The World Cup is the most prestigious trophy, which any cricketer wants to win. But the preparation of winning the world cup begins almost 2-3 years before the tournament. Building your core, developing young lads analyzing the conditions, and lot more. Today I will be ranking the teams according to their performance from two years before the world cup till the start of the tournament.

Unfortunately, 1979 and 1975 ODI cricket was not given that much importance, hence the rankings of the teams are from 1983. The rankings are not entirely based on win percentage.

Video Thumbnails of matches within these two years are included only.

10. Australia 1987 In IND

Australia's chances at 1987

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

Home 25-13-11-0-1

Away 10-4-5-0-1

Neutral 4-0-4

Batting First 21-9-11-0-1

Batting Second 18-8-9-0-1

Tournaments Lost/draw

Tournaments 6-1-4-1

Austral Asia cup group stage( IND AUS NZ PAK SL)

2-2 vs nz in nz

3-1 vs IND in IND

Final of Triangular( ENG AUS WI )

Sharjah cup group stage ( ENG AUS PAK IND)

Tournaments Won

Tri-Series Aus-Ind-Nz in Aus

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1987 Aus was a miracle. Aussies did not have a good record in India already losing 3-1 to Ind and eliminating in the group stage in the Austral-Asia Cup. This tournament was the turning point of the career of a young Steve Waugh, as he writes in his autobiography.

9. INDIA 1983 IN ENG

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

Home 6 -5-1

Away 9-2-7

First 6-2-4

Second 9-5-4

Tournaments lost/draw

Tournaments 5-2-3

2-0 in eng vs eng

2-1 in pak vs pak

2-1 in wi vs wi

Tournaments Won

2-1 vs Eng in Ind

3-0 vs Sl in Sl

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Gavaskar and Srikanth believed that Eng was a good place for a honeymoon, Gavaskar said in an interview that his main motive was to enjoy England as a holiday destination, but after the first game against West Indies the team began to believe and the rest is history.

8. PAK 1992 in AUS

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

Home 14-10-3-1

away 0

Neutral 11-8-3

Batting First 17-14-3

Batting Second 8-4-3-1

TOURNAMENTS Lost/Draw

Tournament p-5 w-4 l-1

Lost 2-0 vs wi in pak

TOURNAMENTS WON

Won austral Asia cup (ind ban sl pak aus nz) In UAE

3-0 vs nz in pak

3-0 vs wi in pak

Won 4-1 vs sl in pak

Ind pak wi tri-series at UAE won

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Pakistan's record is just wow but the problem is the fact that all their victories came at home or in UAE. Hence they have seen a massive drop in the rankings. Them winning the world cup was a surprise indeed. As all, their victories had come on sub-continental wickets but the pace attack just nailed it in Australia.

7. Australia 1999 in ENG

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

Batting First 28-16-12

Batting Second 13-9-1-0

Home 23-14-9

Away -20-9-10-1-0

Neutral 8-6-2

Factual ODI ranking

End of 1997-5

End of 1998-4

Tournaments Won

Tournaments 9-4-3-2

Won sa-nz aus in aus

2-1 in nz vs nz

3-0 in pak

Eng sl aus tri-series in aus

Tournaments Lost/Draw

Lost 3-0 to eng in eng

2-2 in nz vs nz

Quadrangular series( Ind Aus Zim Nz ) reached final, in UAE

1998 first stage, champions trophy in BAN

3-3 in wi vs wi

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This team was strong no doubt but was highly inconsistent but with somewhat luck on his favor Steve Waugh and Australia won their second world cup title.

hahahahaahahaha incredible crowd

6. Sri Lanka 1996 in India

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

Home 10-4-5-0-1

Away 20-9-11

Neutral 19-8-10-0-1

Batting first

21-9-11-1

Batting second

28-12-15-0-1

Tournament played

p-11 w-3 l-8

Tournaments Lost

2-1 in India vs India

(Aus-nz-sl-pak-ind-uae )group stage in uae

Vs pak in sl 4-1

(sl aus pak ind ) in SL final

group stage (nz pak sa sl) in sa

In nz 2-1 vs nz

Asia cup (ind sl pak ban) reached final, in uae

Aus-sl-wi tri-series reached final in aus

Tournaments Won

Won 2-1 vs zim in zim

Won 2-1 vs pak in pak

Won singer cup wi sl pak in uae

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The records don't suggest it, but Sri Lankan Cricket was in the transition phase and was heading towards the golden phase of Sri Lankan Cricket. These men performed incredibly well in the subcontinent and Australia. Steve Waugh and Warne believed that Ranatunga and his men were on a mission to prove themselves against Aus.

