Top 10 World Cup performances that ended up in a losing cause

There have been some wonderful performances in the ten editions of the cricket World Cup. Most of these have led to their side winning the match comprehensively and some of them have come under extreme pressure situations like MS Dhoni’s brilliant innings in the 2011 World Cup final, that helped India win the title after 28 long years.However, there have been a few performances that are equally memorable, but haven’t resulted in their side winning the match.Here’s a look at 10 such performances where despite stellar performances from individual players, sides have been found themselves on the losing end.

#10 Sachin Tendulkar\'s 111 against South Africa at Nagpur in 2011

India took on South Africa in a group game at the 2011 World Cup at Nagpur. Opting to bat first after winning the toss on a belter of a pitch, Tendulkar and Sehwag smashed the South African bowlers to all parts of the VCA stadium. Sehwag fell for 73, but Tendulkar carried on, scoring at a brisk rate.

The Mumbaikar got to his 99th International ton when he took a single off Morne Morkel. He was eventually dismissed for 111 which triggered a collapse in the Indian innings and they were bundled out for 296.

Chasing 297 for a win, the South Africans led by measured half-centuries from Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, and a blistering 39-ball 52 from AB de Villiers reached the target in the final over as India suffered their first and only defeat in the 2011 World Cup.

Here’s a video of Tendulkar’s final World Cup hundred:

#9 Chris Harris in the 1996 quarter-final against Australia

In the fourth quarter-final of the 1996 World Cup, New Zealand took on Australia at Chennai. Lee Germon's decision to bat first after winning the toss seemed the wrong one after his side was reduced to 44 for 3 inside the first 10 overs. But Chris Harris, batting at number 4, counterattacked superbly to bring the Kiwis back into the game. He went on to score his maiden ODI hundred and shared a 212-run partnership with Germon. He was finally dismissed for 130, caught by Paul Reiffel in the deep.

However, that innings didn't help the Kiwis beat their Trans-Tasman rivals as Mark Waugh's purple patch in the tournament continued as he scored a 112-ball 110, which helped his side win the game by 6 wickets and also book their place in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Here’s a video of Harris’s century:

#8 Sachin Tendulkar\'s 137 against Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup

India were taking on Sri Lanka in the group stages of the 1996 World Cup at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. The Indians were put into bat by Arjuna Ranatunga and they were rocked early as Manoj Prabhakar was sent packing by Ravindra Pushpakumara for 7. However, that's when the Sachin Tendulkar show began.

The Bombay bomber smashed the Sri Lankan attack consisting of Chaminda Vaas, Pushpakumara, Kumar Dharmasena and Muttiah Muralitharan to all parts of the ground in an amazing exhibition of power-hitting. He was eventually run-out for 137.

Coming out to chase the target of 273 set by India, Sanath Jayasuriya hammered the Indian bowling attack to all corners of the ground, smashing a 76-ball 79 that set the tone for a 6-wicket win for the Lankans.

Here’s a video of that brilliant knock from Tendulkar:

#7 Saqlain Mushtaq vs Bangladesh in the 1999 World Cup

Pakistan took on Bangladesh at Northampton in the 1999 World Cup. Wasim Akram opted to bowl first after winning the toss, but his bowlers couldn't give him and his side a breakthrough until the 16th over as the Bangladeshi openers gave their side a good start. But the introduction of off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq helped the Men in Green get back into the game.

He first picked up both the openers in quick succession before coming back in the final 10-overs to pick up Minhajul Abedin, Khaled Mahmud and Mohammad Rafique to record a five-wicket haul and restrict the Tigers to 223 for 9 in their 50 overs.

In reply, the Pakistani batsman could never get going thanks to some very good bowling from Khaled Mahmud and were skittled out for 161, thereby succumbing to an embarrassing defeat to the minnows. That win also helped the Tigers a great deal in getting Test status.

#6 Gary Gilmour\'s 5 for 48 in the 1975 World Cup final

After ripping through England's batting line-up in the semi-final of the 1975 Prudential Cup, Gary Gilmour and Australia made their way to the final at Lord’s to take on the mighty West Indies. Gilmour continued from where he had left off in the semis, first picking up Alvin Kalicharan and Rohan Kanhai and then coming back later to pick up Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards and Deryck Murray to finish with 5 for 48 in 12 overs, thereby taking his second consecutive five-wicket haul.

Despite a 93-ball 62 from Ian Chappell, the Aussies fell short of the West Indies target by 17 runs and Gilmour's performance went in vain. Interestingly, Gilmour only played one ODI for his country after that World Cup.

