Australia and the West Indies refused to play in Sri Lanka in the tournament between February 14 and March 17, after some bomb blasts in the capital Colombo in January. Efforts to make them change their minds were all in vain.

Nevertheless, the International Cricket Council (ICC) was firm in not rescheduling the games and Sri Lanka got full points for both games with walkovers. Something that was to their benefit in the long run.

The tournament also saw the maximum number of teams participating, with the nine Test-playing nations being joined by three associate members in Kenya, the Netherlands, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Sri Lanka, with four points from two forfeits, were almost through to the quarter-finals even before stepping onto the ground. However, even in the other games, they found ways to surprise their rivals.

Call it indignation at being slighted by Australia or the West Indies, or the brilliant tactical acumen of coach Dav Whatmore, Sri Lanka were on another level.

The plan to use Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana as pinch-hitters at the top of the order bore rich fruit.

Their first ‘real’ match was Zimbabwe, which they won, and then they met India at New Delhi. Though the latter scored 271/3 off 50 overs, thanks to a run-a-ball 137 by Sachin Tendulkar and 72 not out from skipper Mohammad Azharuddin, Sri Lanka’s plan worked to perfection. Jayasuriya scored 79 off 76 balls and Kaluwitharana added 26 off 16 before Asanka Gurusinha, captain Arjuna Ranatunga and Hashan Tillekeratne sealed off a fine win.

Sri Lanka Then Crushed Kenya To Top The Group

Getting into the quarter-finals was not a great feat this year. All the teams had to do was to win two games. Everyone beat the UAE and Netherlands and four sides including India and Sri Lanka entered the quarter-finals.

India Stop Pakistan Again

India met Pakistan there, with India winning the Bangalore match by 39 runs. Navjot Singh Sidhu scored 93 and everyone chipped in as India scored 287/8 and Venkatesh Prasad and Anil Kumble claimed three wickets each as Pakistan were restricted to 248/9 off 49 overs.

Sri Lanka were not bothered too much by England and duly entered the semi-finals, where they met India, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Fire At Eden

Despite Azharuddin’s disastrous decision to field first on a breaking Eden pitch, India began sensationally, with Javagal Srinath dismissing Jayasuriya, Kaluwitharana, and Gurusinha, with the first two wickets falling with the score at just one run.

But the inimitable Aravinda de Silva, Roshan Mahanama, Ranatunga, and Tillekeratne came good and Chaminda Vaas used the long handle effectively as the visitors ended at 251/8.

India never got off the ground on the crumbling pitch and though Tendulkar got 65, it was a wasted effort as India were reduced to 120/8.

The Eden crowd was unforgiving and flames were seen in the stands as the anger boiled over. The match was halted and subsequently, Sri Lanka won by default, Vinod Kambli’s tears as he walked off being a stark reflection of India’s dismay.

Payback

The final, ironically, brought Sri Lanka face to face with Australia, who had snubbed him at the beginning of the tournament. The islanders had not forgotten and they made Australia pay.

The Aussies batted first at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and Mark Taylor (74), Ricky Ponting (45) and Michael Bevan (36 not out) got some runs but the Sri Lankan spinners, especially the innocuous off-spin of De Silva, were deadly. All Australia got was 241/7.

Jayasuriya and Kaluwitharana left early again by De Silva was in supreme form, carving out 107 not out, while Gurusinha (65) and Ranatunga (47 not out) made sure that the Sri Lankans had vengeance and also the World Cup.

It was quite a sensational achievement for the Sri Lankans and their cause was vindicated, in one of the most dramatic World Cups ever.

The post World Cup 1996: Sri Lanka’s Moment Of Glory After Politics Interfere With Cricket appeared first on Cricket Country.

1.  Cricketing family: Strang’s younger brother Bryan also represented Zimbabwe at international level along with him. His father Ronald Strang was an umpire in First-Class cricket and was also a TV umpire for Zimbabwe’s two Tests in 1994-95.

2.  Coached by Duncan Fletcher: During his initial days, Strang was coached by former Zimbabwean cricketer and renowned coach Duncan Fletcher at the University of Cape Town.

3.  Composed Test and ODI debut: Strang made his Test debut at Harare against Sri Lanka in which he chipped three wickets in the first innings and conceded 65 runs. He didn’t get a chance to bowl in the second innings. His One-Day International (ODI) debut came at Perth against Australia and he went on to claim the wicket of David Boon. He impressed with 10-1-30-1.

4. 1996 World Cup: In the 1996 World Cup, Strang was among the leading wicket-takers in the tournament, with 12 wickets in six matches at 16. Overall, he was the third highest wicket-taker of the tournament after Anil Kumble (15 wickets) and Waqar Younis (13 wickets).

4.  His only Test century: Besides being a good leggie, Strang was also a decent batsman and has a century to his name in Tests. In October 1996, at Sheikhpura Stadium, Strang registered his maiden Test century while batting at number 8. His century was overshadowed by Wasim Akram‘s unbeaten 257. He also claimed a fifer in the Test, that ended in a draw.

5.  Second Zimbabwean to take 10-wicket haul in Tests: After making his comeback to the Test side, Strang claimed his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests against New Zealand at Bulawayo in September 2000. The effort went in vain as Zimbabwe lost the match.. Strang became the second Zimbabwean cricketer to take 10-wicketsin a Test, first being another leg-spinner, Adam Huckle. Later, Raymond Price did the same.

6.  Tragic end to his international career: After the memorable Test against New Zealand, Strang could only play three more Tests due to a chronic injury to the muscles in his right hand.

7.  County stint: Strang played two seasons of county cricket for Kent in 1997 and for Nottinghamshire in 1998 as an overseas player.

8.  Most difficult batsman: In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Strang said New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns was a very difficult batsman to bowl at.

10.  Want to change a rule: Strang has often said that he would like the change rule of giving not out to a LBW appeal when the ball is pitched outside leg but going towards the stumps.

11.  Coach: In August 2009, Strang joined Auckland as high performance coach and after six months in February 2009, he was appointed as the coach of the side. He continued to coach Auckland Aces side and is currently residing in New Zealand.

(Abhishek Kumar is a cricket devotee currently staffing with Criclife.com. He can be followed on Twitter @abhik2593 and on Facebook at abhicricket.kumar)

The post Paul Strang: 11 interesting things to know about the former Zimbabwean cricketer appeared first on Cricket Country.

Around this time, two young players were on the fringes of Team India selection. One was a stylish left-hander, who was titled ‘the God of the off side’ by the other, who himself was no less than a ‘wall’. After that disastrous exit from the World Cup, both these men Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid made it to the Indian team and in no time, rose to become the mainstay of team’s batting. On their maiden tour, which happened to be in testing conditions of England, both played exceptionally well, giving ample signs of a bright future for Indian batting.

Cut to 1999, another World Cup. The venue was England; the same place where the two had announced their arrival in style. India started their campaign on a poor note, losing first two games against South Africa and Zimbabwe respectively. A win against Kenya, who they played next, gave them some momentum but the next game was special and under intense spotlight, as it was against the defending champions Sri Lanka. The game invoked memories of 1996 and the Indian fans badly wanted the team to take revenge of those painful losses.

