Digital Desk: The Indian team, captained by Shikhar Dhawan, is poised to make history. Team India now has the opportunity to inflict a whitewash on West Indies for the first time in their own backyard. The series is already in Team India's favour thanks to exciting last-over triumphs in the series' opening two ODIs.
India have yet to
sweep the two-time ODI World Cup champions in a series of three or more games
since they began playing bilateral ODI series in the West Indies in 1983. They
recently thoroughly defeated the West Indies in India, but if they triumph in
Wednesday's third and final ODI at Queen's Park Oval, it will be their first
ODI series victory in the Caribbean.
Overall, this
will mark India's 13th straight series victory in ODIs. Additionally, if India
wins on Wednesday, it will be the first time since Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka that
they have lost an away series. Three times in Zimbabwe (2013, 2015, and 2016)
and once in Sri Lanka (in 2017), India has swept all of the games in an ODI
series.
It will also be
India's first double whitewash against a side in a calendar year if they win
the third and final ODI. A team has only before swept an opponent in two ODI
series in a single calendar year. Zimbabwe had already done it to Bangladesh in
2001 (by scores of 4-0 at home and 3-0 in Kenya), and Bangladesh had already
done it to Kenya in 2006. (3-0 at home and away both).
It will also be
India's first double whitewash against a side in a calendar year if they win
the third and final ODI. A team has only before swept an opponent in two ODI
series in a single calendar year. Zimbabwe had already done it to Bangladesh in
2001 (by scores of 4-0 at home and 3-0 in Kenya), and Bangladesh had already
done it to Kenya in 2006. (3-0 at home and away both).
After Zimbabwe (18) and Bangladesh,
West Indies has experienced 22 ODI whitewashes, seven of which have occurred at
home (10). In their last ODI match at home against Bangladesh, they were
defeated 0-3.
Furthermore, West Indies has nearly
been swept 25 times in bilateral ODI series (no wins before the series finale),
but only three times have they been able to avoid losing in that game.
