Following India's 32-run defeat in the second ODI at Colombo on Sunday, August 4, the hosts Sri Lanka have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
With just one game left to play, India will not be able to win the series, but they will have the opportunity to draw level, if they win, but with strong performances from the Sri Lankan spinners and poor show of the Indian middle order, even the worst-case scenario of a series loss cannot be ruled out.
MORE: When did India last lose a bilateral ODI series to Sri Lanka?
While Team India have not won any 50-over ICC tournaments since 2013, they have been a dominant force in bilateral ODIs.
In this article, The Sporting News looks at India's last bilateral ODI series loss, their opponents in that series and the scores.
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Who were the opponents and results when India last lost a bilateral ODI series?
Team India lost their last bilateral ODI series in March 2023 against Australia 1-2 in a home series.
The Aussies thereafter took confidence from the series win as they also went on to defeat India in the ODI World Cup 2023 Final at Ahmedabad.
Results and scores when Australia beat India in bilateral ODI series
India beat Australia in the first ODI of the series by 5 wickets, but the visitors came back strong with a 10-wicket and 21-run win in the next two matches.
Mitchell Marsh was the top run-scorer with 194 runs at an average of 97, followed by KL Rahul, who scored 116 runs in his 3 matches.
The highlight of the series was Australia demolishing the hosts in the second ODI as India were bundled out for just 117 runs, courtesy of a Mitchell Starc five-wicket haul (5/53). In the second innings, the opening duo of Marsh and Travis Head smashed half-centuries as the visitors reached the target without losing any wickets.
In the deciding third ODI, Australia posted a target of 270, and in spite of a Virat Kohli half century (54), India suffered a series defeat as leg spinner Adam Zampa was able to take advantage of both the conditions and scoreboard pressure of the chasing side, as he finished with figures of 4/45 in his 10 overs.
1st ODI: India 191/5 beat Australia 188/10, by 5 wickets
2nd ODI: Australia 121/0 beat India 117/10 by 10 wickets
3rd ODI: Australia 269/10 beat India 248/10 by 21 runs
MORE: 2007 T20 World Cup hero feels Gautam Gambhir won't last as India head coach for a long time
What is India's record in the last ten bilateral ODI series?
India has won 7 out of the last 10 ODI bilateral series, with their losses coming against Bangladesh, New Zealand, and Australia.
| Year | India's ODI bilateral Series | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | India tour of Sri Lanka ODI series | 2-1 loss |
| 2024 | India in South Africa ODI series | 2-1 win |
| 2023 | Sri Lanka in India ODI series | 2-1 win |
| 2023 | India tour of West Indies ODI series | 2-1 win |
| 2023 | Australia in India ODI series | 2-1 loss |
| 2023 | New Zealand in India ODI series | 3-0 win |
| 2023 | Sri Lanka in India ODI series | 3-0 win |
| 2022 | India tour of Bangladesh ODI series | 2-1 loss |
| 2022 | India tour of New Zealand ODI series | 1-0 loss |
| 2022 | South Africa in India ODI series | 2-1 win |
| 2022 | India tour of Zimbabwe ODI series | 3-0 win |
Australia is one of the few teams to defeat India in a bilateral series at home. Since the 4-2 defeat against Australia in the October/November series in 2009, India had won 27 out of the 31 ODI bilateral series at home, however, the Men in Blues suffered a defeat at the hands of Sri Lank in August 2024.