The game started. Sri Lanka won the toss and asked India to bat; a repetition of what Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin did in the 1996 semi-final. India lost Sadagoppan Ramesh early, but it did not matter much. Here on, the script of the match was written by those two boys, who watched the defeats of 1996 from the sidelines. Ganguly and Dravid stitched a record 318-run partnership for the second wicket — a feat observed for the first time in ODIs — and propelled India to a massive 373. While Ganguly (158-ball 183) was more brutal of the two, Dravid (129-ball 145) too played a knock quite contrary to his reputation.

In all, the two of them collectively hit 34 fours and eight sixes as the hapless Sri Lankan bowlers watched the proceedings dejectedly. While Dravid’s hundred was run-a-ball, Ganguly brought it in 119 balls, after which all hell broke loose. He scored the remaining 83 runs in just 38 balls; better even by T20 standards. In pursuit of 374, the Lankans were never into the game. Their gamble of returning back to the Romesh Kaluwitharana – Sanath Jayasuriya opening pair failed and with it, the match too was all but over. India won comfortably in the end by a healthy margin of 157 runs. The win left a huge dent in Sri Lanka’s morale as well as their campaign for title defence. Eventually, they crashed out of the World Cup in the group stage while India did not go beyond the Super sixes stage. Australia, who won it for the second time beating Pakistan in the final, emerged winners in the end.

(A self-confessed cricket freak, Chinmay Jawalekar is a senior writer with CricLife and CricketCountry. When not writing or following cricket, he loves to read, eat and sleep. He can be followed here @CricfreakTweets)

The post Riding on Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid’s record stand, India exact sweet revenge against Sri Lanka appeared first on Cricket Country.

The backdrop

The incident I am talking about is the face-off between Pakistan’s stand-in captain and opener Aamir Sohail and Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad. To understand what transpired between the two in the middle better, let’s understand how the match had shaped till then. India, batting first, had put up a huge score on the board riding on Navjot Singh Sidhu’s 93 and Ajay Jadeja’s late blast of 25-ball 45. A target of 288 was massive back then when the Twenty20 (T20) had not arrived. So, chasing it in 49 overs, as Pakistan lost an over to slow over rate, was simply out of question.

But when they started their chase, their openers Saeed Anwar and Sohail came out all guns blazing and in virtually no time added 84 runs. Though the local boy Javagal Srinath dismissed a dangerous-looking Anwar (32-ball 48), Sohail continued with his brutal assault on Indian bowlers. The moment was just around the corner.

When it happened

Prasad, who was being booed by a section of crowd despite being a local boy, had salt added to his injury when Sohail came charging at him after hitting him for a four towards cover region. He made gestures with his hand pointing at Prasad and the bat pointing towards the covers, as if he was saying, ‘no matter where or what you bowl, all your deliveries will meet the same fate’. The stadium packed with some 35,000 odd spectators went silent at this moment. The score had raced to 1 for 113 in the 15th over and had doom written all over it for India. Pressure and tension were in the air and Prasad was at the centre of it.

With millions of eyes set firmly on him, he produced a peach of a delivery on the very next ball to knock Sohail’s off stump down. The ball pitched on the off stump left little room for Sohail, who was already committed to play it in the same region and lost his wicket in the process. The wicket infused life into the match as a pumped-up Prasad gave Sohail a piece of his mind (“Go home, you f****** bastard”) and crowd too was back to its deafening best.

The aftermath

Sohail went back with the same arrogance, pointing bat towards a few spectators while returning back to the dressing room. His dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse as both Prasad and another local hero Anil Kumble choked the Pakistani batsmen and got wickets in the process. Old warhorses Salim Malik and Javed Miandad (whose career ended after the game) tried to revive the chase and Rashid Latif belted a few meaty blows towards the end but all went in vain. Pakistan lost by 39 runs and their captain Wasim Akram, who had pulled out of the game minutes before its commencement, was heavily criticised. India, as it happened, went on to lose the semi-final by default after the crowd interrupted the match following India’s dismal performance.

Brief Scores:
India 8 for 287 in 50 overs (Navjot Singh Sidhu 93, Ajay Jadeja 45, Sachin Tendulkar 31; Mushtaq Ahmed 2 for -56, Waqar Younis 2 for -67) bt Pakistan 9 for 248 in 49 overs (Aamir Sohail 55, Saeed Anwar 48, Javed Miandad 38, Saleem Malik 38; Venkatesh Prasad 3 for -45, Anil Kumble 3 for -48) by 39 runs.

(A self-confessed cricket freak, Chinmay Jawalekar is a senior writer with CricLife and CricketCountry. When not writing or following cricket, he loves to read, eat and sleep. He can be followed here @CricfreakTweets)

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No contest matches the intensity levels of an India-Pakistan cricket encounter. The tension only multiplies in crucial fixtures like the World Cup.

In the second quarterfinal of the 1996 World Cup, the sides met each other for the second time in the mega-event. The knockout clash was being played in Bangalore and the need for the moment was to keep the nerves. Pakistani wicketkeeper Rashid Latif exactly did that when he effected a brilliant caught behind to send back the dangerous looking Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin.

Azharuddin had shifted gears as India had reached to a score of 200. On the third delivery of the 42nd over from Waqar Younis, Azharuddin tried to roll one down the third man in search of a boundary but eventually just managed to get a thick edge. The ball was rocketing through the slip region when Latif stretched his body and dived towards his right to pocket the leather. It was a display of brilliant wicket-keeping skills and he maintained his balance and composure to perfection.

Latif’s brilliance couldn’t stop India from getting a big total of 287, as Pakistan stumbled to a 39-run defeat.

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There have been 10 World Cup finals and Suvajit Mustafi lists out the 10 men who handled the nerves impeccable and made the difference to their respective teams, helping them win cricket’s most desired trophy.

1:  Clive Lloyd vs Australia at Lord’s (London) in 1975 World Cup final

West Indian skipper Clive Lloyd came in to bat at 50 for three, with the side in a spot of bother. Lloyd  launched a fearless counter-attack, which helped West Indies post 291 in 60 overs. Lloyd scored 102 from 85 balls, an innings that made the difference in the end as West Indies went on to win the match by 17 runs. Lloyd’s match-winning hundred got him the man-of-the-match award.

2:  Viv Richards vs England at Lord’s (London) in 1979 World Cup final

West Indian batsman Viv Richards had a quiet World Cup with the bat in 1975, but he made for it in the next edition. Batting at No three, he smacked an unbeaten 138 from 157 balls, as West Indies posted 286. In the end it was a comfortable victory for West Indies as they beat Mike Brearley’s England by 92 runs. The man-of-the-match wasn’t a tough choice at all.

3:  Mohinder Amarnath vs West Indies at Lord’s (London) in 1983 World Cup final

Mohinder Amarnath’s good all-round show saw him win the man-of-the-match in the semi-final, when India beat England. In the final, once again he applied himself with the bat, scoring a gritty 26 in a low-scoring encounter. His ennui-inducing bowling then did the trick as he got the leather to talk. He picked up the wickets Jeff Dujon, Malcolm Marshall and the last wicket of Michael Holding, as West Indies were dethroned after eight years and India crowned the new World Champions.

