Three times when India crashed and tumbled against 'minnows' in World Cup history

With MS Dhoni and his bunch of 'world beaters' having qualified for the quarter-finals of the ongoing World Cup, on back of some glorious wins against the likes of Pakistan, South Africa and West Indies, the focus now comes upon the knockout stages where even tougher tests await.

But as history states, India have not always had a smooth run in previous editions of the tournament, as they were upset by the unlikeliest of opposition, when everything seemed to be going there way.

Be it 'lowly' Sri Lanka beating them in 1979, or even that monumental upset against Zimbabwe in 1999, when they were almost on the cusp of victory, proves that India have faced heartbreak in crunch situations. 

Most humiliating was the 2007 loss against Bangladesh, which ultimately spiralled into an embarrassing exit from the tournament, which still rankles in minds of cricket fans in the country.

So here are three matches when India found themselves on the receiving end of so-called 'weak opposition' and had their World Cup hopes in disarray.

The 'De Silva show' - Manchester 1979

Starting with the 1979 game, and though both sides did not possess a chance in hell to qualify for the semi-finals, thanks to the presence of an in-form New Zealand and the mighty West Indies in their league engagements, not much was expected of the Islanders, who were till then counted amongst the whipping boys of world cricket.

With the Old Trafford pitch resembling a batting beauty, Sri Lanka's batsmen found the Indian bowling attack to their liking, as they racked up a sizeable 238 for 5 in 60 overs. Despite the sprightly Kapil Dev toiling away manfully, the likes of KD Ghavri, BS Bedi and S Venkataraghavan encountered a brick wall, in their efforts to break down the Sri Lanka batting.

If it were not for Mohinder Amarnath's three-wicket haul, Sri Lanka would easily have scored a much higher total. Timely half-centuries from Sunil Wettimuny, Roy Dias and Duleep Mendis helped Sri Lanka post a competitive target, thus leaving India with the dicey task of hunting it down.

Roy Dias played a crucial role in Sri Lanka's upset over India in 1979 (Getty images)

The 'De Silva' show unfolded in full grandeur, as medium pacer Stanley De Silva (2 for 36) and leg-spinner Somachandra De Silva (3 for 29) bamboozled India, and gobbled up their top five batsmen. Suddenly India had collapsed from a leisurely 132 for 4 to 191 all-out, with the senile pitch suddenly resembling a mine-field for India.

Medium-pacer Tony Opatha played side-kick and returned with impressive figures of 3 for 31, thus leaving India in tatters. None of India's batsmen showed enough application to survive the full quota of 60 overs, as the team disintegrated and suffered an embarrassing 47-run defeat.

Post that win, Sri Lanka achieved the record of being the first Associate Nation to win a World Cup game, which later paved way for cricket mania to engulf the island nation. As the whole of Sri Lanka went euphoric in the aftermath of the sensational win, a dark curtain fell over Indian cricket, which had just hit it's latest nadir post a humiliating cup exit.

Defeat from the jaws of victory - 1999

Henry Olonga was Zimbabwe's miracle-man in 1999 (Getty images)

Fast forward to 1999, and India were facing Zimbabwe in a league fixture at Leicester, without a certain Sachin Tendulkar, who had flown back to Mumbai to attend his father's funeral.

Now despite India being firm favourites to win the game by a canter, Zimbabwe defied expectations and posted a strong 252 for 9 after being put in to bat first.

The Indian pace troika of Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad and Ajit Agarkar could not make a serious dent in Zimbabwe's batting armoury, with Andy Flower (68 not-out) and Grant Flower (45) doing enough to ensure that the team did well enough to pass the 200-run mark. Come the Indian innings and Tendulkar's absence saw a telling effect as a clutch of batsmen perished thanks to irresponsible stroke-play.

Heath Streak proved to be wrecker-in-chief, thanks to some unerring seam bowling, which ensured that India were left tottering at 219 for 7 by the 40th over. If it were not for Sadagoppan Ramesh (55), Ajay Jadeja (43) and Nayan Mongia (28), India looked on the brink of an embarrassing loss, which was to happen eventually.

