5 iconic India-England ODI matches

The India-England rivalry has always been intriguing. It ranks alongside the great India-Australia/India-Pakistan rivalries. Nothing seems more emphatic than winning a final at Lords and watching the dismal faces of English fans; the feeling you get as an Indian is inexplicable. One of India’s greatest cult movies, ‘Lagaan’ also had the same theme. In fact, there were many reports of movie-goers cheering and dancing when Aamir Khan finishes the match with that flamboyant last ball six. Such is the aura of India- England matches. As both the teams continue to sweat it out in what appears to be yet another riveting ODI battle, we go down the history lane and bring you some memorable clashes that happened on the field in recent times.

Natwest Series Final, Lords, 2002:

This match arguably ranks among the best matches ever in the history of cricket. There was a lot of drama, both on and off the field, particularly the dressing room. Faced with a daunting task of chasing 326, India started off well, but lost momentum in the middle stages. However, Indian young Turks, Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh kept their cool and steered India home, which was followed by the famous shirt swaying act of Dada.

World Cup 2011, Bangalore:

This match will be remembered for more than one reason. There was always a time when India and England were in a formidable position, only to give it away at the end. Batting first, India posed an imposing total of 338, but couldn’t really capitalize on the last 10 overs. Still, they would have taken that total anyway. England were now under tremendous pressure. But thanks to an insipid and wayward bowling performance by India, they got off to a flying start and were cruising towards victory. Zaheer Khan, brought back into attack after his dismal first spell, finally got India the breakthrough. From there on, the match was evenly poised. Result – we had a bewitching last ball tied match.

World Cup 2003, Durban:

Batting first on seamer friendly conditions, India managed to score a modest 250 after a topsy-turvy start. With most of the English top order in blazing form, the odds were in England’s favour. Ashish Nehra, who wasn’t at his best prior to this match, had other plans though. Bowling after the treatment of ankle spray, he tormented and humiliated the England batting order, which soon fell like a pack of cards. He finished off with figures of 6/23. Many experts believe his was one of the best spells of swing bowling they have ever witnessed.

Oval, September, 2007:

England, batting first, struck some vital blows in the penultimate over. Dmitry Mascerenas scored 30 off the last over of innings to lead England to a formidable score of 316. The bowler in question was Yuvraj Singh, whose six sixes outburst against Stuart Broad is seen as ‘revenge’ for this particular incident by many. India started their chase well, ably anchored by Sachin Tendulkar’s 94. But they faltered in the middle, losing wickets in quick procession. It was all but over for India, as there were tail-enders at one end and Robin Uthappa at the other, who wasn’t quite known for consistency. But he rose to the occasion, hitting 2 boundaries in the last over, taking India home with 2 deliveries to spare.

Wankhede, February 2002:

The final of the bilateral series was a highly even contest, which England eventually won by 5 runs, hence levelling the series. The highlight of the show was Flintoff’s shirtless victory lap at the end of the match.