4:  David Boon vs England at Eden Gardens (Calcutta) in 1987 World Cup final

Australian opener David Boon’s 75 at the top of the order lent solidity to the innings, as the side from Down Under put up a fighting 253 on the board against arch-rivals England.  It was one of the two half-centuries in the match – the other being Bill Athey’s 58. Considering Australia won by the narrow margin of seven runs, Boon’s 75 was monumentally important for the winners.

5:  Wasim Akram vs England at MCG (Australia) in 1992 World Cup final

In the first ever day-night World Cup final, Pakistan put up 249 on the board. England did have the batting to chase it down but Wasim Akram, who had scored a quick 33 from 18 balls, was making the ball talk. In a brilliant display of skills, Akram picked up the important wickets of Ian Botham, Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis, as Pakistan went on to win by 22 runs.

6:  Aravinda de Silva vs Australia at Gadaffi Stadium (Lahore) in 1996 World Cup final

Sri Lanka were chasing well, but to chase down 242 in the World Cup final, that too against a powerful Australian bowling, wasn’t going to be easy. They needed a special effort and once again Aravinda de Silva raised his hand. He was adjudged the man-of-the-match in the semi-final for his fluent fifty on a difficult track at Eden Gardens and now in the grandest stage of all, de Silva bettered that effort as he went on to score an unbeaten 107. The hundred, coupled with his three wickets, played a huge factor in Sri Lanka winning the World Cup.

7:  Shane Warne vs Pakistan at Lord’s (London) in 1999 World Cup final

Shane Warne’s brilliant spell of bowling helped Australia come back in the semi-final against South Africa.  The match ended in a tie, but Australia got through to the final and Warne finished with four for 29. In the final, Warne once spun his web and caught four Pakistani batsmen in it this time, while conceding 33 runs in nine overs. Pakistan were bowled out for 132 and in the end; an easy win for Australia.

8:  Ricky Ponting vs India at Wanderers (Johannesburg) in 2003 World Cup final

Australian captain Ricky Ponting reserved one of his best-ever performances in the grand finale. Ponting butchered the Indian bowlers as he scored an unbeaten 140 from just 121 balls, an innings that contained eight sixes. Ponting and Damien Martyn added an unbeaten 234 for the third wicket to bat India out of the game, as Australia posted 359 in their 50 overs.

9:  Adam Gilchrist vs Sri Lanka at Kensington Oval (Bridgetown) in 2007 World Cup final

When Adam Gilchrist got going, the word ‘brutal’ looked an understatement. That’s what he did against Sri Lanka in the rain affected final in Bridgetown. Gilchrist was severe on all the Lankan bowlers and scored 149 from 104 balls, as Australia put up 281 in their stipulated 38 overs. In the end it proved to be a lot for Sri Lanka.

10:  MS Dhoni vs Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium (Mumbai) in 2011 World Cup final

It’s not uncommon to see crumble under pressure of chasing, especially in an important game like the World Cup final. But MS Dhoni has the gift to remain composed in the direst of situations. Chasing 275, that too under the expectations of intense home pressure, wasn’t going to be easy. To make things worse, India lost Virender Sehwag and the key wicket of Sachin Tendulkar quite cheaply and early.

Dhoni promoted him at No. 5 ahead of Yuvraj Singh — a brave decision considering the great form Yuvraj was in. Dhoni added 109 with Gautam Gambhir for the fourth wicket to put India on the road to victory. In the 49th over, he smacked a six over long-on to win give India their second World Cup title. He remained not out on 91 from 79 balls. After Lloyd and Ponting, Dhoni became the third captain to be awarded the man-of-the-match in a World Cup final.

 11:  James Faulkner vs New Zealand at MCG (Australia) in 2015 World Cup final

Australia had got off to a great start in the grand finale but Grant Elliott and Ross Taylor had brought them back. From 39 for three in the 13th over, they recovered to 150 for three in 35th over and were getting set to launch themselves in the batting Powerplay. To bowl during the Powerplays have been one of the toughest jobs and James Faulkner took up the challenge and brought Australia back in the match. In the first three balls, the got two key wickets – Taylor and Corey Anderson, to set the game in Australia’s favour. He finished with 9-1-36-3, and his spell won him the man-of-the-match in the grandest stage of all.

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur,  philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)

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Suvajit Mustafi lists out the unsung heroes of the World Cup finals.

1: Keith Boyce, World Cup 1975 final: West Indies vs Australia at Lord’s

West Indian skipper Clive Lloyd’s 102 from 85 balls is the most talked-about performance in the match. It deservingly won him the man-of-the-match. But spare a thought for Keith Boyce. He batted No. 7 and scored a breezy 34 from 37. His runs in the end made the difference as Australia came very close to chasing it down. Later, he picked up four crucial Australian wickets for just 50 runs in his 12 overs.

2: Gary Gilmour, World Cup 1975 final: West Indies vs Australia at Lord’s

The left-arm seamer had steamrolled England in the semi-final and sustained his form in the final. He picked up his second successive five-wicket haul [five for 48] — the wickets of Alvin Kallicharran, Rohan Kanhai, Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd and Deryck Murray. Later, he also tried to win it with the bat and managed 14 from 11. Gilmour was brilliant with the ball but unfortunately ended up in the losing side.

3: Collis King, World Cup 1979 final: West Indies vs England at Lord’s

Everyone remembers Viv Richards’ unbeaten 138 and Joel Garner for running through the English side with a five-for haul, but Collis King made a huge impact with the bat that dented the confidence of English bowlers. King joined Richards at the crease with West Indies in a spot of bother at 99 for four. While Richards anchored the innings, King did the unthinkable of overshadowing the legend at the other end. The duo added a quick 139, with King scoring 86 from 66 balls — something unimaginable in the 1970s. Thanks to King’s mayhem, West Indies scored of 286, which proved too big a target for England.

4: Krishnamachari Srikkanth, World Cup 1983 final: West Indies vs India at Lord’s

The Indian opener scored 38 from 57 balls, but that was not just the top score of the Indian innings but the entire match! Srikkanth was quite fluent and his square-drive is still etched in memory.  India owe Srikkanth as much as it bowlers in winning a low-scoring final to emerge World Cup champs.

5: Mike Veletta, World Cup 1987 final: Australia vs England at Eden Gardens

Opener David Boon, the man-of-the-match, lent stability to the innings with an innings of 75. Skipper Allan Border also did well with an innings of 31 from as many balls and then two for 38 for seven overs.  But considering Australia won by the narrow margin of seven runs Mike Veletta unbeaten 45 off just 31 balls made a huge difference in the end analysis.  However, it’s Boon’s knock and Border’s all-round show that is commonly remembered.

6: Inzamam-ul-Haq, World Cup 1992 final: Pakistan vs England at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Yes, it was Wasim Akram’s all-round display — 33 from 18 balls and three for 49 — that swung the match in Pakistan’s favour, besides the 139-run stand between captain Imran Khan and Javed Miandad.  But it’s not easily recalled that Inzamam-ul-Haq’s blazing 42 off 35 balls made a huge difference as Pakistan won by just 22 runs. 

