5 best India ODI comebacks while defending

In the decider of the recent ODI series against New Zealand at Kanpur, Team India scripted a great comeback to win by a tiny margin of six runs. After setting up a huge total of 337/6, propelled by eye-catching centuries from Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, India were staring at a defeat when New Zealand batsmen had brought the equation down to 35 runs off 24 balls with six wickets in hand.

It took a special effort from the two Bs- Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah, currently the best in the business during slog overs, to deny New Zealand their maiden ODI series win on Indian soil. Here are the instances when India made a big turnaround to come out triumphant when the defeat looked a mere formality.

#5 India vs. West Indies, 20 March 2011, Chennai

Result: India won by 80 runs

In the final encounter of Group B of the 2011 World Cup, India took on West Indies at the M A Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Having already sealed a spot in the quarter final, it was a game which would decide the position in the group, thereby the opponents in the quarters.

After opting to bat first, India mustered a modest total of 268 with Yuvraj Singh getting a century. The total could have a lot better but for the batting collapse India had which saw them lose their seven wickets for 50 runs.

The West Indies reply got off to a good start with useful partnerships for the first three wickets reaching 154/2 in 30 overs. Devon Smith looked to have taken the game out of India’s reach with a dominating knock.

The equation for the West Indies read 115 runs required off 120 balls. This was when Mahendra Singh Dhoni brought back Zaheer Khan- India’s most successful bowler at the World Cup- into the attack.

On the third delivery of his spell, Zaheer got rid of the dangerous looking Smith who missed the knuckle ball to see his wickets broken. The West Indies batting did not offer any further resistance and lost their eight wickets for mere 34 runs.

For India, Zaheer was the stand-out performer with the ball snaring three wickets. What looked like a walk in the park for the Windies line-up with great batting depth, turned out to be a convincing victory for India.

#4 India vs. Sri Lanka, 15 December 2009, Rajkot

Result: India won by 3 runs

Virender Sehwag helped India reach a huge score of 414/7

In the opening match of the ODI series at Rajkot, India and Sri Lanka were presented with a batting paradise. India got off to a flier with the opening pair of Sachin-Sehwag putting on 153 runs in just 19.3 overs.

To drive home the advantage of the brisk start, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni promoted himself to No.3 after Sachin’s dismissal. The duo of Sehwag and Dhoni went after the Lankan bowlers to take India to 308/1 in 35 overs. India looked set to get the record score in ODI cricket. But, the dismissal of Sehwag and Dhoni in successive overs after playing knocks of 146 and 72 respectively pegged them back.

The last 15 overs could fetch just 106 runs. Nevertheless the total of 414/7 was still a huge score.

The Sri Lankan openers came out all guns blazing and put on 188 runs in just 24 overs. After the wicket of Tharanga, the Indians were in more trouble as skipper Sangakkara was at his attacking best slamming 90 runs in just 43 deliveries. The partnership between Dilshan and Sangakkara had brought the equation down to 99 runs off 81 balls.

When Dilshan was finally out for 160, Sri Lanka were still the favourites with 76 required off 65. Though there was a stutter with three quick wickets, Thilina Kandamby and Angelo Mathews combined well to bring the required runs down to 15 in 12 balls. With the match firmly in Sri Lanka’s control, a basic error of not sliding his bat cost Kandamby his wicket. Zaheer conceded just four runs in the over which also had another run-out in the form of Thilan Samaraweera.

Ashish Nehra was then entrusted the responsibility of defending 11 runs in the final over. Mathews brought that down to 6 from 3. The next delivery of the over, a low full toss, was hit straight to Sachin at mid-wicket giving India the prized scalp of Mathews. With 6 needed from 2, Nehra bowled two good yorkers conceding just two runs to ensure a great comeback win for India.

#3 India vs. South Africa, 15 January 2011, Johannesburg

Result: India won by 1 run

Munaf Patel was adjudged Man of the Match for his spell of 4/29

The ODI series between India and South Africa was seen as an opportunity for both the teams to test out different combinations just ahead of the World Cup. South Africa had comprehensively beaten India in the first match of the series before the teams took on each other at The Wanderers in Johannesburg.

