How India performed in all World Cup matches from 1975 to 1996

Ahead of the 2019 World Cup in England, here's a summary of India's journey in the World Cup from the 1975 edition to 1996.

Published : May 28, 2019 12:22 IST

That memorable June day in 1983 when India won the Prudential Cup under skipper Kapil Dev.
That memorable June day in 1983 when India won the Prudential Cup under skipper Kapil Dev.
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That memorable June day in 1983 when India won the Prudential Cup under skipper Kapil Dev.

The 2019 World Cup will be the 12th edition of the big-ticket event. For India, it's been a journey of ups and downs, euphoria and heartbreak. Ever since it won the title in 1983 and later in 2011, an encore is desired by the Indian fans whenever the extravaganza unfolds.

Here's a summary of India's journey in the World Cups - from 1975 to 2015.

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East Africa vs India, June 11, 1975 World Cup

Result: India won by 10 wickets

TALKING POINT: India’s first-ever victory in the World Cup. Sunil Gavaskar, this time, played a more enterprising knock, scoring 65 off 86 balls. India was chasing a modest 121 from 60 overs; it romped home within 30 overs. Madan Lal (three wickets) and Farokh Engineer (54 runs) were the other chief contributors for India. Bishan Bedi bowled a frugal spell, giving away only six runs in his 12 overs. He claimed a wicket, too.

The East African cricket team brought cricketers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia under one umbrella. This was its second loss in the competition after having lost to New Zealand earlier.

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India vs New Zealand, June 14, 1975

Result: New Zealand won by four wickets

TALKING POINT: S. Abid Ali’s all-round performance. Batting at No. 7, he rescued India’s faltering innings and ended up top-scoring with 70. India’s eventual total of 230 was eclipsed by New Zealand in the penultimate over of the chase. Glenn Turner, opening the batting, scored an unbeaten 114, for which he was adjudged the Player of the Match. Abid Ali outshone his peers in the wickets column, too; he was the only bowler to take more than one wicket (2 for 35 off 12 overs).

As it turned out, this was the last ODI of Abid Ali’s career. His 70 remains his career-best in the format.

1979 World Cup

India vs West Indies, Birmingham, June 9, 1979

Result: West Indies won by nine wickets

TALKING POINT: A clinical performance from the defending champion in the first match of the second World Cup. Michael Holding took four wickets as India struggled. India eventually reached 190 before being bowled out in the 54th over. Gundappa Viswanath, batting at No. 4, top-scored with 75. It remains his career-best score in ODIs.

Opener Gordon Greenidge scored 106 to help West Indies get home in the 52nd over, for the loss of one wicket.

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India vs New Zealand, Leeds, June 13, 1979

Result: New Zealand won by eight wickets

TALKING POINT: New Zealand’s all-round performance. Its bowlers restricted India to 182 before opener Bruce Edgar scored an unbeaten 84 to help his side reach the target with three overs to spare. Seamers Lance Cairns and Brian McKechnie took three wickets each.

For India, Sunil Gavaskar scored a half-century.

India vs Sri Lanka, Manchester, June 16-18, 1979

Result: Sri Lanka won by 47 runs

TALKING POINT: Sri Lanka’s first World Cup win, in the second World Cup it participated in. After having been put in to bat by India, Sri Lanka gathered a competitive total of 238 for 5 in its 60 overs; Sunil Wettimuny, Roy Dias and Duleep Mendis all scored half-centuries.

India, in reply, was bowled out for 191. A number of top-order batsmen got starts, but none scored more than 36. Seamer Tony Opatha and leg-spinner Samachandra de Silva took three wickets each. It also remained as career-best figures for both the bowlers.

It was a historic day for Sri Lankan cricket.

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Joel Garner is stumped by Kirmani of the bowling of Shastri as India beat West Indies by 34 runs, in the Prudential World Cup Group B match at Old Trafford on June 10, 1983.
 

1983 World Cup

India vs West Indies, Manchester, June 9-10, 1983

Result: India won by 34 runs

TALKING POINT: India’s stunning win over defending champion. Prior to this win, India had won only one match at the World Cup – against East Africa. Thanks to Yashpal Sharma’s 89, India put up a decent total of 262 for 8.

West Indies struggled in its chase, losing wickets at regular intervals after a first-wicket partnership of 49.  At 157 for 9, Andy Roberts and Joel Garner put on a partnership of 71 runs. Eventually, the partnership and contest ended when Garner was stumped off the bowling of Ravi Shastri, who ended up taking three wickets.