7: Neil Fairbrother, World Cup 1992 final: Pakistan vs England at Melbourne Cricket Ground

While the English wickets kept falling like the proverbial ninepins, Fairbrother kept playing a busy innings. Had he got some support, he could have gone on to win it for the Englishmen. Fairbrother 62 from 70 balls is forgotten among the heroics of Akram, Inzamam, Imran and Miandad in Pakistan’s victory.

8: Asanka Gurusinha, World Cup 1996 final: Sri Lanka vs Australia at Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore

People remember the picture-perfect moment when Sri Lankan skipper Arjuna Ranatunga hit that late-cut to signal’s Sri Lanka’s win. People also remember Aravinda de Silva running towards his captain and hugging him after the stroke that brought up the winning runs. People also remember de Silva’s superb all-round show won him the man-of-the-match and Ranatunga’s quick 47. But when the explosive pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana failed, a man anchored the innings to perfection. But Asanka Gurusinha’s role in that high-pressure game is not easily remembered. It was he who built the innings and set the platform for the eventual win by scoring 65 runs that was worth lot more than its numerical value.

9: Glenn McGrath, World Cup 1999 final: Australia vs Pakistan at Lord’s

A bowler taking two wickets is hardly any cause of excitement. But in the 1999 final, McGrath bowled with robotic precision to bottle up the Pakistani line-up to end up with figures of 9-3-13-2. But the man of the match went to Shane Warne who picked up four wickets for 33 runs. But it was the brakes applied by McGrath that helped Warne capitalise on the pressure.

10: Damien Martyn, World Cup 2003 final: Australia vs India at Wanderers, Johannesburg

The match will always be remembered for Australian captain Ricky Ponting’s unbeaten 140 from just 121 balls to bat India out of the match. However, early on when Ponting struggled, it was Damien Martyn who continued ticking the score with a fluent knock. Martyn’s heroics is all the more creditable as he played with a broken finger. He added an unbeaten 234 run partnership with Ponting and ended up with a fluent 88 from 84 balls.

11: Virender Sehwag, World Cup 2003 final: Australia vs India at Wanderers, Johannesburg

He played a lone hand in India’s seemingly impossible chase of 360. Sehwag 82 from 81 balls is lost in the recesses of mind, eclipsed by Ponting’s epic and Australia’s triumph.

12: Mahela Jayawardene, World Cup 2011 final: India vs Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

That night in Mumbai, he might have been the saddest man. What more could he do? Jayawardene scored the only hundred of the match and still ended up in the losing side. With Sri Lanka in all sorts of bother, Jayawardene once again produced a gem, scoring an unbeaten 103 from 88 balls, as he guided Sri Lanka to a total of 274. But on this fateful, nothing was a safe total against an emotionally charged and spirited Indian side.

13: Gautam Gambhir, World Cup 2011 final: India vs Sri Lanka at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Indian skipper MS Dhoni won the man-of-the-match for his brisk 91 not out. He provided India the perfect moment when he ended the World Cup with a towering six. However there were two men who scored more than him and played equally important hands. Gambhir batted under crisis to add 84 runs for the third wicket with Virat Kohli and then 109 with Dhoni that took India on the threshold of victory. Gambhir played a very important role when India was in deep trouble to score 97 from 122 balls, but it was Dhoni’s 91 not out from 79 balls that overshadowed every other batting moment in the match.

14: Mitchell Starc, World Cup 2015 final: Australia vs New Zealand at Melbourne Cricket Ground

Mitchell Starc was the difference maker for the Australian side in tournament. Throughout the World Cup, he bowled with fire, consistently bowling over 90 mph and difficult lengths. In the final against New Zealand, the key was to get Brendon McCullum out early. Till the final, he had hammered bowlers out of the park and had a strike rate close to 192! On the big day, a perfect yorker from Starc cleaned McCullum up for a duck. His spell at the top made the difference for Australia as they won the cup for the fifth time. He ended with a spell of 8-0-20-2.

15: Grant Elliott, World Cup 2015 final: Australia vs New Zealand at Melbourne Cricket Ground

He was one of New Zealand’s heroes in the World Cup. It was his unbeaten 84 against South Africa in the semis that saw the Kiwis through to the final. In the biggest stage of all, it was again Elliott again who put up a valiant fight. It seemed that he was playing a different bowling attack. At one end wickets fell like ninepins and at the other Elliott crafted a fine 83 from 82. In the end, what Elliott’s efforts did was only delay the Australian victory as New Zealand reached to a total of 183, a total they could fight with.

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur,  philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)

The post 14 unsung heroes in the history of World Cup finals appeared first on Cricket Country.

1: Sunil Gavaskar’s 36 not out in 60 overs — 1975 World Cup:

India and England battled it out in the very first-ever World Cup match. An occasion as momentous as this was marred by what is still regarded as the most pathetic innings in One-Day International  (ODI) history.

Chasing 335, India never got going, thanks to a shocking and inexplicable approach by Sunil Gavaskar. He batted  the quota full of 60 overs (ODIs were 10 overs longer in those days) to score a measly 36 off 174 deliveries — poor even by Test standards.

Gavaskar later gave an even weaker defence of his approach in his autobiography Sunny Days, “There were occasions I felt like moving away from the stumps so I would be bowled. This was the only way to get away from the mental agony from which I was suffering. I couldn’t force the pace and I couldn’t get out. Towards the end I was playing mechanically.” Those words were unacceptable as he could simply have got hit wicket, if he wanted to get out. Gavaskar’s innings remains a blot on Indian — and World Cup — cricket history.

2: Rain-rule that deprived South Africa of a semi-final win — 1992 World Cup:

It was the 1992 World Cup semi-final between South Africa and England. The match was already shortened by rain, as England scored 252 for six in their stipulated 45 overs. In response, South Africa were in the hunt.  With the match hanging in the balance, rain once again reared its head. At that stage South Africa were 22 runs away from a victory, and had 13 balls in which to make the runs. When play resumed, the South Africans received the shock of their lives; as per the newly-implemented rain-rule, their target was revised to 22 runs off one ball — statistically impossible.

The controversial rain-rule was farcical and naturally caused a huge uproar. But by then the damage was done. England won the game and went on to the final, where they then lost to Pakistan.

3: Imran Khan’s speech after Pakistan emerged champions — 1992 World Cup:

Imran Khan’s “cornered tigers” created history by winning the 1992 World Cup — till date the only time Pakistan have won the game’s most coveted trophy. Most winning captains usually talk about the outstanding performance by the team and thank their supporters, but Imran rarely walked the beaten path.

At the post-match presentation after winning the World Cup, Imran said, “I want to give my commiserations to the English, but I want them to know that one of my greatest obsessions in life (is) to build a cancer hospital. I am sure that this World Cup will go a long way towards completion of this obsession, I would also like to say that I feel very proud that at the twilight of my career finally I managed to win the World Cup.”

Instead of talking about the World Cup, Imran chose to speak of his personal wish for building a cancer hospital — a commendable pursuit to be sure, but one that could have been spoken off at a different, more appropriate time.

