One in a million: India extend world record ODI toss losing streak to 20 matches

India lose 20th consecutive men's ODI toss

At the Shahid Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur, regular South Africa skipper Temba Bavuma returned to the playing XI after being rested for the first match in Ranchi, which India won by 17 runs.

Bavuma called heads at the toss, and the coin landed in his favour. He elected to bowl first, and named three changes to the Proteas side; himself, Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi in for Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan Subrayen, Ottneil Baartman.

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Amazingly, it was the 20th time in a row that India had lost the toss in a men's ODI; such an event has a 1 in 1,048,576 chance of happening – literally one in a million. This run stretches over two years, with India's last toss win in the format coming in the 2023 World Cup semi-final. It has also spanned three different captains in Rohit Sharma (12), KL Rahul (5) and Shubman Gill (3).

Perhaps they could try to take a leaf out of EM Grace's book. As Eric Midwinter noted in WG Grace: His Life and Times, EM Grace once won 38 out of 40 tosses in a season, claiming that his eye was good enough for him to watch the coin at the top of the spin and make his call accordingly...

Most consecutive toss losses in men's ODIs, full list

*Ongoing streak

Earlier this year, former India skipper Rohit Sharma had equalled the individual captaincy record when he lost the toss in the Champions Trophy final.