As the World Cup fever runs everywhere, my daughters are super excited, not just to see the matches, but to see their mom watch something so intently and engrossed! T20s might have made things more exciting over the years, but nothing takes away the joy of ODI World Cups where the stakes are high and each team comes up with some of their best performances that stay etched in your memories for years to come!
As an ardent (and crazy even!) cricket fan, I wanted my daughters to enjoy cricket the way I did growing up. I wanted them to relive the Tendulkars and Gangulys and Pontings, the same way they enjoy a Kohli century or Rohit Sharma’s pull shot!
Have jotted down the top 10 cricketing victories from World Cup matches that I have seen- and some that are from yore, that my parents made me watch too! Passing on the legacy of enjoying cricket matches to my girls-indeed! Which one is your favourite?!
And will India repeat the magic 12 years later, this time for Kohli?!
10. Australia vs West Indies 1975
Where it all started. The thrilling nature of the game in 1975 and the competition format that lasted over two weeks, made heads turn, and was the first step for the World Cup to stay for decades and more! This image of Clive Lloyd lifting the first World Cup is one for cricket connoisseurs!
9. England vs Australia 1987
In what was the start to later coveting 5 ICC ODI World Cup titles by Australia, this final was conducted in the Indian sub-continent for the first time and this thriller of finals is something cricket lovers will remember for a long time! Mike Gatting’s young and fresh Australian team defeated the champion England team who looked like favourites for the title.
8. India vs Pakistan 2003
India’s closest dream to winning the World Cup 20 years after their first title, was in South Africa. Ganguly’s aggressive men were invincible throughout the tournament and this match in particular was one to remember for ages. Decimated single-handedly by Sachin Tendulkar, this knock of 98 is more special than many of his other hundreds!
7. England vs New Zealand 2019
Who can forget the finals of the previous ODI World Cup that was a nail-biting finish in every sense of the term? After a disappointing Indian defeat in the semi-finals, we braced ourselves for a final between England and New Zealand, but who thought you would end up with a tie and another tie at the Super Over! England finally won on the boundary count-back rule, having scored 26 boundaries to New Zealand’s 17,
6. Sri Lanka vs Australia 1996
Sri Lanka was in supreme form all through the 1996 World Cup. After a thumping defeat against India at the Semis, that left the Indian cricketers teary-eyed and fans angry and devastated, the finals was a cakewalk for Ranatunga’s man with a comfortable 7-wicket victory. If you remember Ranatunga, Jayasuriya and Aravinda de Silva- you are a true-blooded cricket fan!
5. India vs Zimbabwe 1983
For those who have watched the movie 83, you would know the magnitude of this match and why it holds relevance today too! An unbeatable 175 by Kapil Dev to resurrect the Indian World Cup dreams amidst trying conditions, just goes to show the kind of stuff that legends are made of. Was the perfect rehearsal for a dream final for India later that year!
P.S- Would you believe that because of some strike by the broadcasters, there is no official documented recording of this world-record inning by Kapil Dev?! Strange indeed!
4. Pakistan vs England 1992
A perfect match of old plus young stars for the Pakistan team proved the perfect foil for England’s dreams of a World Cup victory yet again in a final. With the resurgence of Imran Khan, a new team featuring soon-tobe-legends like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Inzamam-Ul-Haq, the fiery Pakistani team ensured they grabbed the winning chances with both hands in the World Cup that took place down under.
3. Australia vs South Africa 1999
A nail-biting finish that every cricket lover remembers to date! In one of the best semi-final matches ever to be played, the disappointed look on the Proteas after losing out a final berth, yet again, was hard to swallow. The catch dropped by Hershelle Gibbs, and the superb run out thanks to the confusion between Alan Donald and Lance Klusener are tough to watch till date! Do see this here!
2. India vs Sri Lanka 2011
“Dhoni finishes off in style and India lifts the World Cup after 28 years”- if you read these words in Ravi Shastri’s voice, you know you are a hard-core Indian cricket fan! A sight to behold with Dhoni finishing off a well-deserved victory with a 6, after a superb innings by Gautam Gambhir earlier on- the Indian cricket team gave Sachin Tendulkar the perfect gift for all the decades of entertainment he gave us!
1. India vs West Indies 1983
From being the underdogs in a tournament to being denied passes to the Lords for the Semi-finals ad Finals, India made a statement to the cricketing world on its aggressive arrival to the World Cup scene. If you have emotionally cried at the climax of the 83 movie, you know how much this movie meant for an entire generation of cricket lovers. Top of the favourite victories any day!
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