Pressure or a benefit? the quandary that each year’s ICC Men’s ODI World Cup hosts must deal with. Being able to play at home is beneficial, if the last three editions offer any indication.
However, up to the 2011 edition, only one team had ever prevailed in the role of host; that team was Sri Lanka, which co-hosted with Pakistan and India in 1996. Even back then, they only participated in two home games, winning the championship in Lahore.
Every time a home side has won since 2011, with India starting the trend that Australia and, most recently, England have continued. Every club had its own obstacles to overcome on the way to the title, but what worked for the home teams?
2011: Indian myths guide them home
At the 2011 ICC Men’s ODI World Cup, legends were created, honoured, and inspired. The world-renowned Sachin Tendulkar will always remember the final on April 2, the day he finally joined a World Cup-winning team. Although he scored only 18 runs in the championship, he had led India there with a Player-of-the-Match effort against Pakistan in the semifinal.
Yuvraj Singh, who won Player of the Tournament after scoring 362 runs and taking 15 wickets without being aware that he had cancer, had also done his job. The collective Everest of trying to win a World Cup under what seemed like impossible pressure was also a personal Everest for each player.
Mike Horn, an adventurer who made history by becoming the first person to solo traverse the Equator, gave them perspective on the task at hand as they were ready. The first obstacle they encountered was playing Bangladesh in the tournament’s opening match. Virender Sehwag got things going with a boundary, and that’s how the competition finished when MS Dhoni hit the game-winning six against Sri Lanka in the championship game.
The captain had risen above No. 5 Singh, a move that proved successful as he later scored 91 runs from 79 balls to lead India to a second championship and send the country into ecstasy. By doing this, the stress was relieved and the host’s home-field winning curse was broken.
2015 sees Australia win its fifth trophy.
Australia, the most successful team in the competition’s history, was never going to be able to go unnoticed, and their performances in 2015 definitely attracted people’s attention. They defeated their longtime rivals England by 111 runs at the MCG to kick off the World Cup.
But before New Zealand won a low-scoring thriller at Eden Park by just one wicket, spirits were dampened by a washout against Bangladesh. A defeated Australian team will make hell rage like never before.
In response, Michael Clarke’s team produced the biggest World Cup score ever, scoring 417 against Afghanistan to win by 275 runs. Before Australia easily defeated Pakistan and India in the knockout rounds, Sri Lanka and Scotland suffered comfortable losses.
As they were reduced to 233 runs, 96 short of their target, they became the sixth team in the tournament to be bowled out by Australia. New Zealand suffered the same fate in the Melbourne final when they were all out for 183 and Australia won with 101 balls remaining.
In contrast to what England could argue four years later, the burden of home expectations was offset by the experience of prior victories.
2019: Four years of preparation
The 2015 season was a complete disaster for England, who had never before won the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup. However, new life emerged from the ashes as captain Eoin Morgan oversaw a rebuilt with the one goal of winning the World Cup at home.
Ben Stokes’ breathtaking catch against South Africa in the tournament’s opening round provided some beauty amidst the brutality. Before Australia was destroyed in the semifinals, Morgan set records by hitting the most sixes in a single innings against Afghanistan.
The Lord’s final was not about grace or ruthlessness, but more about England’s desire to achieve what had previously been unachievable for them. To be in the game, they only needed to qualify. Before reaching a crescendo with a Super Over, the game ebbed and flowed as any good one-day match should.
The team that aimed to revolutionise the sport winning the World Cup in a manner never before seen almost had to be this way. The event is now back where it all began, and as India is serving as the sole host nation for the first time, all eyes will be on them.
India