4: Australia and West Indies refuse to play in Sri Lanka — 1996 World Cup:

While it was understandable that Australia and West Indies chose not to play any of their scheduled games in Sri Lanka due to security concerns, the International Cricket Council (ICC) had offered their personal guarantee that it was safe to play there. Neither team relented. As a result, Sri Lanka were awarded the games as forfeits, thereby entering the quarter-final unchallenged.

Sri Lanka managed to pull off big wins against India in the semi-final and then Australia in the final.

5: Wasim Akram pull-out before quarter-final against India — 1996 World Cup:

India had beaten Pakistan in the 1992 World Cup to signal the start of a trend that will not change for at least 27 years. However, when the two sides met in the quarter-final of the 1996 World Cup, the record still read 1-0 in India’s favour.

So when Wasim Akram, Pakistan’s captain, pulled out of the match mere moments before the toss, the resultant upheaval was not unexpected. Akram reportedly made himself unavailable due to an injury. After Pakistan’s loss, there were riotous scenes across the border from India, with effigies of Akram being burnt.  One man is said to have fired his gun at the TV before turning it on himself. Another fan died of heart-attack following Pakistan’s loss. Akram came back home and was asked to swear on the Quran by angry reporters that he had not sold himself to the bookies.

6: India’s forfeiture of World Cup semis to Sri Lanka — 1996 World Cup:

India were a team on a roll in the 1996 World Cup. Their victory over Pakistan in the quarter-final would have given them a lot of momentum going into the semi-final against eventual champions Sri Lanka. The match was being played in front of the passionate but volatile Eden Gardens crowd; something that would have a massive bearing in how things were to unfold.

Batting first, Sri Lanka amassed 251 for eight. In response, Sachin Tendulkar looked like he would end the match early, scoring 65 before falling with India’s score reading 98 for two. But, then, India suffered a capitulation of abhorrent proportions, losing seven wickets for 22 runs. With India at 120 for eight, play had to be called off when some sections of the spectators turning violent. There were bonfires lit in the Eden Garden, and fruits and bottles thrown onto the ground as angry “fans” protested the way the way their team batted.  Match referee Clive Lloyd had no option but to stop the match, which India forfeited.

That was not the end of the controversy. Years later, in an interview with a TV channel, Vinod Kambli — he was unbeaten at when the chaos ended the match — spoke of how he was sure the match was fixed. He went on to say that he was made an example of, and ostracised when he spoke out about the match.

7: Shane Warne sent home for failing drug test — 2003 World Cup:

Shane Warne is one of the greatest cricketing minds in the world. He will go down in history as arguably the finest leg-spinner the game has ever produced. He was Man of the Match in the 1999 World Cup semi-final and final. So when the 2003 World Cup kicked off — with Warne in his prime — he was expected to play a huge role in Australia’s title defence.

Australia did win and retain the World Cup — but they did so without Warne. A couple of days into the tournament, he tested positive for a banned substance called Moduretic — a drug which had legitimate uses for hypertension and blood pressure, but could also mask steroids — and sent home in shame. Till date though, Warne maintains that he had not taken steroids, and said that the drug had been given to him by his mother for him to lose weight. However, the Australian board was unimpressed and not entirely convinced. Warne was sent back home and banned from international cricket for a year.

8: England refuse to travel to Zimbabwe over security concerns — 2003 World Cup:

The World Cup has a history of teams not wanting to travel to certain countries on the basis of security concerns. Australia and West Indies chose not to play in Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup, and England followed suit by refusing to travel to Zimbabwe in 2003, again for security reasons.

The English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had received a death threat letter from an organisation called Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe, and immediately decided not to take the risk  touring that country. The ICC technical committee decided that the threat was non-relevant and that if England did not travel to Zimbabwe they would effectively forfeit the points.

9: Bob Woolmer’s mysterious death — 2007 World Cup

Without a doubt one of the most morbid and sad moments in a World Cup came when Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was found dead in his room under mysterious circumstances during the 2007 World Cup after Pakistan’s shock loss to Ireland, and subsequent crashing out of the World Cup.

According to Cricinfo, the pathologist who conducted his autopsy said he was certain that Woolmer was murdered, saying his death was caused due to “asphyxia as a result of manual strangulation.” However, the Jamaica Constabulary Force made a statement saying Woolmer had definitely died of natural causes; a result that was deemed final. There has not been any further evidence to support either claim.

10: Both teams elect to bat first in India-Sri Lanka World Cup final — 2011 World Cup

In terms of controversies, this was not nearly as dire as the previous one on this list. The India vs Sri Lanka final kicked off in confusion before the first ball. At the toss MS Dhoni threw the coin, and Kumar Sangakkara called what Dhoni thought was tails. The coin landed heads, and Dhoni promptly told Ravi Shastri that India would like to bat first. Match referee Jeff Crowe said he did not hear Sangakkara’s call, and the first toss was deemed null and void. In the subsequent toss, Sangakkara called heads and elected to bat. So essentially, both teams elected to bat first in a World Cup final! Of course, the toss didn’t matter quite so much, and Dhoni’s iconic six to win the World Cup went on to become the stuff of legends.

(Shiamak Unwalla is a proud Whovian and all-round geek who also dabbles in cricket writing as a reporter with CricketCountry. His Twitter handle is @ShiamakUnwalla)

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Suvajit Mustafi lists out the 10 encounters between these two sides in World Cup matches.

1: World Cup 1983 – Nottingham | Group match

In the end it was a comfortable victory for Australia. Led by a fine hundred from Trevor Chappell, Australia posted 320. Dennis Lillee was rested for the game and 24-year old Ken MacLeay stood up to the occasion, picking up six wickets as India were bundled out for 158 in the 38th over. For India, captainKapilDevclaimed a fifer and followed it up by scoringa 27-ball 40, but his all-round efforts weren’t enough to save India from the big loss.

Brief scores:

Australia 320 for 9 in 60 overs (Trevor Chappell 110, Kim Hughes 52, Graham Yallop 66*; KapilDev 5-43) bt India 158 in 37.5 overs (Kris Srikkanth 39, KapilDev 40; Ken MacLeay 6-39) — by 162 runs

2: World Cup 1983 – Chelmsford | Group match

India spoiled Australia’s party and denied them the win that would have taken them to the semi-final. India were bowled out in the 56th over for 247. The score got a boost from the 37 extras Australians conceded. Indian bowlers were expected to make things difficult for the Australian batters and Balvinder Singh Sandhu dismissed the centurion of the week before, Trevor Chappell for three.

India’s medium-pace brigade combined brilliantly and Australia, 46 for one at one stage, were reduced to 78 for seven. MadanLal and Roger Binny picked up four wickets, while Sandhu gottwo, as Australians were folded for 129.

Indians got the much-needed confidence and winning momentum. Five days later, they went on to win the World Cup.

