5 greatest Cricket moments of Independent India

It is the 72nd year of Independence as the people of our country take pride in hoisting the flag every year with immense pride and honor. It feels blessed to stand under the National Flag as each one of us pledges to never let down the pride of our country.

A similar feeling dwells upon the minds of all those fortunate players who have represented their nation at the World Stage. Singing the national anthem before any game or witnessing the TriColor being hoisted after a major win, is a moment that time and again reminds us of our identity of being Indian.

Cricket has played the pivotal role in uniting the nation at times of National disintegration. It has been a journey with many ups and downs but every time the nation has stood by its team to keep intact the sanctity of the Indian flag.

On this auspicious occasion, we take a leaf out of the Indian cricket history and look back at certain moments that defined cricket in India.

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#5. Series wins in England and West Indies in 1971

It was five years after Independence in 1952 when India registered its first series victory over the arch-rivals Pakistan. However, it was a win against the rookies at the world stage. India was still a team who could play well at home in patches and was conceived with a mindset of getting decimated on the foreign soil. In regards to the same, India had a golden run in 1971 when they went onto defeat England and West Indies in their own backyard for the very first time to register a series win.

Both the teams along with Australia were reckoned as the giants in the cricketing arena. But it was India, who did a major upset against the invincible West Indian team to win the 5-match Test series 1-0 and then saw the English off-guard in the 3-match series by 1-0. These two series victories gave the nation the confidence to fight in alien conditions. The tour gave a birth to the national hero in Sunil Gavaskar who played against the fearsome Caribbean bowling attack and mustered over 700 runs in his debut series.

#4. A 335-run mammoth Laxman-Dravid partnership at Kolkata in 2001

India was down and out in the 2nd Test at Kolkata in 2001 after Australia asked India to follow-on in the 2nd innings as it eventually ended as their biggest misjudgment ever made on a cricket field. Australia came into the Test match on a 16-match winning streak and being 1-0 up in the 3-match Test series after their win in Mumbai.

It was a make or break situation for the Indians who had been pretty good at their home turf. Before the 4th day of the Test match, the visitors had hardly put a foot wrong and even their decision to ask India follow-on, sounded realistic.

It was only until the duo of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted the entire Day 4 to turn things around in India's favour. It was in scorching heat at Eden Gardens that India's to be the reliable duo stroked runs for fun. No one knew that it was history in making as India were to pull off one of the most stupendous victories on Day 5 in the history of the game.

Laxman, who shared one of the most memorable days in Indian cricket history alongside Dravid, who smashed 180, was awarded the Man of the match for his remarkable 281.

#3. India wins inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007

Pakistan v India - Twenty20 Championship Final

India was one of the most reluctant sides in World cricket who opposed their whole-hearted participation in ICC's newly proposed T20 World cup in 2007. When many of the greats refused to tour to the Rainbow nation, BCCI decided to trust the young talent. The likes of Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Joginder Sharma were roped in under the leadership of young and fearless skipper MS Dhoni.

It was a group of players who believed their instincts and loved to express them on the world stage. When nobody termed India as serious contenders, the men in blue kept on producing some jaw-dropping performances game after another to present a strong case for themselves in the last four.

It was after beating serious favourites Australia in the semi-final, India were all set to take on Pakistan in the final. A nervy final that went down the wire, saw India emerge winners to completely change the picture of how T20 cricket was perceived in India. It was a huge success with the inception of many leagues in the coming years with IPL being one of them.

#2. India's World Cup win in 2011 after 28 years at Wankhede in Mumbai

World Cup returned to the sub-continent after 15 years and everyone believed India as the serious contenders to lift the trophy. It was also thought of as a perfect reception to the master who waited for the glory for the last 22 years. Indians were under immense pressure but they delivered the goods on every occasion. Whenever they were under the pump, one of the players stood strong to take the team out of the trouble.

But it was all down to the final when India were set a tough target of 275 by the Sri Lankans at the iconic Wankhede Stadium. The nation felt the heat when Sehwag and Tendulkar were sent back to the dressing room even before 20 runs were put on the board. But it was Gambhir's masterclass on the great day and Dhoni's timely innings that India touched glory without any further hiccup in the chase.

The six from the Indian skipper off Nuwan Kulasekara at long-on is still etched in the memory and will continue to be, in the years to come.

#1. Maiden World Cup Victory in 1983

India went into the World Cup of 1983 as minnows with a very pathetic record of just a solitary win against East Africa in on of the previous editions. A squad led by Kapil Dev was a group of players who lacked self-believe to perform at such a huge stage. However, it was their skipper from Haryana whose words of wisdom led India's inspiring world Cup win in 1983. Kapil's knock of 175 against Zimbabwe when he walked in at a score of 17/5, instilled confidence in his troops to make things happen for themselves.

Somehow, India booked their Semi-final clash against England. Everyone was keen to witness an England-West Indies Final, brushing aside any possibility of an upset in the Semis. But the Kapil's Devils as they were usually called as, were on a roll as they defeated England to play West Indies at Lord's in the Final.

It once again needed a miracle as India were bowled out for 183 but the belief saw them on the better side of the result as they inflicted another upset to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat against West Indies to take the cup by 43 runs.