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India vs Zimbabwe, Leicester, June 11, 1983

Result: India won by five wickets

TALKING POINT: Madan Lal’s bowling spell. The Indian seamer took three top-order wickets in helpful conditions to bowl Zimbabwe out for 155. Fellow seamer Roger Binny took two wickets.

In reply, India lost a couple of early wickets but Mohinder Amarnath and Sandeep Patil steadied the ship. After scoring 50, Patil was dismissed by fast-medium bowler Duncan Fletcher. India romped home in the 38th over.

Nearly 28 years later, Fletcher would be India’s head coach.

Australia vs India, June 13, 1983

Result: Australia won by 162 runs.

TALKING POINT: India tasted its first defeat in the 1983 World Cup against Australia, the 1975 World Cup finalist. Batting first, Australia put up a sizeable total of 320 on the board, in 60 overs, thanks to a century from Trevor Chappell, and half-centuries from Kim Hughes and Graham Yallop. India’s captain Kapil Dev took five wickets.

In reply, India was bundled out for 158, Kapil Dev top-scoring with 40. Sunil Gavaskar did not play this contest. Seamer Ken MacLeay took six wickets.

Match 4: India vs West Indies, The Oval, June 15, 1983

RESULT: West Indies won by 66 runs

TALKING POINT: West Indies avenged its loss in its opening game by a comprehensive defeat of India at The Oval. Viv Richards scored a century to enable his team to put up a total of 282 for 9. Mohinder Amarnath’s 80 kept India in the hunt in the first half of the chase, but India was delivered a blow when Dilip Vengsarkar was hit in the mouth by a short-pitched delivery from Malcolm Marshall after he had put on 67 runs for the third wicket with Amarnath.

Barring contributions from Sandeep Patil (21) and Kapil Dev (36), the rest of the batting crumbled, with Marshall and Michael Holding wiping out the tail.

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India vs Zimbabwe, Tunbridge Wells, June 18, 1983

RESULT: India won by 31 runs

TALKING POINT: Kapil Dev’s match-winning innings of 175; it has been labelled by the members of the Indian team as the turning point of India’s campaign. Kapil walked in to bat with India struggling at 9 for 4; the team soon lost another wicket, and the score became 17 for 5. Kapil, however, changed the complexion of the innings, hitting 16 fours and six sixes in his 138-ball knock. Roger Binny, Madan Lal and Syed Kirmani gave him the platform by preventing a collapse.

It was the highest individual score in the World Cup until Viv Richards surpassed the score in the 1987 World Cup. Zimbabwe was bowled out for 235, Kevin Curran top-scoring with 73. Madan Lal took three wickets.

The contest was not televised as the BBC was on strike.

Australia vs India, Chelmsford, June 20, 1983

Result: India won by 118 runs.

TALKING POINT: Australia’s batting collapse triggered by Madan Lal and Roger Binny, who took four wickets each. Through a collective batting effort, India set Australia a target of 248. Yashpal Sharma top-scored with 40 and Sandeep Patil scored 30. Opener Kris Srikkanth, Kapil Dev and Roger Binny made small contributions, too.

Australia, at one point 46 for 1, stagnated to 78 for 7. It was eventually bowled out for 129. Kim Hughes, the captain and top-order batsman, was absent due to injury.

India had qualified for the semifinals.

SEMIFINAL - England vs India, Manchester, June 22, 1983

Result: India won by six wickets

TALKING POINT: The all-round performance by Mohinder Amarnath. Amarnath took two wickets and scored 46 runs to be the Player of the Match. England, batting first, was bowled out for 213, with Kapil Dev registering the best figures of 3 for 35.

India romped home in the 55th over, Yashpal Sharma and Sandeep Patil hitting half-centuries. It was a commanding performance by India for a place in the final.

READ| The 1983 World Cup win in Kapil Dev's words

FINAL – India vs West Indies, Lord’s, June 25, 1983

RESULT: India won by 43 runs

TALKING POINT: India’s stunning title win. India was a rank outsider coming into the World Cup but became only the second team – after West Indies - to clinch the title. David Frith, the editor of the Wisden Cricket Monthly, had predicted before the tourney had begun that India could not win the title and that it should be made to qualify for future World Cups. After the final, Frith published a picture of him literally eating his words, responding to a letter from a reader asking him to do that.

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India was a rank outsider coming into the World Cup but became only the second team – after West Indies - to clinch the title.
 

The contest seemed one-sided in the first half. India had been bowled out for 183, and against a mighty West Indies batting line-up, seemed quite inadequate. Kris Srikkanth top-scored with 38. The wickets were shared around, with Malcolm Marshall taking the most – three.