Brief scores:

India 247 in 55.5 overs (Yashpal Sharma 40; Rodney Hogg 3-40, Jeff Thomson 3-51) bt Australia 129 in 38.2 overs (Allan Border 36; Balvinder Singh Sandhu 2-26, MadanLal 4-20, Roger Binny 4-29) —by 118 runs

3: World Cup 1987 – Chennai | Group stage

A year back, both these sides were involved in a tied Test at this venue and in the biggest events of all, the World Cup, India agonisingly lost the encounter by a run. It was Indian captain KapilDev’s sportsmanship which proved to be the difference. One of the hits from Australian batsman Dean Jones had been signalled a four, but between the innings Kapil agreed upon with Australia’s insistence that it was six. That added two runs to the score, a run more than India’s loss margin.

India put Australia in to bat and the latter put up a good total on the board. India, the defending champions, weren’t worried about the total and began well in their chase. Sunil Gavaskar scored a fluent 37 from 32 balls and added 69 with KrishnamachariSrikkanth at the top. Srikkanth went on to score 70. India remained in the chase till the last over when the heartbreak came.

With two required from two balls, all Maninder Singh had to do was take a single and ensure the game wasn’t lost, but he was cleaned up by Steve Waugh.

Brief scores:

Australia 270 for 6 in 50 overs (David Boon 49, Geoff Marsh 110, Dean Jones 39; Manoj Prabhakar 2-47) bt India 269 in 49.5 overs (Sunil Gavaskar 37, KrishnamachariSrikkanth 70, Navjot Singh Sidhu 73; Craig McDermott 4-56) — by one run

4: World Cup 1987 – Delhi | Group match

Hurt by the loss at Chennai, Maninder Singh made amends, as he bowled well and picked up the key wickets of Geoff Marsh, Dean Jones and Allan Border. Earlier, winning the toss Australia put India in to bat and the hosts returned the favour by putting up a massive 289 on the board. Australia tried, but the score was beyond their reach. Mohammad Azharuddin was adjudged the man-of-the-match, for his quick 54 and three wickets.

The win also meant that India’s chances of finishing second in the group lessened and that meant less chance of going to Pakistan to play their semi-final. Later, India played their semi-final in Mumbai and that ended in heartbreak and Australia went on to win their first World Cup title.

Brief scores:

India 289 for 6 in 50 overs (Sunil Gavaskar 61, Navjot Singh Sidhu 51, DilipVengsarkar 63, Mohammad Azharuddin 54*; Craig McDermott 3-61) bt Australia 233 in 49 overs (David Boon 62, Steve Waugh 42; Maninder Singh 3-34, Mohammad Azharuddin 3-19) — by 56 runs

5: World Cup 1992 – Brisbane | Group stage

Once again it was the controversial rain-rule that had an impact on a crucial match and this time the victims were Indians. Chasing 238 from 50 overs, India were 45 for one in 16.2 overs, when rain cut 15 minutes. The game resumed and as per the strange rules, India’s three overs were docked but only four runs from the target, making it difficult for them.

Azharuddin’swristy 93 kept them in the chase and they needed 13 from the final over, which was to be bowled by Tom Moody. It was a thriller of a finish as India needed four from the last ball and JavagalSrinath swung. Steve Waugh dropped the ball just inside the boundary, India had almost completed their third runbut Waugh’s throw to the wicket-keeper was accurate, and VenkatpathyRaju was run out. It was almost a tie but luck wasn’t in India’s favour.

Brief scores:

Australia 237 for 9 in 50 overs (David Boon 43, Dean Jones 90; KapilDev 3-41, Manoj Prabhakar 3-41) bt India 234 in 47 overs (Mohammad Azharuddin 93, Sanjay Manjrekar 47; Tom Moody 3-56) — by one run (revised target)

6: World Cup 1996 – Mumbai | Group stage

It was the first one-dayer under floodlights in Mumbai and the atmosphere couldn’t have been better for the big contest. Mark Waugh became the first batsman to score three hundreds in a World Cup and his 126 was full of delightful strokes. India did well to stage a comeback and Australia were restricted to 258.

Sachin Tendulkar threatened to overshadow Waugh’s show at his home ground, but the latter was determined to make this day his own. Waugh got Tendulkar stumped for 90 off a wide ball. The match saw some see-saw moments before Damien Fleming with a fifer sealed it for Australia in style.

Brief scores:

Australia 258 in 50 overs (Mark Waugh 126, Mark Taylor 59; Venkatesh Prasad 2-49, VenkatpathyRaju 2-48) bt India 242 in 48 overs (Sachin Tendulkar 90, Sanjay Manjrekar 62, Damien Fleming 5-36, Steve Waugh 2-22) — by 16 runs
7: World Cup 1999 – The Oval | Super Sixes

When Australia had set a target of 283 for India, they knew no total was safe enough for the Indian batting line-up which boasted the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, SouravGanguly, Rahul Dravid, Azharuddin and Ajay Jadeja. In the year prior, they had faced some torrid experiences against India, when toured the country and later in Sharjah and Dhaka.

They had to bowl well and Glenn McGrath just did that. His first four overs set it up for the Aussies, when he got Tendulkar for a duck, Dravid for two and skipper Azharuddin for three. Ganguly got cleaned up by Damien Fleming for eight. India were 17 for four in the seventh over and never came back.

Jadeja (100 not out) and Robin Singh (75) added 141 for the fifth wicket, but that just helped India to salvage some pride and reduce the victory margin. Apart from Jadeja and Robin, none of the Indian batsmen reached the double figure, as they were bowled out for 205 runs. A few weeks later, Australia went on to win the World Cup.

Brief scores:

Australia 282 for 6 in 50 overs (Mark Waugh 83, Steve Waugh 36; Robin Singh 2-43) bt India 205 in 48.2 overs (Ajay Jadeja 100*, Robin Singh 75, Glenn McGrath 3-34, Damien Fleming 2-33, Steve Waugh 2-8) – by 77 runs

8: World Cup 2003 – Centurion | Group match

Australia, the then best side in the world just ran through the much famed Indian batting-up and handed them a humiliating nine wicket defeat. Apart from Sachin Tendulkar, none of the Indian batsmen looked comfortable against Australia’s lethal pace attack.

The aftermath of the defeat was extreme in India. Players’ houses were stoned and effigies burnt. The expectations were immense from Indian fans and the side rejuvenated after the game and marked a dramatic turnaround to win their next eight matches in a row to make it to the final, where they faced Australia again.

Brief scores:

India 125 in 41.4 overs (Sachin Tendulkar 36; Brett Lee 3-36, Jason Gillespie 3-13) lost to Australia 128 for one in 22.2 overs (Adam Gilchrist 48, Matthew Hayden 45) — by nine wickets

9: World Cup 2003 – Johannesburg | Final

One more win for SouravGanguly’s men and it would have been India’s second World Cup win, but on this day at Johannesburg, India faced the harsh truth that they were the second best team and the dominant Australia made them realise it.

In a brutal display of batting, Australian captain Ricky Ponting ensured that the final was a no contest. His belligerent knock ensured that Australia won the World Cup for the second time in a row and their third overall.

Australia were benefitted from a powerful start by Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist, and Ponting was helped by Damien Martyn’s fluent knock at the other end. Martyn, who was playing that match with a broken finger, crafted an artistic fifty. Ponting’s memorable carnage ended with an unbeaten 140 from just 121 balls taking the team score to 359 in their 50 overs. He hit only four fours but clubbed eight sixes in his innings. Chasing 360, India really had no chance against a bowling line-up that boasted of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Andy Bichel and Brad Hogg. India were bowled out for 234 and once again, it was Australia’s cup.

