ICC Cricket World Cup 2019: Australia create history with win over West Indies

When it comes to dominance in ODIs, Australia epitomises the meaning of the word in every sense. They are the only team to win the World Cup five times and remain the only nation to win it in all continents, from the sub-continent to America to Oceania. Australia is currently on a 10-game winning streak and they have started their ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 on a high. After defeating Afghanistan in Bristol, Aaron Finch’s side registered a tense 15-run win in Trent Bridge against the 1975 and 1979 champions West Indies. Nathan Coulter-Nile’s 92 batting at No.8, combined with Steve Smith’s 73 and a haul of 5/46 from Mitchell Starc helped Australia achieve a unique feat in the World Cup.

The 15-run win against West Indies made their head-to-head record against West Indies 5-5 in 10 World Cup contests. West Indies had won the first four encounters in the World Cup before Australia won the 1992 clash in Melbourne. West Indies won again in Jaipur but Australia bounced back with a win in the semi-final in Mohali by five runs in the 1996 World Cup. In 1999 and 2007, Australia emerged victoriously and they levelled the head-to-head record with their second win in World Cup contests in England.

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With that win, Australia created a unique record in World Cups. They are the only team now in history to have an even or positive head-to-head ratio against every cricketing nation. When one looks at Australia’s head-to-head records against every nation, it is a picture of domination. Against Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Canada, Australia has a 100 per cent head-to-head record with two wins in two games.

Against England and the current favourites, Australia has a 5-2 head-to-head record in seven games. Australia defeated England in the 1987 World Cup final to clinch their first title while they also defeated the hosts in the 1975 World Cup semi-final. Against India, the two-time world champions, Australia have a massive 8-3 advantage in World Cups. Australia had an even record against India till the 1987 World Cup but after that, Australia won five consecutive times before winning the 2015 World Cup semi-final.

Australia has a perfect record against Ireland, Kenya, Namibia, Scotland and Netherlands while against New Zealand, they have won seven out of 10 games. New Zealand has won in 1992, 1999 and 2015 and their last loss was in the final in Melbourne. Australia has a close head-to-head record against Pakistan, winning five and losing four out of nine encounters. Pakistan had ended Australia’s 34-game winning streak in the 2011 World Cup.

Australia has a competitive edge over South Africa in World Cups, winning three out of five encounters. Their contest is remembered for a brilliant tie in the semi-final of the 1999 World Cup in Edgbaston while South Africa have not won against the five-time champions since 1992. If one excludes the 1996 World Cup final in Lahore, Sri Lanka has never tasted success against Australia. Out of nine games, Australia has won seven with the 2011 encounter in Colombo being washed out due to rain.

Zimbabwe had tasted success in the 1983 World Cup but since then, Australia has won eight out of nine encounters. Australia is also the only country to have a positive head-to-head ratio in ODIs against every country, winning in every nation.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Australia have a positive head-to-head or even record against every nation.
• Australia have lost the most games only to the West Indies in World Cups.
• Australia have won eight out of 11 games against India in World Cups.