India had dismissed Gordon Greenidge, the opener, early, but then Viv Richards came in and with a bellicose mindset began to hit boundaries. He tried to pull Madan Lal and mistimed his stroke; Kapil Dev, in the deep, took an excellent catch. It proved to be a decisive scalp as wickets tumbled one after the other after that. Amarnath had his second fruitful outing in a row, bowling a frugal spell of 3 for 12 off seven overs.

When he dismissed Holding leg-before-wicket, India had become the world champion. The footage is iconic among followers of Indian cricket and the moment was epochal.

1987 World Cup

India vs Australia, Chennai, October 9, 1987

RESULT: Australia won by one run

TALKING POINT: A year ago, Australia had played a close contest against India at the same venue – the second tied Test. They ensured another nail-biter when they met again for their first match at the 1987 World Cup. Australia put up a large total of 270 for 6 on the board, with Geoff Marsh, the opener, smashing a century.

India had been well in the hunt in the chase, thanks to half-centuries from Srikkanth, the opener, and Navjot Sidhu, the No. 3. But as it got closer to its target, it started losing wickets. Eventually, it was bowled out for 269 off the penultimate ball of the innings.

Sidhu would score three more half-centuries in the next three games.

India vs New Zealand, Bengaluru, October 14, 1987

Result: India won by 16 runs

TALKING POINT: Sidhu’s rescue act and finishing touches by Kapil and Kiran More gave India a strong total on the board after the openers were dismissed for single-figures via run-outs. Sidhu smashed four fours and four sixes in his 71-ball 75, while Kapil’s innings was even more rapid – his 72 came off 58 deliveries. More scored an unbeaten 42 off 26 balls towards the end. For New Zealand, spinner Dipak Patel was the most effective bowler, taking three for 36 off his 10 overs.

Ken Rutherford, with 75, and Andre Jones, with 64, gave New Zealand a strong foundation. A flurry of wickets towards the business end thwarted its chances. Eventually, it fell marginally short of the target.

India vs Zimbabwe, Mumbai, October 17, 1987

Result: India won by eight wickets

TALKING POINT: An all-round performance from India. Seamer Manoj Prabhakar and left-arm spinner Maninder Singh took seven wickets between them as Zimbabwe was bowled out for 135. Andy Pycroft was the only batsman who put up some resistance, scoring 61 runs.

India reached its target in the 28th over, Dilip Vengsarkar scoring an unbeaten 46 and Sunil Gavaskar scoring 43.

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Indian batsman Dilip Vengsarkar in action in a match against Australia at New Delhi on October 22, 1987 during the Cricket World Cup held in India.
 

India vs Australia, Delhi, October 22, 1987

Result: India won by 56 runs

TALKING POINT: A strong batting performance from India and Mohammed Azharuddin’s all-round show. India put up a total of 289 on the board, thanks to half-centuries from Gavaskar, Sidhu, Vengsarkar and Azharuddin.

Australia started strongly in reply, but Maninder Singh, and later Azharuddin, gave the upper hand to India by taking three wickets each. While Maninder accounted for top-order batsmen, Azharuddin cleaned up the tail. David Boon, the opener, was the top-scorer with 62, and Steve Waugh pitched in with 42.

India vs Zimbabwe, Ahmedabad, October 26, 1987

Result: India won by seven wickets

TALKING POINT: India’s strong batting effort and an all-round show from Kapil. Having been put in to bat, Zimbabwe stumbled to 191 for 7 in its 50 overs; India reached its target within 42 overs, for the loss of three wickets. Gavaskar and Sidhu hit half-centuries.

Kapil took two wickets and scored an unbeaten 41.

For Zimbabwe, Kevin Arnott top-scored with 60. It remains his career-best score in ODIs. It was his third ODI; he would go on to play 10 more.

India vs New Zealand, Nagpur, October 31, 1987

RESULT: India won by nine wickets

TALKING POINT: A hat-trick by fast bowler Chetan Sharma. From 181 for 5, New Zealand was reduced to 181 for 8 as Sharma dismissed Ken Rutherford, Ian Smith and Ewen Chatfield. It was the first hat-trick in World Cups.

New Zealand’s 221 for 9 was eclipsed easily by India – Gavaskar struck an unbeaten century, Srikkanth scored 75, and Azharuddin scored an unbeaten 41. This was Gavaskar’s last century in international cricket.