Brief Scores:

Australia 359 for 2 in 50 overs (Adam Gilchrist 57, Ricky Ponting 140*, DamienMartyn 88*) bt India 234 in 39.2 overs (VirenderSehwag 82, RahulDravid 47, Glenn McGrath 3-52) by 125 runs

10: World Cup 2011 – Ahmedabad | Quarter-final

The sides faced each other in a World Cup encounter, exactly after eight years and one day after India’s humiliating defeat in the final at Johannesburg. The atmosphere in Ahmedabad was electrifying and the Indian fans would have settled for nothing less than a win.

A spectacular all-round show from Yuvraj Singh saw India beating Australia in the quarter-final of the World Cup 2011. Ponting elected to bat first and a disciplined show with the ball from India restricted the Aussies to 260, it was 100 less than the target they had given the same side in the final of the 2003 edition. Ponting once again displayed his sublime class, as he scored 104 this time.

In a tense chase, Sachin Tendulkar and GautamGambhir scored resilient fifties, but every time when it seemed that Indians were at the top, they lost wickets. Yuvraj, who had earlier bowled 10 overs for 44 runs and picked up the wickets of Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke, now with the bat crafted a brilliant unbeaten 57 to see India home in the 48th over.

India went on to win the World Cup for the second time and Yuvraj’s brilliant show throughout the series, won him the man-of-the-tournament award.

Brief scores:

Australia 260 for 6 in 50 overs (Brad Haddin 53, Ricky Ponting 104, David Hussey 38*; RavichandranAshwin 2-52, Zaheer Khan 2-53, Yuvraj Singh 2-54) lost to India 261 for 5 in 47.4 overs (Sachin Tendulkar 53, GautamGambhir 50, Yuvraj Singh 57*, Suresh Raina 34*) – by five wickets

Head-to-head (Overall)

Played: 117                     Aus: 67                     Ind:47

Most Runs:Sachin Tendulkar (Ind)            Runs:3077 (71 ODIs)        Average:44.6

Most Wickets:Brett Lee (Aus)                    Wickets:55 (32  ODIs)    Average: 21.0

Head-to-head (In World Cups)

Played: 10                       Aus:7                         Ind:3

Most Runs:Ricky Ponting (Aus)                  Runs:303 (5 ODIs)            Average:101.0

Most Wickets:KapilDev (Ind)                      Wickets:9 (5 ODIs)          Average:20.2

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur,  philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)

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While the teams’ don’t like the tag minnows, and the competition has narrowed down in the past few years but when a weaker side defeats a bigger one, it does make headline and rightly are termed ‘upsets’.

Surely if Bangladesh manage to defeat India in the second quarter-final, it’s bound to be an upset for sure. Suvajit Mustafi lists out some of the other memorable upsets in the history of cricket World Cup.

1:      World Cup 1979 – Sri Lanka beat India at Manchester | Group stage

Sri Lanka were then an associate member and nobody gave them chance when they squared off against their dominant neighbours India. Sri Lanka were put in to bat and their regular captain Anura Tenekoon missed out the tie due to an injury.

They put on a competitive total of 238 on the board and Tony Opatha and Somachandra de Silva combined well to bowl out India for 191.

Brief scores:

Sri Lanka 238 for 5 in 60 overs (Sunil Wettimuny 67, Roy Dias 50, Duleep Mendis 64; Mohinder Amarnath 3-40) bt India191 in 54.1 overs (Tony Opatha 3-31, Somachandra de Silva 3-29) – by 47 runs

2:      World Cup 1983 – Zimbabwe beat Australia at Nottingham | Group stage

In what was their first ever World Cup appearance, Zimbabwe provided the biggest shock of the World Cup when they beat Australia by 13 runs. Put in to bat first, the African side put up 239 from their 60 overs and their captain Duncan Fletcher led from the front.

The now Indian coach, Fletcher was still not done. He picked up the wickets of Graeme Wood, his counterpart Kim Hughes, David Hookes and Graham Yallop to restrict Australia to 226.

Brief scores:

Zimbabwe 239 for 6 in 60 overs (Duncan Fletcher 69*, Iain Butchart 34*) bt Australia 226 for 7 in 60 overs (Kepler Wessels 76, Rod Marsh 50*; Duncan Fletcher 4-42) – by 13 runs

3:      World Cup 1992 – Zimbabwe beat England at Albury | League match

Entering the tournament, England were favourites and they did justice to their tag by ending up as runners-up, but in a huge upset in a league match, a spirited Zimbabwe bowled out England 10 short of the target.

In what was a bowlers’ pitch, England had bowled out Zimbabwe for 134 and chasing the total could manage only 125 with medium pacer Eddo Brandes demolishing their top order with the wickets of Graham Gooch, Allan Lamb, Robin Smith and the Zimbabwe born Graeme Hick.

Brief score

Zimbabwe 134 in 46.1 overs (Ian Botham 3-23, Richard Illingworth 3-33) bt England 125 in 49.1 overs (Eddo Brandes 4-21) – by nine runs

4:      World Cup 1996 – Kenya beat West Indies at Pune | Group stage

This has to be the mother of all upsets. Kenya were playing their first World Cup and so far their display was pretty ordinary and no one gave them slightest of chance when they played a strong West Indian side.

Kenya were bowled out for 166 and West Indies walked out to finish off the seemingly easy chase but what followed was pandemonium. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 93.

Brief score:

Kenya 166 in 49.3 overs (Courtney Walsh 3-46, Roger Harper 3-15) bt West Indies 93 in 35.2 overs (Rajab Ali 3-17, Maurice Odumbe 3-15) – by 73 runs

5:      World Cup 1999 – Zimbabwe beat South Africa at Chlemsford | Group stage

Zimbabwe had already beaten India but against their neighbours South Africa, no one gave them any chance considering their poor record against them. Also South Africa, under Hansie Cronje were one of the strongest sides in the competition.

Electing to bat first, Zimbabwe were off to a solid start, gradually they slowed down but still managed 233, thanks to Neil Johnson’s 76 at the top. For the South African side laden with all-rounder, this chase wasn’t going to be very difficult but after 12 overs, they were 40 for six. Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener provided resistance but eventually were bowled out for 185.

Brief score:

Zimbabwe 233 for 6 in 50 overs (Neil Johnson 76, Allan Donald 3-41) bt South Africa 185 in 45.2 overs (Shaun Pollock 52, Lance Klusener 52*; Neil Johnson 3-27, Heath Streak 3-35) – by 48 runs

6:      World Cup 1999 – Bangladesh beat Pakistan at Northampton | Group stage

Pakistan were a dominant force in the 1999 World Cup and they were surely among the favourites. When they squared off against Bangladesh, a country which was once a part of them and known as East Pakistan, everyone expected their opponents to raise their game.

