India's 5 Greatest ODI Victories

So a few days ago, I was watching this series of videos from Harsha Bhogle where he was reminiscing the five best test victories for team India. I wanted to do the same for one day’s. Now when you sit down and think about the best 5 five games, you can probably count 10. There are so many marquee games that come to mind. I think This will be difficult. But let me try. So there goes my list of top 5 ODI games for India.

5) 28th February 2012, India vs Sri Lanka

India started well in the series with wins over Sri lanka and Australia , then tied a game with sri lanka and lost two versus Australia. All this meant that India had to win its last game with sri lanka with a bonus point and then, hope Australia defeats Sri lanka to qualify for the finals. India won the toss and chose to field. What this meant was whatever, Sri Lanka put on board India had to chase it down in 40 overs or less to get a bonus point. It was a good batting wicket in hobart and India would have wanted to get sri lanka out for less than 250. But, what followed was master class from Dilshan and Sangakkara. They amassed 320 for 4 in the allotted 50 overs. India needed to chase 321 in 40 overs with an asking rate of 8 from the onset to keep their hopes alive in the tournament. And what followed was a master class from Kohli. He scored 133 in 86 balls. The best death bowler at the time, Lasith malinga went for 96 runs in his 7 overs. This match showed the changing mentality of India cricket. But, above all it showed fearlessness , a new spirit in the team. Never say die attitude was exhilarating to see. We knew then that Indian cricket had come of age then. Gone were the days where we would have surrendered to huge targets and now we could any challenge head on.

4) Desert Storm at Sharjah, 1998

Just shy of his 25th birthday, Sachin had achieved a lot in his short career but that innings was something else. Chasing a target of 285 in 50 overs, India needed 254 runs to trump New Zealand on Net Run Rate and qualify for the final. And as was the case in those days, we Indians had thought of that as our only target. We thought let us somehow score that 254 and qualify for the finals. I was 6 then, so obviously didn’t watch the game live. However, years later I saw it in a little 1 hour episode of cricket classics on ten sports. I didn’t knew what had happened in the game. So I watched with bated breath to see if we can reach 254. And then Sachin happened. From fleming to Warne, Everyone was smacked left right and centre. I think that day only one Indian was thinking of 285 and not 254 and that was Sachin Tendulkar. And mind you, If the desert storm didn’t come and break his peak concentration, who knows he might have done it. We lost 4 overs to the storm. Needed 236 in 46 now. Sachin got out on 242 and we lost that match but qualified for the finals. Sachin scored 143 in 130 odd bowls, a strike rate of over 100 was almost unheard of back then.

3) July 13, 2002 vs England, Natwest Trophy final

I was 10 at the time and was a huge cricket fanatic by then. I remember that clearly, India came into the tournament after a string of loses in the finals. A lot of people questioned India’s temperament in big games. The game started, England batted first on beautiful sunny day at lords. What followed was two centuries from Trescothik and Naseer Hussain. Naseer Hussain was under a lot of criticism , that he cant bat at number 3 for england. I remember him pointing at the number 3 written on the back of his t-shirt after scoring the hundred, as if to say he belongs there. India was set a target of 326 runs in 50 overs. India raced to 100 in 14 overs with sehwag and ganguly belting the english bowlers. Then came the come back , we lost 5 wickets for 40 odd runs. At 146-5, when sachin was bowled by ashley giles, I switched off my Tv set. A 10 year old boy, teary eyed, went back to watch something else with his family. I missed almost 1 hour of the game, where two boys were playing like men. Yuvraj Singh and mohammad kaif, fresh off the under 19 world cup win, were playing innings of their life. And then I switched on the TV set, As soon as I did, yuvraj got out on 69. Trying to play dab to fine leg, got a top edge and short fine leg took an easy catch. He was distraught. He walked so slowly to the dressing room, harsha bhogle who was on commentary at the time said it would take a crane to take him off the ground. Kaif was playing well with harbhajan singh. The turbanator hit a one hand six on the leg side. Then we lost two back to back wickets to flintoff. The game was very much in the balance, with zaheer khan and kaif, we somehow scraped over the line. I was exhilarated and so was ganguly. I was so proud of the Indian team. Mind you it was england, where we had a tendency of giving it away. From teary eyes at 146-5 to teary eyes at 326-8, life had turned a full circle for me.