SEMIFINAL – India vs England, Mumbai, November 5, 1987

Result: England won by 35 runs

TALKING POINT: Effective batting by Graham Gooch and Mike Gatting. The two batsmen employed the sweep to good effect against the Indian spinners. Batting in the middle-order, Gatting scored a half-century, and alongside Gooch, who scored 115, laid the foundation for a strong 50-over total of 254 for 6. The two put on 117 runs for the third wicket.

India lost wickets consistently in the chase and was bowled out for 219. Seamer Neil Foster and spinner Eddie Hemmings took seven wickets between them. Azharuddin top-scored with 64.

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Indian team members K. Srikkanth and others celebrate the dismissal of England's Phil DeFreitas in a match between England and India at Perth on February 22, 1992 during the Cricket World Cup held in Australia in the year 1992.
 

1992 World Cup

England vs India, Perth, February 22, 1992

Result: England won by nine runs

TALKING POINT: A frugal bowling spell by Ian Botham. The seamer got two big wickets – of Sachin Tendulkar and Vinod Kambli – and gave away 27 runs in his 10 overs. It made a big difference to the contest as India came close but couldn’t reach the target. Shastri, opening the batting, top-scored with 57.

Robin Smith scored 91 off 108 deliveries after England won the toss and chose to bat. Graham Gooch was the only other batsman to score a half-century.

India vs Sri Lanka, Mackay, February 28, 1992

Result: No result

TALKING POINT: Rain washed out the contest between India and Sri Lanka. Only two balls were bowled. Both teams received one point.

Australia vs India, Brisbane, March 1, 1992

Result: Australia won by one run

TALKING POINT: Another one-run victory for Australia over India, this time in the 1992 World Cup. Needing four runs to win off one ball, Javagal Srinath smashed Tom Moody to the deep midwicket boundary where Steve Waugh dropped the catch. His throw to wicketkeeper Ian Healy was timely enough to get Srinath run out before he could complete his third run that would have tied the contest.

For Australia, Dean Jones had sizzled with the bat, scoring 90, as Australia scored 237 for 9. For India, Azharuddin scored 93. India had to score 236 in 47 overs to win; it was a revised target due to a rain-interruption.

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Indian batsman Ajay Jadeja plays a shot as Pakistan wicket keeper Moin Khan looks on in a match between India and Pakistan at Sydney during the Cricket World Cup 1992 held in Australia on March 4, 1992.
 

India vs Pakistan, Sydney, March 4, 1992

Result: India won by 43 runs

TALKING POINT: Javed Miandad’s mimicking of Kiran More. Pakistan was chasing a target of 217. During his innings of 40, Miandad, at one point, jumped up and down in a seeming reference to More’s appeals. It forms one of the unforgettable – though perhaps not treasured - memories of cricket between India and Pakistan, the two rivals.

Pakistan lost wickets consistently and fell to a comprehensive defeat. Aamir Sohail top-scored with 62 but no one else – besides Miandad – provided resistance. The wickets were shared around. Tendulkar, with his seam-up bowling, took one wicket, after having scored an unbeaten 54 off 62 deliveries. He was the Player of the Match.

India vs Zimbabwe, Hamilton, March 7, 1992

Result: India won by 55 runs

TALKING POINT: Tendulkar top-scored with 81 as India scored 203 for 7 in 32 overs – the contest was reduced to 32 overs due to rain.

Rain was back again in the 20th over of Zimbabwe’s reply. Eventually, a 19-over target was calculated and Zimbabwe was found 55 runs short.

India vs West Indies, Wellington, March 10, 1992

Result: West Indies won by five wickets

TALKING POINT: A lower-order collapse for India. After a strong start, with Azharuddin scoring 61, the Indian middle and lower order crumbled against fast bowlers Curtly Ambrose and Anderson Cummins. India was bowled out for 197; Cummins ended up with four for 33 in his 10 overs.

West Indies got to its revised target of 195 in the 41st over. Keith Arthurton scored an unbeaten 58.

Match 7: India vs New Zealand, Dunedin, March 12, 1992

Result: New Zealand won by four wickets

TALKING POINT: A solid batting effort by New Zealand. Chasing 231, the team reached its target in the 48th over, Mark Greatbach and Andrew Jones having laid the foundation with half-centuries.

Tendulkar top-scored for India, with 84. Azharuddin, the captain, scored 55.

India vs South Africa, Adelaide, March 15, 1992

Result: South Africa won by six wickets

TALKING POINT: A comprehensive performance from eventual semifinalist South Africa. The contest was reduced to 30 overs a side due to rain. India’s 180 for 6 was eclipsed in the final over with openers Peter Kirsten and Andrew Hudson scoring 84 and 53 respectively.

