With Zimbabwe beating Sri Lanka in an ODI series in the island nation, Express takes a look at instances when the favourites failed to prevail...
2017: Zimbabwe bt Sri Lanka 3-2
Few expected Sri Lanka to lose a series against the minnows, that too at home. Zimbabwe began by chasing down 316 with 16 balls to spare in the first ODI before winning the fourth and fifth games convincingly. For a team that frequently struggles to compete with Associate sides, this is a huge boost. Opener Hamilton Masakadza was named Player of the Series, for making 258 runs at an average of 51.60.
2001
The year Zimbabwe last won a bilateral ODI series away from home against a Test-playing country. They beat Bangladesh 3-0.
2009
Zimbabwe last won a series away from home in 2009, in Kenya. The hosts were beaten 5-0. Since then, they had gone 12 series without a win.
2015: Bangladesh at home
As if to prove the win over England in the group stage of the 2015 World Cup was no flash in the pan, Bangladesh clinched back-to-back series wins against Pakistan, India and South Africa at home. The former was whitewashed 3-0, and India only barely managed to avoid a similar result, salvaging some pride in the third and final ODI.
2010: Bangladesh bt New Zealand 4-0
Bangladesh beating top teams is no longer a surprise, but in 2010, this result turned heads. The standout performer was Shakib Al Hasan, who made 213 runs and took 11 wickets, and he was well-supported in the spin department by Suhrawadi Shuvo and Abdur Razzak (five wickets each).
2001: SA win Australia tri-series
When Australia failed to make the finals of the tri-series in their own backyard, in an era when they were winning almost everything, there was a hue and cry, and
Steve Waugh lost his ODI captaincy as a result. This was just the third instance (in 31 series) of Australia failing to make the final. For the record, South Africa and New Zealand contested the best of three finals, won by the former.