T20 World Cup 2021: Two major winning streaks that ended in the tournament

The Super 12 stage of the T20 tournament has just begun and we have already seen some unexpected results. While all the participants are perfectly capable of defeating each other, there were a few historical trends that had stood the test of time. Just within the first two days of the Super 12 stage, we have seen two major winning streaks being disrupted. Here are the details –

West Indies 5, England 1

West Indies, the two times world T20 champions, have been a powerhouse in T20 cricket. England, on the other hand, paid little heed to the shortest format until 2015-16. In their first five meetings in the marquee event, the Caribbean side completely dominated the English nation each and every time.

These two sides first met in the 2009 T20 World Cup. In London, West Indies clinched the rain-marred encounter as they chased 80 runs in 9 overs. Events repeated themselves in the next edition as West Indies chased 60 runs in 6 overs against England.

Two years later, Johnson Charles 84 (56) and Chris Gayle 58 (35) provided West Indies with a flying start. England clawed back in the game as they restricted them to 179/5. Alex Hales 68 (51) and Eoin Morgan 71 (36) gave their best but the chasing side fell short by 15 runs.

West Indies registered their 4th and 5th victories over England in the 2016 World Cup. In the group game, Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 100 off 48 balls saw his team chase down 183 runs. These two teams then played the epic World Cup final where Carlos Brathwaite’s four sixes in the last over secured a memorable triumph.

They lost four wickets in the chase but #ENGLAND have finally defeated #WestIndies in #T20WorldCup.#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/1xGoCKxjkc

— 100MB (@100MasterBlastr) October 23, 2021

The winning streak came to an end in Dubai. Asked to bat first, West Indies threw their wickets away cheaply. Adil Rashid’s incredible spell of 2.2-0-2-4 and precise bowling from his partners helped England wrap the WI batting unit for just 55 runs. England chased the total down with six wickets remaining and broke the streak.

India 5, Pakistan 1

India’s streak against Pakistan in World Cup matches is one of the most famous cricketing streaks of all time. While the streak in ODI World Cup is still intact, their run in the shorter format is over. On 24th October 2021, Pakistan chased down 151 runs without losing a wicket and broke the streak in style.

These two teams first confronted each other in the T20 flagship event back in 2007. Their first group game finished in a tie but India prevailed in the Bowl Out and won 3-0. The Asian giants then clashed in the high-voltage final. Joginder Sharma’s last over and Misbah-ul-Haq’s scoop shot are a stuff of legends. India won the clash by 5 runs.

England had never beaten West Indies in T20I World Cup before yesterday in 5 attempts.
Pakistan had never beaten India in T20I World Cup before today in 5 attempts.

Cricket, it keeps telling us, you can never tell what is to follow. Cherish what you see while you see. 🙂

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) October 24, 2021

India and Pakistan had to wait for five more years to face each other. In 2012, the Indian bowling unit restricted Pakistan to only 128 runs in Colombo. Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 78 off 61 balls guided his team home. The 2014 World Cup produced almost a repeat as Pakistan laboured to 130/7 in Dhaka. Kohli’s 36 not out and 35 not out from Suresh Raina helped India clinch a seven-wicket win.

The trilogy of low-scoring encounters and Kohli’s unbeaten chasing effort was completed in 2016 at Eden Garden, Kolkata. Pakistan managed only 118/5 in their 20 overs. India were rocked early but Kohli’s 55 not out was enough to close the chase. The Indian side thus registered their 5th victory over Pakistan in the T20 World Cup before the streak was broken in 2021.