Bangladesh were put in to bat and put up a decent 223 against a bowling attack that comprised Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shahid Afridi and Azhar Mahmood. While chasing, Pakistan kept losing wickets and Bangladesh smelled of a victory, their first one against a major side. Eventually they managed to bowl out Pakistan for 161 and that victory played a big role in them gaining the Test status, a year later.

Brief score:

Bangladesh 223 for 9 in 50 overs (Shahriar Hossain 39, Akram Khan 42; Saqlain Mushtaq 5-35) bt Pakistan 161 in 44.3 overs (Khaled Mahmud 3-31) – by 62 runs

7:      World Cup 2003 – Kenya beat Sri Lanka at Nairobi | Group stage

Winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to field and restricted Kenya to 210. Kenyan batsmen found Muttiah Muralitharan tough to negotiate. It wasn’t going to be a tough chase for them considering the batting line-up they had, but Collins Obuya had other plans.

The leg-spinner made life difficult for the Sri Lankans, picking up a fifer and scripting a memorable win for the Kenyans. In fact, the spirited Kenya later qualified for the semi-final.

Brief score:

Kenya 210 for 9 in 50 overs (Kennedy Otieno 60; Chaminda Vaas 3-41, Muttiah Muralitharan 4-28) bt Sri Lanka 157 in 45 overs (Aravinda de Silva 41; Collins Obuya 5-24) – by 53 runs

8:      World Cup 2007 – Bangladesh beat India at Port of Spain | Group stage

It was a celebration unseen in Dhaka when a young and spirited Bangladesh side beat India in Port of Spain, in what was both their opening game in the World Cup 2007. Choosing to bat, India found it very tough to play the Bangladeshi bowlers. While Mashrafe Mortaza created the early in-roads, the spinners – Abdur Razzak and Mohammad Rafique later joined the party. Sourav Ganguly’s crawling 66, along with Yuvraj Singh’s 47 ensured that India reach 191.

Bangladesh showed positive intent right from the start of their chase and finished it off without much difficulty. It was the young trio of Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan, all in their teens, who got fifties, helping the side register a memorable win.

Brief score:

India 191 in 49.3 overs (Sourav Ganguly 66, Yuvraj Singh 47; Mashrafe Mortaza 4-38, Abdur Razzak 3-38, Mohammad Rafique 3-35) lost toBangladesh 192 for 5 in 48.3 overs (Tamim Iqbal 51, Mushfiqur Rahim 56*, Shakib Al Hasan 53) – by five wickets

9:      World Cup 2007 – Ireland beat Pakistan at Jamaica | Group stage

On the same day when India were beaten by Bangladesh, Pakistan were humbled by Ireland. It was Ireland’s first World Cup appearance and winning the toss they put Pakistan in to bat and dismissed them to 132. During their chase, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals, but Niall O’Brien hung in there, crafting an unbeaten 72 to see his team through by three wickets.

The aftermath of the defeat was even more shocking as on the following day, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was found dead in his hotel room.

Brief score:

Pakistan 132 in 45.4 overs (Boyd Rankin 3-32) lost to Ireland 133 for 7 in 41.4 overs (Niall O’Brien 72*; Mohammad Sami 3-39) – by three wickets

10:   World Cup 2007 – Bangladesh beat South Africa at Guyana | Super Eight

South Africa put in Bangladesh to bat and a brilliant knock of 87 by Mohammad Ashraful guided the side to a fighting total of 251. Already charged up after their win against India, Bangladesh bowlers once again showed great discipline as they bowled out South Africa for just 184 to script another famous win.

Brief score:

Bangladesh 251 for 8 in 50 overs (Mohammad Ashraful 87; Andre Nel 5-45) bt South Africa 184 in 48.4 overs (Herschelle Gibbs 56*; Abdur Razzak 3-25) – by 67 runs

11:   World Cup 2011  – Ireland beat England at Bangalore | Group match

When England put up 327 and had Ireland at 111 for five, not even an eternal optimist would have given the Irish side a chance in the contest. Ireland all-rounder Kevin O’Brien had other plans though. He blasted 113 from just 63 balls, in the way registering the fastest ever World Cup hundred to produce one of the most famous cricket upsets of all-time.

Brief score:

England 327 for 8 in 50 overs (Kevin Pietersen 59, Jonathan Trott 92, Ian Bell 81; John Mooney 4-63) lost to Ireland 329 for 7 in 49.1 overs (Kevin O’Brien 113, Alex Cusack 47; Graeme Swann 3-47) by –three wickets

12:   World Cup 2011 – Bangladesh beat England at Chittagong | Group match

Put in to bat, Bangladesh had done a good job of bowling out England for 225. They looked good for chase but couple of quick wickets in the middle overs swung the game in complete favour of the English side. Bangaldesh stared another defeat with the score being 169 for eight in the 40th over. However Mahmudullah and number 10 batsman, Shafiul Islam added 58 for the ninth wicket to see the home side through.

Brief score:

England 225 in 49.4 overs (Jonathan Trott 67, Eoin Morgan 63) lost to Bangladesh 227 for 8 in 49 overs (Imrul Kayes 60, Ajmal Shahzad 3-43) by two wickets

13:  World Cup 2015 – Ireland beat West Indies at Nelson | Group match

Ireland made a huge statement when they beat West Indies quite comfortably in both the sides opening match in the 2015 edition. In the 24th over, West Indies were struggling at 87 for five but Darren Sammy and Lendl Simmons added 154 for the sixth wicket. Their efforts saw the Caribbean side put on 304 on the board, which didn’t prove to be enough.

Ireland were always in the chase and it began with Paul Stirling’s breezy knock. Stirling (92) combined brilliantly with Ed Joyce (84) and Niall O’Brien (79), to ensure a successful chase in the 46th over.

Brief score:

West Indies 304 for 7 in 50 overs (Lendl Simmons 102, Darren Sammy 89; George Dockrell 3-50) lost to Ireland 307 for 6 in 50 overs (Paul Stirling 92, Ed Joyce 84, Niall O’Brien 79; Jerome Taylor 3-71) – by four wickets

14:  World Cup 2015 – Bangladesh beat England at Adelaide | Group match

It was a must win game for England to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. They had been dismal so far and Bangladesh were in no mood to make in easy for them. They had already beaten them in the previous edition but that was in home and conditions at Adelaide were more suited for England.

England put Bangladesh to bat and began brilliantly, reducing them to eight for two. However they recovered well and Mahmudullah became the first Bangladeshi batsman to score a hundred in the World Cup. With help from Mushfiqur Rahim (89), they managed 275.

England, who had been dismal throughout the tournament, began nervously and lost wickets at regular intervals. However Jose Buttler kept them in the chase but the lower order just couldn’t hold on to their nerves and a menacing spell in the end from Rubel Hossain saw Bangladesh clinch it by 15 runs.

Brief score:

Bangladesh 275 for 7 in 50 overs (Soumya Sarkar 40, Mahmudullah 103, Mushfiqur Rahim 89; James Anderson 2-45, Chris Jordan 2-59) btEngland 260 in 48.3 overs (Ian Bell 63, Jose Buttler 65, Chris Woakes 42*; Mashrafe Mortaza 2-48, Rubel Hossain 4-53, Taskin Ahmed 2-59) – by 15 runs

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur,  philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)

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