With Robin Singh putting on a one-man rescue act, India suddenly had reached 246 for 7, and needed just 6 runs to complete the formalities, with 10 balls remaining. What was to transpire next would send shock waves throughout the tournament as skipper Alastair Campbell tossed the ball to Henry Olonga in a bid to salvage something from the game.

And lo...the move paid dividends as Olonga snapped up three Indian batsmen in the space of four deliveries and pulled off a fairytale win for Zimbabwe! If Singh (35) was caught by Campbell at covers thanks to Olonga's fine out swinger, then three balls later an equally fine in-swinger cleaned up Srinath.

With four more needed to win off seven deliveries, in walked last-man Prasad to rescue India. Alas it was not to be as another gem from Olonga had Prasad plumb in front, which meant that Zimbabwe had scripted a historic World Cup win in unlikely circumstances!

As the final scorecard read - India 249 all-out in 45 overs, Zimbabwe had snatched an unlikely win from the jaws of defeat and Olonga had suddenly turned into a folk-hero for the Africans. Though India did manage to shrug off the embarrassing loss and eventually did make it to the Super-Six stages later on in the tournament, still the match will always be remembered for the manner in which they collapsed when on the cusp of a sure-shot victory!

Lambs to the slaughter - 2007

Bangladesh sent India crashing out of the 2007 World Cup (Getty images)

And last but not the least comes the horrendous 2007 campaign in West Indies, when India crashed to an all-time low by losing to Bangladesh in their group opener at Port of Spain.

Firstly India skipper Rahul Dravid erred in judgement by opting to bat first on a pace-friendly track, and the decision came to haunt him as the team collapsed in a heap in wake of some fine Bangladesh bowling. Mashrafe Mortaza proved to be hero for Bangladesh, as he tormented India with lively pace-bowling and ripped the heart out of Dravid's side.

49.3 overs later, alarm bells were ringing in Indian cricket, as the team had collapsed to 191 all-out, thus handing Bangladesh the game on a platter. If Mortaza (4 for 38) breathed fire with lively pace, then Abdur Razzak (3 for 38) and Mohammad Rafique (3 for 35) made India hop and jump on a bowlers paradise, in what now goes down as a dark day in the country's cricket history.

Only Sourav Ganguly's sedate 66 and Yuvraj Singh's patient 47 ensured that India did eventually cross the hundred-run mark, and managed to save face.

Defending such a small total was always going to be a big ask, and despite India's best efforts to peg Bangladesh and gain an unlikely win proved to be in vain, as half-centuries from Tamim Iqbal (51), Mushfiqur Rahim (56 not-out) and Shakib-al-Hasan (53) ensured that the Tigers cruised past the total with more than an over and five wickets to spare, thus triggering off celebrations in native Dhaka.

As Mushfiqur scored the winning boundary off Munaf Patel, realisation just dawned in that India had just suffered its worst defeat in World Cup history, a fact which still rankles them to no end. For the record, apart from the morale-boosting win against Bermuda, India suffered a similar fate against Sri Lanka in their last game, and crashed out of the tournament after losing by 69-runs, whereas Bangladesh and the islanders cruised into the Super-Eight stages. 

The after-effects of that defeat were overwhelming, as Indian cricket went on a complete overhaul, with heads rolling and coach Greg Chappell simultaneously being sacked post the World Cup debacle. Though it may be too premature to predict as to whether India would suffer a similar fate, come games against Ireland and Zimbabwe in the latter half of the 2015 tournament.

The Irish look like a potential banana skin, thanks to their giant-killing acts in the past, and India definitely would have to be wary of the Europeans, if they are to ensure of not slipping and tumbling one more time.

And if they do manage to crash and collapse against any one of them, then the 'minnows' may have well and truly crashed their World Cup party!