Tennis legend Pete Sampras once gave away the secret to his success. He said, his coach, the late Tim Gullikson, had once told him not to bother much about what happens during the match; 'just win the last point'.
If only someone passes on the same message to the Indian cricketer team, Sourav Ganguly's boys could break the jinx of losing one-day tournament finals when they take on England at Lord's on Saturday.
Since the 1999 World Cup in England, India and Zimbabwe are the only Test teams who have failed to win a one-day tournament with two or more teams involved.
If that piece of information is appalling and distressing, here is more: Before Australia won the 1999 edition of the World Cup, it was tied with India for the maximum one-day tournament titles - 17 each.
Since then, India has appeared in seven tournament finals and lost all (India lost two finals against Pakistan before the World Cup in England).
Despite four convincing wins in the league phase of the NatWest Tri-Series, India seems a tad jittery about the final, a fact made apparent by Ganguly, who called for a best-of-three final after India had made sure of a place in it.
Ganguly knows the pain of losing, having led India in five of the last nine final reverses.
His first final was a game that went to script, against the New Zealand, a team that had until then never won a limited-overs tournament -- in the ICC knock-out final in Kenya.
India, batting first, piled an imposing 264, with a century by the skipper and a half-century by star batsman Sachin Tendulkar. But Kiwi all-rounder Chris Cairns played the innings of his life to snatch the game away and earn New Zealand it's maiden one-day title.
Tendulkar has a rather unflattering record in finals. In the last six finals he played in, he managed to muster up just 131 runs, at an average of 21, while Rahul Dravid, who played in all nine finals, tops the averages, scoring 337 runs at 42.
Anil Kumble, who played six of the finals, managed to pick only 5 wickets, at the rate of 42 runs per wicket.
Javagal Srinath, who played in three of the finals, managed only a single wicket, at an average of 145.
Numerous analysis and previews will fall flat on their faces when comparing the strengths of both India and England. In the end, the final will all boil down to which team manages to channelise it’s potential and possess the stomach for a fight.
England, on home turf, under the watchful eyes of coach Duncan Fletcher and skipper Nasser Hussain, is another commodity.
For India, the law of averages might just catch up and solve the finals jigsaw it is caught in.
A look at India's performance in the nine finals they have played.
How the top guns fared in the past 9 finals
Top performances for India during the past 9 finals
Tournaments results since 1999 World Cup
Country-wise breakup of tournaments won since 1999
India vs Pakistan
Match report
Pepsi Cup, Bangalore - 4/04/99
Pak won by 123 runs
Pakistan 8/291
Inzamam-ul-Haq 91, Shahid Afridi 65, Moin Khan 35
SC Ganguly 2/35, BKV Prasad 2/37, AB Agarkar 1/63
India 168
AD Jadeja 41, NR Mongia 27*, RS Dravid 25
Azhar Mahmood 5/38, Shoaib Akhtar 2/22
Captains: Wasim Akram, AD Jadeja
Toss: Pakistan
Umpires: S Venkataraghavan, KA Parthasarathi
Man of the match: Azhar Mahmood (Pak)
India vs Pakistan
Match report
Coca Cola Cup, Sharjah - 16/04/99
Pak won by 8 wickets
India 125
SC Ganguly 50, AB Agarkar 20, RR Singh 15
