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India have started the 2005-06 cricket season on an
auspicious note with eleven wins from sixteen
one-day internationals. This gives the 'Men in
Blue' an impressive success percentage of 68.75.
The Indian team reached the final of the Videocon
Cup in Zimbabwe, then beat the then second-ranked
Sri Lankans by a convincing margin of 6-1 and
finally drew a series against a formidable South
African outfit.
Following are details of previous seasons wherein
India got off to a similar, flying start:
* 1983 & 1983-84: India won eight out of ten
matches (winning percentage - 80). They commenced
the World Cup as rank underdogs. But they surprised
one and all by beating defending champions West
Indies in the final. Back home, they overwhelmed
arch-rivals Pakistan in back-to-back matches by the
identical margin of four wickets.
* 1988-89: India triumphed in eight out of eleven
matches (success percentage - 72.73). The season
began with the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. India
reached the final and beat Sri Lanka by six
wickets. The winners then returned home to make a
clean sweep of a four-match one-day series against
New Zealand.
* 1993-94: India won eight and tied one of its
first twelve one-day internationals (success
percentage - 70.83). The season began with the
five-nation Hero Cup tournament, which had been
organized to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of the
Cricket Association of Bengal. India's passage to
the final was marked by a sensational last-over,
two-run win over South Africa in the semi-final.
India thrashed the West Indies by 102 runs in the
final with leg-spinner Anil Kumble returning
figures of 6-12, still the best bowling figures by
an Indian in one-day internationals. Mohammad
Azharuddin bagged the Man of the Series award.
India went on to win the subsequent three-match ODI
series against Sri Lanka.
* 1994-95: India won eight out of ten games
(success percentage - 80.00). Azharuddin's team
overwhelmed the West Indies by 72 runs in the final
of the triangular Wills World Series (New Zealand
was the third side). Sachin Tendulkar bagged the
Man of the Match and Man of the Series awards.
India then resumed its 'war' against the West
Indies in a bilateral one-day series and beat the
visitors 4-1. |