Port of Spain (TIP)- Shikhar Dhawan-led Team India is pitted as the favourites in the three-match ODI series against West Indies despite the absence of a number of their first-XI players including regular captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.  Apart from India’s recent performance in white-ball cricket – they beat England in both T20Is and ODIs in their own backyard – it has a lot to do with India’s dominance over West Indies across formats but in ODIs in particular. Take these numbers into account: India have won 11 consecutive bilateral ODI series against West Indies between 2007 and 2022. This is the joint most consecutive series wins against a team. Pakistan is the only other team to have won 11 consecutive bilaterals. They have done that against Zimbabwe. The last time India lost to West Indies in a bilateral ODI series was in 2006. If India manage to win the upcoming ODI series then they will be the sole record holder for the most back-to-back series wins against an opposition.

India’s domination against the West Indies

Touring West Indies was one of the difficult most tasks for India back in the 80s and 90s but in this century, India have dominated the contest winning 14 out of 27 matches in the Caribbean islands. Overall, India has registered 67 wins in 136 ODI games against West Indies and maintained an upper hand in the past two decades.

India at Port of Spain

India won’t have to wait for the series to end to create another record. All they need to do is beat West Indies in the series opener at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain on Friday. If they do the same, they will become the the team with best win/loss ration in an away venue since 2007. Currently India are tied with Afghanistan with a win/loss ratio of 4.5. Notably, India have a win/loss ratio of 4.5 in two different away venues – Harare in Zimbabwe and Port of Spain in the West Indies. If India manage to win on Friday, their win-loss ration will be 5 at Port of Spain, which will be the most by any team in an away venue since 2007. India’s 2 defeats at the venue since 2007 came against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the 2007 World Cup. Since then, they have won all of their matches at the Queen’s Park Oval.

West Indies in Port of Spain

West Indies, on the other hand, have an entirely opposite record at the venue. West Indies have been going through a patch with a winless streak at the venue for the last 14 years as their last ODI win at this ground came in 2008 which came against Sri Lanka. The first time West Indies encountered the Indian cricket team in an ODI was in the 1979 World Cup. Outside the world cup, the first time these two teams encountered was at the Port of Spain in 1983, which was won by the home team by 52 runs while defending 215. The last time this venue hosted an ODI was also between West Indies and India in 2019.

  Source: HT