2) April 2, 2011 vs Sri Lanka, World cup final

I was preparing for my JEE exam, which was scheduled to be 11th. I woke up at 4 in the morning, studied till 2:30 pm, and then saw the toss. India were bowling, put the TV on mute and started studying again. The whole Sri lankan innings was watched on mute, mostly studying with a glance or two every 10-15 minutes to just check the score. Mehela jayawardene, score a brilliant hundred. When you set 275 to chase in world cup final, you are almost 60-40 ahead in the game. And with, 31 for 2 match was all but over. My heart sank. Sehwag and Sachin were in great form throughout the tournament. WE had a very worrisome middle order, with dhoni woefully out of touch. Yuvraj was in prime form and I had no doubts even then that he would be the man of the tournament. But, what did dhoni do? He came in ahead of yuvraj and scored a match winning 90 odd to win the only world cup win I watch live. Wow, what feeling that was. But in all that, we forget a little young man from delhi who scored a 97 when the team was struggling. Gautam gambhir’s innings that day was pure class and often forgotten in the blistering inning played by dhoni.

1) India vs West Indies, lords, 1983 world cup final

So which world cup final was India’s greatest? Many people of my generation would rank MSD’s victory greater than that of kapil dev’s. But, for me this was the best moment for India in its ODI history. Rank underdogs, playing the best team in the world. The dibbly dobbly pacers that we had vs the mighty marshal and holding. It was david v/s goliath in the truest sense, and we were no goliath. Setting 184 to win in 60 overs to batting line up boasting of the likes of vivian richards, haynes, loyd and greenidge, at the mid break everyone thought India will lose. But, We had other plans. Turning point of the game, was that backward running catch taken by kapil dev to dismiss Viv Richards. The ball was in the air for eternity, but our captain took one of the best catches ever, and this turned the tide in our favour. We won the world cup, and the kapil dev’s team inspired a generation of cricketers. We are a cricketing nation, because of that victory and it would turn out to shape the sporting landscape of a country of 1 billion people. This was where it all started and this is where my list will end.

Aaj Teesra Din Hai

Ankhen khul gye meri,

Hogya mai fir zinda,

Is 4 dewaari mai,

Saamp ke jaisa rengta khayal aya,

Aaj teesra din hai,

Aaj teesra din hai...

Bistar pe mai hun leta,

Bhook bht tez lag rhi hai,

Samne ki khidki se,

Tez dhoop aa rhi hai,

Parden hain nhi khidki pe,

Nauk jaise chub rhi hai,

Kash mai uth pata ,

Par ab himmat nhi bachi hai,

Aaj teesra din hai,

aaj teesra din hai…

Ek patli si gali pr chal rha hun mai,

Dono taraf dukane hai,

Kuch kuch bech rhi hai,

Barik barik akshar mai keematen likh rakhi hain,

Par ab padh nhi sakta mai,

Dur ek kaune mai ek nal dhikayi deta hai,

Sochta hun mai,

Ek ghoont pani pi,

Khuch toh pet mai jaa pae,

Pani pi ke thoda acha lgta hai,

Par bhook se abhi kauna kauna dard krta hai,

Aaaj teesra din hai,

aaj teesra din hai…

Raat hogyi hai ab,

Usi gali mai leta hun,

Asmaan ki thali mai,

Chand roti sa lgta hai,

Ankhen band ho rhi hai ab,

Kya mai mar rha hun?

Maut hai ya behoshi,

jo bhi hai ganimat hai,

Aaj teesra din hai,

Aaj teesra din hai..

THE PROPOSAL 

Sanaya, that was the name he had in mind as he was driving his car to his favorite restaurant. He first met her on a holiday to an exotic country. The moons delicate light had just turned the world a-flame with silver when he first saw her. She had a comely figure which was stem-thin. Her curvilinear waist didn’t surprise him as much as the saffron tint to her complexion. She must be a native, he thought to myself. Her crescent shaped eyebrows inclined slightly as she saw him staring at her. He yelped at being caught. Her languid eyelashes of velvet-black blinked once slowly, as if to invite him over.

When he came closer, he noticed her scrolled ears and her elegant nose. It was love at first light. Her luminous, heavenly-white teeth flashed as she pawed at him with her film star nails. Her hair was a glorious tumble of star beam-gold and her virility-brown eyes set my heart a-thump. Her oxbow lips positively drooled with goodness. Oh! Those sugar candy-sweet lips, her elegant personality, all mesmerized him. And when he was caught drooling over her, she in her own innocent way shied away. He may have been one of the richest guys in India, a man who was an epitome of resilience., but in front of her he was as vulnerable as a person in love. Was it that? Love? Or was it just a crush? Who knew? But it wasn’t something he had never experienced. And when he heard her saccharine voice, he was in another place. It has been 2 years since that day, and he was ready to pop the question today.

