ICC World Cup 2011: India, Sri Lanka head to head in World Cups

India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh co-host the next ODI World Cup, scheduled to begin in February 2011.

Given his familiarity with wickets in the subcontinent, India and Sri Lanka are being considered among the favorites to win the title. How have these two teams against each other in the past World Cups?

The inaugural World Cup was held in 1975 in England, with two preliminary groups of four teams each. India and Sri Lanka were placed in separate groups and are not. India finished third in their group, losing to England and New Zealand, Sri Lanka, finished fourth in his being beaten by the West Indies, Australia and Pakistan. Thus, both teams were eliminated from the tournament, failed to qualify for the semifinals.

The first meeting between the parties occurred in the 1979 edition, where, as in 1975, the parties had entries from 60 overs each. Sri Lanka batted first and made 238 / 5, with the help of fifty to fifty Wettimuny, Dias and Mendis. Amarnath, playing as a bowling all-rounder took 3 / 40. When India batted, OPATH and DS De Silva took three windows each as India crashed to 191 all in the 55 th time. Vengsarkar with 36 was the top scorer of the innings.

The two parties met in 1983 and 1987 editions of the World Cup. The next time they met in Australia in the 1992 edition, the meeting lasted only two balls before the rain caused the match to be abandoned.

Then came the 1996 World Cup, presented at the sub-continent for the second time after 1987. India and Sri Lanka met in a group match in New Delhi. Batting first, India made a respectable 271 / 3, in the back of Tendulkar's 137 with the support of Azhar, who made 72. But India had not counted on Jayasuriya, a lower order batsman who was recently promoted to the opening slot. In the company of the diminutive Kaluwitharana, Jayasuriya made to look ridiculously small goal, such as Sri Lanka made 42 runs in the first three overs, Manoj Prabhakar to give 33 in his two.

The teams met again in the semifinals in Calcutta. Sri Lanka batted first and the largest size of the Eden Gardens ground proved the undoing of both openers within the first four balls of over.Jayasuriya Kaluwitharana Srinath and were captured in the gardens of trying to raise six Srinath undoubtedly trying to recreate the start of Sri Lanka said in the group game against India.

Thereafter, it was a repair job for the first time by Aravinda De Silva, and then Mahanama took the team to a respectable 251 / 8. Chasing under lights is never easy and is even more difficult on a wicket which began to deteriorate rapidly. After Tendulkar out for care 65 years, the Indian team plunged to 120 / 8 before the crowd disturbance brought a premature end collision, with the match referee Clive Lloyd awarded the game to Sri Lanka.

The teams gathered near the cup, three years later in Taunton, England, and this time, India batted first. after the early opening loss Ramesh, skipper Ganguly (183) and Dravid (145) subject to the bowling of Sri Lanka to abuse which saw 200 runs scored in the last 20 overs. India finished on 373 / 6, and the response of Sri Lanka ended with a whimper, the skittles out for 216, with Robin Singh to take a five.

Then went to the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, the parties met in a Super Six match in Johannesburg. India batted first, and after the opening of a stand 153 between Tendulkar (97) and Sehwag (66) never looked back, the end result was 292 / 6. Chasing 293 to win Sri Lanka were bundled out 109, with batsmen failing to score. Nehra and Srinath took four points of each while Zaheer accounted for the other two.

In the last World Cup meeting between the parties transoired in Port of Spain, in 2007, when the Carribeans venue for the first time.Electing to bat first, Sri Lanka made 254 / 6, a seemingly modest results, taking into that on the same floor a few days before India had scored only 191 against Bangladesh, a score that could not defend. The loss of Bangladesh made this group a must-win match for India, if it is to progress. In these circumstances, outside of Sri Lanka cricket was brilliant in a day when nothing went right for India, beginning with the draw. They were thrown out for 185 in the 44 th time, with Sehwag (48) and Dravid (60) the only batsmen to put up any semblance of a fight.

So Sri Lanka to India 3-2 in World Cup meetings. India will square the account in 2011? I can not wait to find out.