#5 John Davison\'s whirlwind effort at Centurion

Minnows Canada were taking on West Indies at the Supersport Park in Centurion during the 2003 World Cup. Canada were bundled out for 36 by Sri Lanka earlier in the tournament and so one would've expected the Windies to win quite comfortably. Well, they did win by 7 wickets in the end but not before John Davison smashed their bowlers to all parts of the ground, scoring the fastest hundred in the history of World Cup cricket at the time off just 67 balls.

The onslaught it seemed would've continued had Vasbert Drakes not pulled off one of the most incredible catches on the long-on boundary to dismiss Davison for a 76-ball 111, that included 8 fours and 6 huge sixes.

Here’s the video of Davison’s brilliant innings:

#4 Shane Bond\'s magical spell against Australia

Australia were up against New Zealand in the fifth match of the Super Six stage of the 2003 World Cup at Port Elizabeth. The Blackcaps won the toss and chose to field and Stephen Fleming's decision paid dividends straight away as his best fast bowler, Shane Bond reduced the Australians to 47 for 4, removing Adam Gilchrist, Mathew Hayden, Ricky Ponting cheaply inside the first 10 overs.

He later came back to remove Damien Martyn, Brad Hogg and Ian Harvey to finish with figures of 6 of 23 in 10 overs and ensured that the Aussies stumbled their way to no more than 208 in their 50 overs.

However, New Zealand were up against a rampaging Brett Lee and an incisive Glenn McGrath who ripped the heart out of their batting line-up, reducing them to 66 for 4 inside 15 overs. Andy Bichel and Ian Harvey then came to the party, picking up one wicket apiece to bowl the Kiwis out for 112 and inflict a 96-run loss on them.

Here’s a video of that exceptional spell from Bond:

#3 Martin Crowe\'s 91 in the 1992 World Cup semi-final against Pakistan

After stumbling their way to the semi-final, Pakistan took on New Zealand in the first semi-final of the 1992 World Cup in Eden Park at Auckland. Opting to bat first, the Blackcaps were under early pressure, when they lost their openers Mark Greatbatch and John Wright early.

Crowe walked in at the fall of Wright's wicket and put on a crucial 107-run stand for the fourth wicket with Ken Rutherford. Crowe attacked Imran Khan's trump card in the tournament, Mushtaq Ahmed and scored an 83-ball 91, that included 7 hits to the fence and 3 hits over them. His knock also helped New Zealand set Pakistan a target of 263 in 50 overs.

Owing to an injury, Crowe couldn't come out to lead his side in the second innings and John Wright took over the captaincy. At one point, it did look as if the Blackcaps would win quite convincingly, but that is when Inzamam-ul-Haq decided to show the world the amount of talent that he possessed, smashing a 37-ball 60 which helped Pakistan reach their first ever World Cup final.

#2 Lance Klusener\'s heroics in the 1999 World Cup semi-final

Set 214 for a place in the final of the 1999 World Cup, South Africa were 175 for 6 in the 45th over when Lance Klusener walked out to join Shaun Pollock in the middle. Pollock departed soon and when Boucher and Steve Elworthy departed in quick succession with the Proteas still needing 16 runs to win and it was now up to Klusener to take his side home.

The left-hander smashed McGrath for a six off the penultimate ball of the 49th over and took a single of the last ball to bring the equation down to 9 runs off 6 balls. The first two balls off the last over were drilled to the fence leaving South Africa to get 1 run off 4 balls. But in trying to secure the win off the 4^th ball of the over, Allan Donald was run-out by first an underarm throw from Mark Waugh to Damien Fleming who rolled it to Adam Gilchrist, who did the rest.

The match had ended in a dramatic tie which meant that the Aussies progressed to the final as they had finished above the South Africans in the Super Six stage.

Here’s a video of the dramatic last few moments of that incredible semi-final:

#1 Mahela Jayawardene\'s century in the 2011 World Cup final

India were up against Sri Lanka in the final of the 2011 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Sri Lankans won the toss on a good pitch and opted to bat first. Zaheer Khan did some early damage to remove Upal Tharanga for 2 and when Harbhajan Singh removed Tillakaratne Dilshan for 33, Sri Lanka's score was only 60.

In walked Mahela Jayawardene to join Kumar Sangakkara in the middle. The right-hander looked good, nudging the ball into gaps, picking up singles and twos and hitting the odd boundary when necessary. The loss of Sangakkara didn't bother him much as he seemed determined to score a big one on the big night.

Supported admirably, first by Nuwan Kulasekara and then Thisara Perera in the end, the then 33-year-old brought up a special hundred off just 84 balls in the 48th over of the innings and helped set India a competitive target of 275 to win the World Cup.

However, the Indians led by Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni, batted tremendously well under immense pressure in front of a packed Wankhede crowd to overhaul Sri Lanka's total and become world champions after 28 years.

Here’s a video of that Jayawardene’s hundred: