Cricket
A 22-year low for India at World Cups: Azharuddin and Kohli
Why Virat Kohli's India's disastrous start to the 2021 T20 World Cup reminds us of the Mohammad Azharuddin era.
Mohammad Azharuddin's India lost their first two matches in the 1999 World Cup, but then roared back to win their three remaining matches to qualify for the knockouts. Twenty two years since then, can Virat Kohli's India pull off a similar miracle? (BCCI)
In the 46-year-old history of Cricket World Cups, India have lost their first two matches on the trot only thrice – in 1979 under S Venkataraghavan, in 1999 under Mohammed Azharuddin and now under Virat Kohli in 2021.
India were outclassed by Pakistan and New Zealand by 10 wickets and 8 wickets respectively last week, forcing the panic button to be pushed. They now need to win all their remaining matches and hope results elsewhere go their way to qualify for the knockout stages. This is the first time in 22 years India have lost their first two matches in a World Cup campaign.
1999 - The last time this happened was at the 1999 ODI World Cup in England. The Azharuddin-led side lost to South Africa by 4 wickets in their World Cup opener and then had their hearts broken by Henry Olonga in a 3-run defeat to Zimbabwe.
However, the team then bounced back with a series of three wins against Kenya, Sri Lanka and England, Sachin Tendulkar battering Kenya and Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid putting on a memorable partnership in Taunton on the way. Despite the comeback in the group stage, the team finished bottom of the 'Super Six' stage, failing to make the semis.
In the 1992 World Cup under Azharuddin as well, India failed to win their first three matches, but they had 1 point on the board by their second match as it was abandoned due to rain.
1979 – In the second ever World Cup, also being held in England, the Indian team led by Venkataraghavan failed to win any of their three group matches, being outclassed by West Indies, New Zealand and Sri Lanka by big margins.
It is only this edition of the World Cup in which India had a comparably disastrous start to 2021. Even in 1999, India put up a fight in both their defeats.
India's record at the T20 World Cup
India have never lost their first two matches on the trot in T20 World Cups. Even when they have been knocked out in the group stages in 2009 and 2010, they did not lose their first two matches on the bounce.
The IPL factor – When India became champions of the T20 World Cup in 2007, the IPL wasn't there. When they reached the final and the semifinals respectively in 2014 and 2016, the World Cup was held before the IPL season.
Every time the Indian team has failed to reach the knockout stage of the competition, however, the World Cup has been held after the IPL.
In 2009, 2010 and 2012 (when the tournament had a three-team group stage before a 'Super 8' stage), India topped their group each time before being knocked out before the semifinals. In 2009 and 2010, when India lost all their Super 8 matches and finished bottom of the group, the World Cup was held immediately after the IPL. Just as Jasprit Bumrah cited bubble fatigue last week, coach Gary Kirsten had cited 'IPL fatigue' in 2009.
