New Delhi:
West Indies have been the darlings of cricket due to their flair and aggression. After winning the 1975 and 1979 World Cup, West Indies were the original gold standards when it came to success. A decline in their fortunes in the 90s which extended well into the 21st century saw their aura diminish. However, a resurgence in the recent series has seen West Indies once again become the darling of the cricket world. During the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 clash against Australia in Trent Bridge, the West Indies entered a special list of nations to achieve a historic feat in ODIs.
The match against Australia was the 800th ODI for the West Indies and they became the fifth team to reach the landmark. India tops the charts with a record 967 ODIs followed by Australia with 934. Pakistan is the other side to play more than 900 ODIs with 919 while Sri Lanka is the fourth side on the list with 839 matches. Out of the top five, only Sri Lanka has a negative win-loss ratio, losing 416 and winning 381 games.
Out of 800 ODIs, West Indies have won 393 and lost 368. Australia has won the most games with 567 while India recently joined the list when they won their 500th game in the ODI in Nagpur. Australia is not only the five-time World Cup champions but they are the only side in history to play over 1000 Tests.
West Indies got their ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 campaign on a high with a brilliant win against Pakistan thanks to a combination of aggressive bowling and attacking batting. Australia, on the other hand, started their campaign on a clinical note with a superb win against Afghanistan. This was the first encounter between Australia and West Indies in the World Cup since 2007.
West Indies will be aiming to break their 23-year jinx against Australia, having last won in 1996 in the ICC World Cup league encounter in Jaipur. Australia has a 4-5 head-to-head record against West Indies in this tournament, having lost the first four encounters from 1975 till 1987.
