the 1999 World Cup was launched worldwide.
Australia: 2003, 2007, 2011
Despite losing two of their first three matches, Australia had turned things around in spectacular fashion to win the 1999 World Cup. In the 2003 edition, they won all 11 matches to defend their title. Of their opposition, England perhaps put up the sternest fight, while New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and to an extent, Kenya, did not fare too poorly.
But even Australia’s 2003 run seemed ordinary after they were done with 2007, arguably the most one-sided World Cup in history. While batting first, Australia’s smallest margin of victory was 53 runs. While chasing, they never lost more than three wickets. None of their fast bowlers – Nathan Bracken, Glenn McGrath, Shaun Tait – was required to bat even once.
Four years later, Pakistan ended Australia’s 34-match unbeaten run at the World Cup, but the defending champions still made it to the top eight comfortably. This time, they went down at Ahmedabad, but not before taking out five Indian wickets.
India: 2015
There was little wrong with India’s performance at the 2015 World Cup. Not only did they win their first seven matches – including the quarterfinal – but they also bowled out the opposition every time.
Then, in the semifinal, Steve Smith made a hundred. Chasing 329, India were in it when their openers put on 76. Then they lost four quick wickets, and the chase was derailed.
Australia: 2019
Despite losing to India, Australia were en route to topping the league table before losing their last match, against South Africa, to finish second. Even then, they seemed set for a spot in the final, for they had beaten England easily earlier in the tournament.
In the semifinal, however, they kept losing wickets in bunches, and were eventually shot out for a mere 223. It was never going to be enough for a power-packed England unit.
England: 2023
Despite four defeats in five matches, England are still in with a slender mathematical qualification. Even if they miss out, they can still aim for a mid-table finish: fifth, or even sixth, is not too bad out of ten teams.
But for that, they will have to play out of their skins…
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