5. India 2011 in India

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

at home – p-20 w-13 l -6 nr-1

away p-25 w-12 l-11 nr-2

neutral 13-7-5-1

Batting first p-24 w-12 l-11 nr-1

Batting second p-31 w-20 l-11 nr-0

Ranking at the end of 2009-3rd

Ranking at the end of 2010 2nd

Tournaments Lost

Tournament 14-8-6

Ind vs sa away 3-2

Champions Trophy 2009 group stage elimination in sa

Tri-series (ind ban sl) in ban finalist

Ind – sl -zim group stage in zim

Ind-sl-nz final in sl

Ind vs aus at home 2-4

Won

3-1 in nz

2-1 in wi

Ind sl nz in sl

Ind vs sl 3-1 in ind

Asia cup in sl ind ban pak sl

1-0 vs aus in ind

5-0 vs nz in ind

2-1 vs sa in ind

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India were the favorites while heading into the tournaments, but only by a slight margin. The main focus was to win it for Tendulkar. During the span of these two years, Tendulkar also became the first man to score 200 in ODI.

4. Australia 2015 in Australia

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

Ranking at the end of 2013 -3

At the end of 2014 -1

Fielding first p-16 w-10 l-4 nr-2

Batting first p-21 w-12 l-7 nr-2

Home p-15 w-12 l-2 nr-1

Away p-14 w-6 l-6 nr-2

Neutral 8-4-3-0-1

Tournaments Won

Tournaments 9-6-3

1-0 vs Scotland in Scotland

2-1 vs eng in eng

4-1 vs eng in aus

4-1 vs sa in aus

3-0 vs pak in uae

(Aus eng ind) tri-series in aus

Tournaments Lost

vs India in India 3-2

champions trophy 2013 group stage

final of (aus sa Zim) in sa Zim

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Australia in 2015 were firm favorites only SA and NZ were teams, worthy to stop them. Their period of sheer dominance started after their group stage exit of Champions Trophy.

3. Australia 2003 in South Africa

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

Home 21-14-7

Away 18-13-4-1-0

Neutral 8-6-0-1

Batting First 16-13-3

Batting 2nd 31-20-9-1-1

Ranking at the end of 2001 1st

Ranking at the end of 2002 1st

Tournaments Won

p-8 w- 4 l-3 t-1

3-2 in ind vs ind

(Pak aus eng) in eng

(Eng sl aus) in aus

Won 5-1 vs sa in sa

Tournaments lost

vs pak in Aus 2-1

nr in final of tri-series (pak aus ken) in ken

champions trophy semi-final in sl

(sa nz aus) in Aus group stage

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The team was exceptional but the teams around it were nice too. Dominant Indian squad, Nice Sri Lankan Squad. The thing which struck the most about this team was that they defeated the world cup host 5-1 in their homeland.

2. England 2019 in England

PLAYED-WON-LOST-TIED-NR

Ranking at the end of 2017- 5

Ranking at the end of 2018 – 1

At Home P – 25 Won 20 Lost -3 Nr-2

Away P-22 Won-13 Lost -7 Nr-2

Batting first p-23 w-14 l-7 nr-2

Fielding first p-23 w-19 l-3 nr-1

Tournament Lost/draw

Tournaments or Bilaterals Played 12 Won 9 Lost 2 Draw 1

Bilateral 1-0 vs Scotland in Scotland

vs wi 2-2 in wi

Champions Trophy Semi-Finalists

Tournaments Won

2-1 vs sa in eng

4-0 vs wi in eng

4-1vs aus in aus

3-2 vs nz in nz

5-0 in eng vs aus

2-1 in eng vs ind

Eng in sl 3-1

Eng vs ire 1-0 in ire

4-0 in eng vs pak

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This team was explosive and has the best track record. They were also clear favorites, with India in the frame. After 2015 they just created their own brand of Cricket, which gave them immense success. In the process scoring the highest team total in ODI history.

  1. Australia 2007 in West Indies

home 24-18-6

Away 22-11-9-1-1

Neutral 12-8-3-1

1st innings 34-19-12-1-2

2nd innings 24-18-6

Tournaments Lost

Eng vs nz vs aus in aus final

Vs nz in nz 3-0

Vs sa 3-2 in sa

Tournaments Won/draw

Tournaments played -11 w-7 l-3 tie

Won champions trophy in India

(Aus ban eng) in eng final tied

2-1vs eng in eng

Vs world XI 3-0

In nz 2-1

(Aus sa sl) in aus

In ban 3-0

(Aus ind wi) in Malaysia

Ranking at the end of 2005 1st

Ranking at the end of 2006 1st

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No doubt 2007 we could have seen no other team except Australia lifting the title. This team was majestic with perfect blend of experience and youth. The Audacity of this team was just out of the world. Defeating world XI, that too, 3-0 !!!!. The win record might not be as impressive as England 2019 but they went too all parts of the world defeating quality away sides. Also scoring a record high score 434 of that time ( Unfortunately losing that game :(

Write your personal order in the comment box. :)