For India, Azharuddin scored 79.

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1996 World Cup

India vs Kenya, Cuttack, February 18, 1996

Result: India won by seven wickets

TALKING POINT: Tendulkar’s century, his first in World Cups. Tendulkar and Ajay Jadeja, who scored 53, made it a no-contest after Kenya scored 199 in its 50 overs.

Steve Tikolo top-scored for Kenya, with 65. Spinners Anil Kumble and Venkatapathy Raju took five wickets between them. It was the Kenyan team’s debut in World Cups. It would go on to defeat West Indies in Pune.

India vs West Indies, Gwalior, February 21, 1996

RESULT: India won by five wickets

TALKING POINT: West Indies scored 173 batting first and Tendulkar once again starred for India, scoring 70, as India reached the target in the 40th over.

For West Indies, Richie Richardson, the captain, scored 47. Prabhakar and Kumble took three wickets each.

India vs Australia, Mumbai, February 27, 1996

RESULT: Australia won by 16 runs

TALKING POINT: Mark Waugh’s excellent innings of 126. Waugh laid the foundation for a strong total of 258 with a crafty, masterful inning with numerous elegant strokes all around the ground. Fellow opener Mark Taylor, the captain, scored 59.

For India, Tendulkar scored 90 and Sanjay Manjrekar 62 but the team fell short eventually; it was bowled out in the 48th over, for 242. Damien Fleming took 5 for 36.

India vs Sri Lanka, Delhi, March 2, 1996

RESULT: Sri Lanka won by six wickets

TALKING POINT: Sanath Jayasuriya’s aggressive batting. Jayasuriya was severe on Prabhakar, who did not come on to bowl after his fourth over, having given away 47 runs in those overs. Jayasuriya hit 79 off 76 deliveries, and with a knock of 46 from Arjuna Ranatunga and 70 from Hashan Tillakaratne, Sri Lanka reached its target of 272 with ease in the penultimate over, for the loss of four wickets.

Tendulkar scored the only century of the contest – a run-a-ball, unbeaten 137.

India vs Zimbabwe, Kanpur, March 6, 1996

RESULT: India won by 40 runs

TALKING POINT: Ajay Jadeja’s all-round show. After Sidhu (80, 116b) and Kambli (106 n.o., 110b) had laid a strong foundation, Jadeja provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten, 27-ball 44.

He, then, took two middle-order wickets – of Alistair Campbell and Craig Evans – as Zimbabwe stumbled in its chase and was bowled out for 207. Raju bowled a useful spell as well, taking 3 for 30 in his 10 overs.

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Indian batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and N.S. Sidhu are in a discussion at the end of an over as Pakistan wicket keeper Rashid Latif passes by, in a quarterfinal match between India and Pakistan during the Cricket World Cup 1996 at Bangalore, India on March 9, 1996.
 

QUARTERFINAL – India vs Pakistan, Bengaluru, March 9, 1996

RESULT: India won by 39 runs

TALKING POINT: Aamir Sohail’s dismissal by Venkatesh Prasad. After having been hit for a boundary through the off-side by Sohail and then gestured at, Prasad delivered a ball that uprooted the off-stump and gave India a much-needed breakthrough against the run of play. Until then, it had seemed Pakistan was running away with the contest; it was 113 for 1 chasing 288. Wickets fell consistently thereafter, and India registered a comfortable win. Sohail had scored 55 off 46 deliveries, and Saeed Anwar, his opening partner, 48.

It was Miandad’s last ODI. He scored 38 before being run out.

Prasad finished his spell with three wickets for 45. Sidhu was the top-scorer for India, with 93. Jadeja chipped in with 45 off 25 deliveries.

SEMIFINAL – India vs Sri Lanka, Kolkata, March 13, 1996

RESULT: Sri Lanka won by default

TALKING POINT: India’s batting collapse and crowd’s displeasure. After Tendulkar got out for a lively 65 in India’s chase of 252, the batsmen struggled on a crumbling pitch. As wickets fell one after the other, the crowd was angered. Newspapers were lit in the stands and missiles thrown to the ground.

Match Referee Clive Lloyd offered the contest to Sri Lanka. There was no doubt who was going to win – India had been reduced to 120 for 8, and only formalities remained.

Sri Lanka, having put in to bat, started shakily, however, losing two early wickets. Aravinda de Silva and Roshan Mahanama steadied the ship, scoring half-centuries each. The score was enough as the pitch deteriorated later.

Kambli walking back in tears made an enduring image from the contest.

Part 2: India's performance from 1999 to 2015

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