Cricket has been one of the biggest connections between India and old imperialist rulers England over the years. India played its first-ever Test against England, both at home and away, while still under British rule. Perhaps India’s greatest export to England, cricket wise, then was the great Ranjitsinhji who wowed crowds with his artistry. Then of course Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi, father of the iconic Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi became the moral compass of English cricket. This was at the height of the Bodyline fracas in Australia when the English captain Douglas Jardine went all guns blazing for the run machine Sir Don Bradman.
In the years after independence, several Indian-origin players have turned out for England. Most famously our own Nasser Hussain, a Chennai-born cricketer, went on to captain England and changed their fortunes forever. With such a rich history between the two sides, it is hardly a surprise that when India and England meet on a field in an ODI World Cup, there are lots of interesting battles to look forward to.
India vs England: First ODI, first ODI World Cup, first-ever day-night game in World Cup history
The two sides played their first-ever ODI World Cup clash back in 1975. India’s Madan Lal will forever be remembered for not just being the 1983 World Cup hero but also for being the one to bowl the first ball in the mega event in 1975.
India’s first-ever ODI also came against England in 1974. So, there is a lot of history between the two sides when it comes to this showpiece event.
Over the years, whenever India has played England in an ODI World Cup, something iconic has taken place or it has shaken up the system in either country.
In 1975, Sunil Gavaskar forgot that it was an ODI and that he did not have to turn up the next day as he batted for 60 overs for just an unbeaten 36. A fan had to come and complain to Gavaskar through the snooze fest. India had still not arrived on the ODI stage then in '75 and Gavaskar became the symbol of that.
Much later, under skipper Kapil Dev, India achieved the unthinkable as they became the World Champion in 1983. But to get to the final, India had to get past the host, England, in the semifinal. The English press had written India off and predicted that their side would make the final against the then invincible West Indies. India had other plans, as they knocked out England and created history.
Four years later in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, the tables were turned by the English side again in the semi-final. This time India was expected to stroll into the final as the defending champion, but fate had other ideas. The consequent impact of the shocking defeat from a winning position was that Kapil, the hero of a nation in 1983, was booted out from his job in 1987, never to become captain again.
Much later in 1992, in the very first game of the World Cup that year, India suffered heartache again. They lost the first-ever day-night game in World Cup history to England narrowly. But the defeat hastened the end of Ravi Shastri, India’s hero of the 1980s, as a cricketer. Shastri batted slowly, much to the chagrin of fans all over the world.
England lost interest in ODI cricket for much of the 1990s and did not play India much till the 1999 World Cup. Again, this time India booted out England at home, leading to wide-scale changes in the way cricket was run in that country. Hussain took charge and English cricket never looked back till one of the many debacles in Ashes cricket in the later years.
In 2003, England’s New Zealand import Andy Caddick promised to test out Sachin Tendulkar. The Mumbai champion responded in fine style on the field with the bat and dismissed Caddick out of sight. Then Ashish Nehra with a swollen ankle ran through the English top-order without much trouble.
Also read: ICC World Cup: Top 5 bowlers at India vs England games since 1983
Both sides then did not play each other till the 2011 World Cup. England had been through a lot of changes in their structure and personnel by the time they arrived in India for the 2011 event. It was however expected that India would have it easy against England.
But despite scoring a massive score on the back of another Tendulkar effort, India struggled to stave off the English challenge. It required a Zaheer Khan special to conjure a tie. India did go on to win the World Cup, but England remained unconquered then alongside South Africa.
Then in 2019 as England began its resurrection in white-ball cricket with their carefree approach, India became a big casualty of that approach. It was expected that India’s spin twins - Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal - would spin a web around the marauding English batters. But it was not to be.
On a small ground at Birmingham, India’s spinners were found wanting as England piled up a massive score. In the chase for some reason, yet again Indian batters began a snooze fest. The efforts of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav put everyone to sleep.
Now four years on, England is again on the verge of being booted out of the tournament, even before they have played India. A wounded tiger and a hurting defending champion are dangerous customers at any time because of their ability to turn things around suddenly. India will be wary about which England turns up because of the history between the two sides especially at ODI Cricket World Cups.
Perhaps India could borrow a simple motto from the 2001 film Lagaan, come what may, "Bas Chhoo ke daud kachra…"
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