Ayan was the kind of man sanaya always wanted in her life. Sanaya was meeting ayan today in his favorite restaurant. A little chinese joint, where they both loved to meet. But, today it was different. Sanaya was a little late and when she reached, ayan was already there sitting on his favorite table , lost in thoughts. He had tousled dark brown hair, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerizing deep ocean blue, flecks of silvery light performed ballets throughout. His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He had dark eye brows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. His usually playful smile had drawn into a hard line across his face. His perfect lips ripe for the kissing. She came stood in front of table. Ayan got up. His strong hands, slightly rough from working, held hers as he stared deep into her eyes. Sanaya couldn't help but blush. His smile etched it’s way back into his face. His body was warm and toned as he hugged her, comforting to the touch. His voice was deep, with an serious tone. His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, "I really do love you." Those five words set off a cascade of complex emotions , many of which were due to the fact that sanaya was irrevocably in love with the man in front of him. It was her first love. For her it was like a being on the best rollercoaster ride ever. In the very beginning, you climb in and think "I can't believe I'm doing this, what the hell was I thinking, maybe this isn't such a good idea, blah, blah, blah" except at some point, it's too late for backing out because you're moving. And you're climbing and then spinning and looping all crazy and the thoughts are that you're pretty sure you're going to survive because how many deaths are there, really, from people falling out of roller coasters? But you don't really know because you never really paid too much attention to rollercoaster fatality statistics because you weren't into riding roller coasters. Until now. And every twist and hairpin turn is exciting and you realize you're enjoying every scary minute and you start to just let go and trust...no, you start to truly believe...that you're definitely going to make it. Except there's always that "gotcha" turn when the bottom drops out and your stomach lurches, but then you're back flying again and you're laughing your head off because you made it and you're alive and this is all the most real stuff there is. And the ride begins to slow just a little bit, and the turns and twists are more like echoes of the stomach-turning ones from before, but you're okay with that. You're okay with everything. And  you're pulling into the place where you started from, smiling, happy, enriched, and knowing you're right where you always wanted to be. Ayan was thinking of getting married for the second time. He got married 7 years earlier to Preeti. It was an arranged marriage. Preeti and ayan were poles apart. They had nothing in common. Despite of a lot of trying, marriage counselor sessions, and what not , they finally got divorced 3 years later. The proposal itself was the most cliched proposal that can be. The waiter brought in their favorite red wine. There was a ring in one of the glasses. A gloriously cut diamond, set like a crown on 24 carat golden ring. There was this royalty in the ring, but above all there was love. A love that would last longer than the shining golden jewel.  Sanaya was slowly gulping the wine, when she realised what was happening and there was ayan on his knees waiting to to say those 4 words “Will you marry me?” . She was happy yet she was crying. She was engulfed by a complex set of emotions, one where she didn;t knew what to feel. The only thing that was on her mind was the love she had for ayan and before even completing the sentence she said yes. The saccharin smile on the faces of ayan and sanaya, made one believe that true love can conquer any sorrow , depression and sadness. It was just two years ago, before sanaya met ayan that sanaya’s world had come falling down on her. Her father, her philosopher and guide, passed away. Grief, sadness, loss... engulfed her. She felt Worthless, weeping, disparity, failure, apathy, nothingness, empty, numb, broken when she would crumble to the floor and just give up. She was afraid , terrified of facing this world alone with no one to bank on.  Grief can seem like an unbearable experience. But for those of us who have entered the broken world of loss and sorrow, we realize that in the fractured landscape of grief we can find the pieces of our life that we ourselves have forgotten. It was in this fractured landscape of grief, that sanaya met ayan.

They had the dinner , and ayan was taking sanaya back to her place. It was late in the night, The couple was walking hand in hand and enjoying the full moon that had brightened the night. Suddenly, a thief appeared out of nowhere. He had a gun in his hand. He wanted them to empty their purse and give everything they had. Sanaya tried hiding her ring , but the thief was sharp. He asked her to give the ring to. “No, Not the ring said ayan. He was willing to give anything but the ring. But the thief was in no mood to let go off it. Ayan made a move towards the gun, thief in his reflexes pulled the trigger, the bullet went straight into ayan’s chest. Thief left everything and ran away. Sanaya was numb. She saw his pulse dropping. Blood was oozing out of his chest. He will not survive this, she knew. Sanaya had tears in her eyes.

“Please don’t cry. Not today”, said ayan.

“Please don’t leave me like this. “ , she responded.

“Promise me you will find someone else. SomeOne who will make you smile. Someone who will be with you every step of the way.”, he asked.

“I promise.”, she said with her eyes full of tears.

“I Love y…..” , with these words he closed his eyes. His pulse had stopped. He was gone.

She caught her breath. Ayan was dead. Thief had shot him. She looked at the ground where his body lay. Time seemed to stop. A boiling fury swelled inside of her, and the physical pain was suddenly too much to bare. She screamed and fell to the ground, tears covering her dirt stained face. She bled with her as he dies, the warmth from his body seeped out of him into the earth leaving behind a cold empty husk. “Some people are never meant to be happy”, she thought. Her first love died 2 year back, her second one lay dead before her, as if her love was a deathwish.. The bright full moon , was now behind the clouds. There was a frightening darkness all over. Just like the darkness sanya left in sanaya’s life.