Posted by India’s World Cup win seems to have ushered in visions of a new era of endless dominance for the winners. Alex Hartley and Ian Bishop both used the word ‘scary’ in reference to the team’s potential – but honestly, what’s to be scared of here?
These expectations for the future can come across a little cataclysmic, but things never really pan out quite how people think. Even if they did, it’s not like we aren’t used to this kind of thing. At least we’d be getting a different flavour of apocalypse.
And it’s not like the last one did any lasting harm anyway. The burning looks bad with these infernal Armageddons, but the ash enriches the soil and ultimately new stuff will grow.
Personally, we always felt that Australia went a bit far with the whole invincibility thing. It’s one thing going out and winning everything, but they just got a bit silly with it.
Okay, India have won a World Cup, but as things stand, Australia have still won more of them than everyone else put together. They’ve also won six out of nine T20 World Cups.
Their winning streaks highlight how protracted and relentless their dominance has been: 26 wins in a row from 2018-21; 15 in a row from 2022-23; 14 in a row from 2024-25. It’s not even like it’s a new thing. They won 17 in a row from 1997-99 and 16 in a row from 1999-2000.
The only series they’ve lost any time recently was the ODI leg of the 2023 Ashes which England took 2-1. Since then, they’ve won nine series in a row. Before it, they’d won the previous 13.
But the records they are a-changin’. One Australia no longer possess is the highest successful chase. Their 331 against India last month topped the list for barely a fortnight before their opponents returned the favour with interest. Not a bad time to do so, in a World Cup semi-final.
To further contextualise some of the fearful ‘end is nigh’ doom-mongery that has greeted India’s victory, that particular result ended a 15-match World Cup winning streak for Australia, whereas mighty indomitable India delivered a three-match losing streak as recently as this very tournament.
For the time being, India remain a team that can do both great and rather substandard things. We’ll try to muster some fear of their future once we’ve had a bit of a breather and the colossal tsunami of Australia scares has finally washed away.
Book news
It seems a bit mad to be referencing Christmas already, but if you were planning to buy The 50 Most Ridiculous Ashes Moments for anyone, it now appears to be out of stock at TG Jones and Awesome Books, while there’s a suspiciously long delivery time on Amazon that suggests lack of stock there as well.
We think it’s still available from bookshop.org, and Blackwell’s still seems to be at the pre-order phase (stickler that it is). We guess it might make it into some bricks and mortar shops as well once it’s, you know, actually released.
Publishing being publishing, the situation’s all a bit mysterious and we don’t claim to know what’s actually going on. We’d like to think Affirm might print a few more copies if they really have all sold, but unfortunately that won’t help your Christmas gift buying as there’s no way that would happen before the New Year.
So, um, please buy our book very soon – if you can.
Historically, unexpected India wins in major tournaments have not led to a “scary changing of the guard” in terms of world domination. Consider Men’s ODI World Cup 1983 and Men’s World T20 2007.
But both of those previous examples led to a sea change in India in terms of form of cricket emphasised and “investment” in that form.
If Sunday’s victory in the Women’s World Cup triggers real fervour for women’s cricket in the Indian subcontinent, that is surely a very good thing and certainly not to be afraid of.