Wasim Akram 3/11, Azhar Mahmood 2/31, Arshad Khan 1/24
Pakistan 2/129
Inzamam-ul-Haq 39*, Saeed Anwar 30, Shahid Afridi 24
A Kumble 2/28
Captains: M Azharuddin, Wasim Akram
Toss: India
Umpires: KT Francis, DB Hair
Man of the match: Wasim Akram (Pak)
India vs West Indies
Coca Cola Cup, Kallang - 7/09/99
No result
India
6/149 SR Tendulkar 40, RS Dravid 29, SC Ganguly 23
RD King 3/25, CA Walsh 1/21, M Dillon 1/38
Captains: SR Tendulkar, BC Lara
Toss: India
Umpires: DB Hair, RE Koertzen
Match was abandoned after rain stopped play and replayed the next day
India vs West Indies
Coca Cola Cup, Kallang - 8/09/99
WI won by 4 wickets
India 6/254
RS Dravid 103*, N Chopra 61, SC Ganguly 46
NO Perry 3/65, CA Walsh 1/19, RD King 1/44
West Indies 6/255
RL Powell 124, NO Perry 38*, JC Adams 21
DS Mohanty 3/33, N Chopra 2/43, A Kumble 1/51
Captains: SR Tendulkar, BC Lara
Toss: West Indies
Umpires: DB Hair, RE Koertzen
Man of the match: RL Powell (WI)
India vs South Africa
Match report
LG Cup, Nairobi (Gym) - 3/10/99
SA won by 26 runs
South Africa 9/235
HH Gibbs 84, WJ Cronje 39, DN Crookes 25
R Vijay Bharadwaj 3/34, BKV Prasad 2/21, DS Mohanty 2/36
India 209
MSK Prasad 63, RS Dravid 30, AD Jadeja 30
DN Crookes 3/47, SM Pollock 2/28, L Klusener 2/33
Captains: WJ Cronje, AD Jadeja
Toss: India
Umpires: EA Nicholls, G Sharp
Man of the match: HH Gibbs (SA)
India vs New Zealand
Match report
ICC Knockout, Nairobi (Gym) - 15/10/00
NZ won by 4 wickets
India 6/264
SC Ganguly 117, SR Tendulkar 69, RS Dravid 22
SB Styris 2/53, NJ Astle 1/46, GI Allott 1/54
New Zealand 6/265
CL Cairns 102*, CZ Harris 46, NJ Astle 37
BKV Prasad 3/27, A Kumble 2/55, SR Tendulkar 1/38
Captains: SC Ganguly, SP Fleming
Toss: New Zealand
Umpires: SA Bucknor, DR Shepherd
Man of the match: CL Cairns (NZ)
India vs Sri Lanka
Match report
Champions Trophy, Sharjah - 29/10/00
SL won by 245 runs
Sri Lanka 5/299
ST Jayasuriya 189, RP Arnold 52*, RS Kaluwitharana 15
SC Ganguly 1/15, SR Tendulkar 1/28, SB Joshi 1/33
India 54
RR Singh 11, HK Badani 9, SR Tendulkar 5
WPUJ Vaas 5/14, M Muralitharan 3/6, DNT Zoysa 1/21
Captains: ST Jayasuriya, SC Ganguly
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: DJ Harper, G Sharp
Man of the match: ST Jayasuriya (SL)
India vs West Indies
Match report
Coca Cola Cup, Harare - 7/07/01
WI won by 16 runs
West Indies 6/290
D Ganga 71, CL Hooper 66, S Chanderpaul 50
RS Sodhi 2/31, A Nehra 2/60, Harbhajan Singh 1/35
India 8/274
SS Dighe 94*, RS Sodhi 67, RS Dravid 30
CD Collymore 4/49, CH Gayle 2/54, M Dillon 1/31
Captains: CL Hooper, SC Ganguly
Toss: India
Umpires: ID Robinson, RB Tiffin
Man of the match: CD Collymore (WI)
Sri Lanka vs India
Match report
Coca Cola Series, Khettarama - 5/08/01
SL won by 121 runs
Sri Lanka 5/295
ST Jayasuriya 99, DPM Jayawardene 57, RP Arnold 52
Harbhajan Singh 2/29, V Sehwag 2/58, Zaheer Khan 1/58
India 174
VVS Laxman 37, SS Dighe 23, HK Badani 22
CRD Fernando 2/32, M Muralitharan 2/32, WPUJ Vaas 2/41
Captains: ST Jayasuriya, SC Ganguly
Toss: Sri Lanka
Umpires: EAR de Silva, TH Wijewardene
Man of the match: ST Jayasuriya (SL)
South Africa vs India
Match report
Standard Bank, Kingsmead - 26/10/01
SA won by 6 wickets
India 183
RS Dravid 77, V Sehwag 34, RS Sodhi 22
JM Kemp 3/20, SM Pollock 2/19, M Hayward 2/38
South Africa 4/187
G Kirsten 87, JH Kallis 39, HH Gibbs 21
SR Tendulkar 2/27, Harbhajan Singh 2/48
Captains: SC Ganguly, SM Pollock
Toss: South Africa
Umpires: IL Howell, DL Orchard
