5 greatest run chases in Cricket World Cups

Chasing down targets is very commonplace these days. The advent of Twenty20 cricket has given rise to a new breed of cricketers who believe that any score can be achieved, regardless of the daunting task ahead. Changes to the fielding restrictions have also helped the cause of batsmen across the globe, and teams have gone on to post memorable wins.The quadrennial showpiece that the World Cup is, it just deserves every bit of a thrilling contest between bat and ball; the more even, the better. I’ve managed to compile five of the greatest run chases in the tournament’s long history, and they do make for rather interesting stories!Here’s a look at those chases:

#5 Australia vs South Africa (Headingley, Leeds, June 1999)

Steve Waugh in action during his brilliant knock of 120 in the 1999 World Cup

Forget the record chase which came after seven years. Forget the fact that South Africa would go on to suffer another heartbreaking loss at the penultimate stage of yet another World Cup edition in four days. This was a make-or-break moment for the Australians – one more slip-up and they would have been out of the tournament, and what transpired certainly deserves to be labelled as the greatest ODI match of all time.

South Africa powered their way to 271, courtesy a magnificent hundred from Herschelle Gibbs. In reply, Australia fell to 48/3, with Ponting struggling to time the ball. In walked skipper Steve Waugh – he’d been taking a lot of criticism about his side not being able to handle pressure well. A lesser man would have crumbled, but Tugga was made of sterner stuff.

He started aggressively, exhorting his younger partner to go for his shots as well. In no time, he reached his fifty – and then came the turning point of the game: a flick off Lance Klusener landed in Gibbs’ hands, who threw up the ball in the air in premature celebration, only to spill it. Thereafter, South Africa lost the plot, with Waugh finishing on an unbeaten 120, and Australia cruised into the semi-finals where they won yet another thrilling encounter against the Proteas. Greatest World Cup game of all time in the 20th century, I’d say!

#4 Ireland vs England (M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, March 2011)

Kevin O’Brien’s purple hair was overshadowed by his blazing century for the Shamrocks

This was one of the best games ever in the 2011 edition, and perhaps the biggest upset in the group stages. Bengaluru was expected to be painted red & blue, yet green was the dominant colour that night. England would have fancied their chances against the Irish, given the firepower they possessed. But then, cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties.

Riding on magnificent half centuries from Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell, the Poms went on to post 327, despite John Mooney’s four-wicket haul. In response, Ireland suffered an all-too-familiar collapse, tottering at 111/5 with the required rate climbing every over. They needed a miracle.

Kevin O’Brien provided it. Playing with a calmness and a technique only slightly better than that of the maverick Kieron Pollard, the right hander pulverized the bowling, lighting up the stands with his incandescent power hitting. With Alex Cusack, he stitched together a 162-run stand for the sixth wicket, injecting life into Ireland’s innings and reviving their hopes of victory; the highlight of his blazing century was a powerful six off Tim Bresnan, clean over cover.

Although the purple-haired hero fell with Ireland closing in on the triumph, Mooney ensured they crossed the finish line, sparking off St Patrick’s Day early for the Irish.

#3 Australia vs Sri Lanka (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, March 1996)

Sri Lankan players celebrate after beating Australia to win the World Cup

After a topsy-turvy tournament, filled with thrills, chills and some outright disappointing performances, only two teams were left standing for the Cup. Rival captains Mark Taylor and Arjuna Ranatunga had more than just a victory on their minds; for the latter, it was a chance for vengeance after the entire Muttiah Muralitharan chucking controversy the previous year Down Under.

He exacted it sweetly. A blazing start by Taylor and Ricky Ponting was nullified when the spinners came on, collapsing to 241 in their essay. Much of this fall was attributed to the four-pronged spin attack which was able to gain considerable assistance from a flat deck. Yet, during the chase, they lost their dynamic opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya & Romelu Kaluwitharana early. In Ravi Shastri’s words, someone had to put up his hand and step up to shepherd the side out of deep waters.

Enter Aravinda de Silva, who had led the side in the previous edition of the tournament. Having taken three wickets with his off-breaks, he then proceeded to launch a calculated assault on the rival bowlers, mixing caution with aggression. In the company of first Asanka Gurusinha & then Ranatunga, de Silva compiled a magnificent century, knocking off the winning runs as the Emerald Islanders became the second team to win a World Cup final when chasing.

#2 India vs Sri Lanka (Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, April 2011)

MS Dhoni’s final hit of the 2011 World Cup is its everlasting image

One would have thought that Mahela Jayawardene would finally be part of a World Cup-winning squad, having come close to lifting the trophy in 2007. All the signs were in place – first use of the wicket, pairing up with good friend and skipper Kumar Sangakkara before bowing out with a resplendent century. Once again, India would have to chase down another 270-plus score to secure the title they won 28 years ago.

The early losses of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag might even have convinced Jayawardene that it would be his turn on the winner’s podium soon. India captain MS Dhoni, however, had something else up his sleeve. Gautam Gambhir, the southpaw, was still out there, battling in his own way. He sent Virat Kohli in at No. 4, allowing the Delhi duo to add 83 valuable runs, before promoting himself up the order to step up the tempo.

Simple thinking: a right-left combination unsettled Sri Lanka’s bowlers, and fittingly, it was the Jharkhand lad who closed out the game with his signature six, triggering wild celebrations across the nation.

#1 India vs Pakistan (Supersport Park, Centurion, March 2003)

Sourav Ganguly and Waqar Younis shake hands at the 2003 World Cup

Their rivalry is unparalleled – even the Ashes combats over the years have paled in comparison. Each time the Men in Blue have triumphed, in part because they just wanted the win even more than their counterparts. It was no different in the Rainbow Nation in 2003.

Saeed Anwar, long-standing opener for the Pakistan side, set the tone with a brilliant hundred – an innings noted for his trademark cover drives and flicks, yet dogged and built on painstaking effort. It ended up becoming the cornerstone of the eventual total of 273 that India were asked to chase – something they hadn’t been able to do in World Cups successfully.

But Sachin Tendulkar had other ideas. He launched into a flurry of strokes, completely annihilating the maverick Shoaib Akhtar (and in the process rendering his pre-match claims ineffective) and the rest, forging useful stands with Virender Sehwag and Mohammad Kaif. Though he missed out on the three-figure mark, it was an exhibition of mastery such as I have never seen before – he would later remark that he had to prepare for this match a year in advance.

Rahul Dravid & Yuvraj Singh completed the remaining formalities without much fuss, and Pakistan were consigned to their fourth loss in World Cups against the Indians.