5 Indian defeats that really hurt the fans

India dominated the entire tournament only to lose in the final

India is a country where cricket is a religion. Every time we win a match, the level of excitement and the euphoria that the country witnesses is unimaginable. Hence, it only makes sense that a single defeat can send shock waves across the nation.From not moving out of your favourite spot to passionately following superstitions, we are ready to do anything in our capabilities to avoid an Indian defeat. But, there are a few matches that we lost and its extent broke our hearts. Here is a compilation of such losses that hurt us.

#1 ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2014

India dominated the entire tournament only to lose in the final

When India entered the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2014 in Bangladesh, they were one of the heavyweights and true to their tag, they entered the knockout with clinical performances in the group stages.It was the only undefeated team throughout the group stages.

Riding on Virat Kohli’s brilliance, India reached the final.But, India’s luck ran out in the all-important final against Sri Lanka.Asked to bat first, India managed only a meager 130/4 at the end of the 20 overs which was surpassed by Sri Lanka in 17.5 overs.

A lackluster performance by the middle order was cited as the reason for the loss. The blame game soon started with Yuvraj Singh caught in the middle of the storm due to 21 ball 11 which resulted in a lack of momentum in the middle overs.

#2 ICC World Cup 2007 vs Bangladesh

This result was a total shocker

Now, this is one match that no Indian cricket fan would easily forget. The memories of this match hurt us so badly that we wanted it to ebb. The then India team boasted of some of the biggest names in international cricket like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly among others.

The underdogs bowled out India for a mere 191 before going on to chase it comfortably, thanks to the brilliance of some new young faces. India’s only bright spot was Sourav Ganguly’s half-century in a match that was marred by poor shots, sloppy fielding, and average bowling.

The Bangladeshi youngsters displayed tremendous capabilities and caused a major upset which ultimately led to India getting knocked off from the World Cup before the knock out stages.

#3 India vs England, 5th Test,2014

Even a technically sound batsman like Pujara found the going tough

India’s failure in overseas Tests has been a matter of concern over the past few years. Following that trend, India’s tour of England in 2014 was disastrous to say the least. The 5th Test at Manchester proved to be utter chaos as the Indian batting line-up collapsed not once but twice.

It was so bad that India was reduced to 8/4 at one stage and eventually were bowled out for 152 runs in the first innings. Nothing was amended in the next innings as India was once against bundled out for 161 as England handed India an embarrassing innings defeat.

The loss was one of the worst in recent times in terms of margin. The collective failure of the team and an outstanding display of swing bowling by the Englishmen ensured that India faced the brunt.

#4 ICC World Cup final vs Australia ,2003

Losing Sachin in the very 1st over of the run chase hurt the fans

The ICC World Cup held in South Africa was like a complete circle for team India. India had lost only one match en route to the final and it was against Australia. Hence, in the final against Australia, fans were expecting India to seek revenge in the ‘all-important’ match and lift the coveted trophy.

However, what seemed to unfurl was completely unexpected. Put into bat first, Australia started firing right from the start and ended with 359-2 with Javagal Srinath proving to be the most expensive bowler.

In reply, India’s batting was extremely disappointing as they squandered to the Aussies without much fight. They were bundled out for 234 runs with Virender Sehwag top scoring with 82 runs. This defeat hurt the fans so much that the country witnessed violent outbreaks and a lot of emotional scenes owing to the defeat.

#5 India vs South Africa, 2nd Test, 2008

India were bowled out in 20 overs

The series against South Africa was one of the most competitive series. Despite having the home advantage and a heavy scoring match 1st Test, India’s performance in the 2nd Test was extremely mediocre. Their score in the first innings was one of the lowest in recent times.

Having opted to bat first, India were all out for just 76 runs in the first innings as Dale Steyn wrecked havoc with a five-wicket haul. They never stabilized after the disastrous start and were all-out for 328 runs in the second innings as the match ended within 3 days.

The match was particularly disappointing owing to the fact that India had set very high standards for themselves on home grounds and failed to match up to the expectations and went on to lose by an innings and 90 runs.

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Edited by Staff Editor