Man of the match: SM Pollock (SA)
Average India:
India's average score in the last 9 finals - 189.44
Opposition's average scores in last 9 finals - 249.55
India's average score batting first - 206.50
India's average score batting second - 175.80
Average wickets taken by India - 5.66
Average wickets taken by opposition - 8.88
Toss won by India - 3 (Batted first once, batted second twice)
| How the top guns fared in the past 9 finals |
| Batsman |
M |
Runs |
Avg |
| SR Tendulkar
| 6
| 131
| 21.83
|
| RS Dravid
| 9
| 337
| 42.13
|
| SC Ganguly
| 10
| 300
| 30.00
|
| Bowler |
M |
Wkts |
Avg |
| A Kumble
| 6
| 5
| 42.80
|
| J Srinath
| 3
| 1
| 145.00
|
| Harbhajan Singh
| 3
| 5
| 22.40
|
| (Includes the final washed out by rain and replayed the next day vs WI at the Kallang (7-9-99)) |
| Top performances for India during the past 9 finals |
| Batsman |
Runs |
Vs |
M No. |
Series |
Venue |
| SR Tendulkar
| 124*
| Zim
| 7
| 1998-99
| Sharjah
|
| SC Ganguly
| 117
| NZ
| 10
| 2000-01
| Nairobi (Gym)
|
| RS Dravid
| 103*
| WI
| 5
| 1999-00
| Kallang
|
| SS Dighe
| 94*
| WI
| 7
| 2001
| Harare
|
| RS Dravid
| 77
| SA
| 10
| 2001-02
| Kingsmead
|
| SR Tendulkar
| 69
| NZ
| 10
| 2000-01
| Nairobi (Gym)
|
| RS Sodhi
| 67
| WI
| 7
| 2001
| Harare
|
| SC Ganguly
| 63*
| Zim
| 7
| 1998-99
| Sharjah
|
| MSK Prasad
| 63
| SA
| 7
| 1999-00
| Nairobi (Gym)
|
| N Chopra
| 61
| WI
| 5
| 1999-00
| Kallang
|
| SC Ganguly
| 50
| Pak
| 7
| 1998-99
| Sharjah
|
| Bowler |
Wkts |
B |
Series |
Venue |
| BKV Prasad
| 3-27
| 42
| 2000-01
| Nairobi (Gym)
|
| DS Mohanty
| 3-33
| 52
| 1999-00
| Kallang
|
| R Vijay Bharadwaj
| 3-34
| 48
| 1999-00
| Nairobi (Gym)
|
| J Srinath
| 3-40
| 60
| 1998-99
| Sharjah
|
| Results since the 1999 World Cup |
| Season |
Tournament |
Participating teams |
M |
Won by |
| 1999
| World Cup
| Aus, Ban, Eng, Ind, Ken, NZ, Pak, Sco, SA, SL, WI
| 42
| Aus
|
| 1999-00
| Aiwa Cup
| Aus,Ind,SL
| 7
| SL
|
| 1999-00
| Coca Cola Cup
| Ind,WI,Zim
| 5
| WI
|
| 1999-00
| LG Cup
| Ind,Ken,SA,Zim
| 7
| SA
|
| 1999-00
| Champions Trophy
| Pak,SL,WI
| 7
| Pak
|
| 1999-00
| Carlton & United
| Aus,Ind,Pak
| 14
| Aus
|
| 1999-00
| Standard Bank
| Eng,SA,Zim
| 9
| SA
|
| 1999-00
| Coca Cola Series
| Ind,Pak,SA
| 7
| Pak
|
| 1999-00
| Cable & Wireless
| Pak,WI,Zim
| 9
| Pak
|
| 1999-00
| Asia Cup
| Ban,Ind,Pak,SL
| 7
| Pak
|
| 2000-01
| Singer Cup
| Pak,SA,SL
| 7
| SL
|
| 2000
| NatWest
| Eng,WI,Zim
| 10
| Eng
|
| 2000-01
| Three Nations
| NZ,Pak,SA
| 4
| SA
|
| 2000-01
| ICC Knockout
| Aus, Ban, Eng, Ind, Ken, NZ, Pak, SA, SL, WI, Zim
| 10
| NZ
|
| 2000-01
| Champions Trophy
| Ind,SL,Zim
| 7
| SL
|
| 2000-01
| Carlton & United
| Aus,WI,Zim
| 14
| Aus
|
| 2000-01
| ARY Gold Cup
| NZ,Pak,SL
| 7
| SL
|
| 2001
| NatWest
| Aus,Eng,Pak
| 9
| Aus
|
| 2001
| Coca Cola Cup
| Ind,WI,Zim
| 7
| WI
|
| 2001
| Coca Cola Series
| Ind,NZ,SL
| 10
| SL
|
| 2001-02
| Standard Bank
| Ind,Ken,SA
| 10
| SA
|
| 2001-02
| Khaleej
| Pak,SL,Zim
| 7
| Pak
|
| 2001-02
| LG Cup
| SL,WI,Zim
| 7
| SL
|
| 2001-02
| Carlton & United
| Aus,NZ,SA
| 14
| SA
|
| 2001-02
| Sharjah Cup
| NZ,Pak,SL
| 7
| Pak
|
| 2002
| NatWest
| Eng,Ind,SL
| 8
| *
|
| Country-wise breakup of tournaments won since 1999 |
| Country |
Won |
| Sri Lanka
| 6
|
| Pakistan
| 6
|
| South Africa
| 5
|
| Australia
| 4 - including World Cup
|
| West Indies
| 2
|
| New Zealand
| 1
|
| England
| 1
|
| India
| none
|
Statistics: Mohandas Menon
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