India got off to a slow start after choosing to bat first. After Murali Vijay’s dismissal, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli steadied the innings, but fell in consecutive overs to put South Africa in a dominating position. Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni combined well to stitch a partnership of 83 runs at a decent rate.

Just when they looked set to accelerate the scoring with the Batting Powerplay still to be taken, Yuvraj got out for 53 with scoreboard reading 150/4 in 36.4 overs. India lost the last seven wickets for just 40 runs to be content with a below par total of 190.

South Africa lost an early wicket, but maintained a good run rate with the second wicket partnership between Graeme Smith and Colin Ingram taking them to 66 in just 12 overs. Though they lost a couple of wickets in quick succession, South Africa looked on course for an easy win with Smith, in the company of JP Duminy and David Miller, bringing down the equation to 39 runs in 18 overs. South Africa aimed to win it in style opting for the Batting Powerplay with required run rate just 2.42.

In the second over of the Powerplay, Munaf Patel got rid of Smith who dragged one onto the stumps going for a punch on the offside. This proved to be the opening that India needed. Dhoni brought back his main bowler Zaheer Khan in the next over who had an immediate impact getting rid of Miller with a cunningly bowled slower bouncer. South Africa were under pressure as they were left with only the bowlers to get the remaining runs.

Wayne Parnell had a couple of useful partnerships with Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel to bring the game back in South Africa’s control. With 4 runs required in 8 overs, Dhoni brought back Munaf into the attack. Morkel went for a winning boundary only to be caught at point. Parnell then made the same mistake as he cut another shortish delivery from Munaf straight into Yuvraj’s hand to mark the victory for India. Munaf Patel’s spell of 4/29 also secured his berth in the Indian squad for the World Cup.

#2 India vs. Pakistan, 6 January 2013, Delhi

Result: India won by 10 runs

Jadeja contributed with both bat and ball

India came into the third ODI of the series looking to avoid a rare whitewash at home. After winning the toss in the chilly Delhi weather, India opted to bat first. The conditions were challenging for the batsmen and India lost wickets at regular intervals. Saeed Ajmal ran through the Indian lower-order picking a 5-wicket haul restricting India to a low total of 167. There were few useful contributions from Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The total would have been even lower but for a couple of big hits by Ravindra Jadeja down the order.

Playing their debut series, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami provided India a great start conceding just 22 runs in the first 10 overs. Shami started off with two maiden overs in his debut game with Bhuvneshwar accounting for Kamran Akmal and Younis Khan at the other end. Pakistan Captain Misbah-ul-Haq batted cautiously, first with Nasir Jamshed and then with Umar Akmal to take Pakistan to 113/3 in 34 overs.

On the first delivery of the 35th over, India got a much needed breakthrough when Misbah glided a delivery from Ravichandran Ashwin straight to Ajinkya Rahane positioned smartly at leg slip. The runs required at that stage were just 55 in 95 balls with 6 wickes in hand. Pakistan lost another couple of wickets, but, were still the favourites with Mohammad Hafeez at the crease.

All the Indian bowlers bowled some tight overs to mount the required rate. Jadeja was particularly impressive conceding just 19 runs in his 10 overs. The equation had come down to 24 required of 24 balls. This became 23 from 12 as India bowled two great overs with Ishant Sharma conceding just one run and picking up a wicket while two wickets, including a run-out, came from yet another maiden over from Shami.

In the next over, Hafeez brought Pakistan back into the game hitting two boundaries bringing the runs down to just 11 from 8 deliveries. But he was dismissed off the very next ball hitting a full length delivery from Ishant straight to Yuvraj at mid-wicket to help India to a consolation victory. It was a great team effort from the Indians bowlers, who were complemented by excellent fielding.

#1 India vs. South Africa, 25 September 2002, Colombo

Result: India won by 10 runs

All-round effort from Virender Sehwag led India to the finals

India took on a strong South African side in the semi-final of the Champions Trophy 2002. After opting to bat first, India got off to a brisk start with Virender Sehwag in attacking mood. Sehwag stroked his way to 59, but three quick wickets in the middle overs brought the run rate down considerably.

Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh had to consolidate the innings and were involved in a . partnership worth 72 runs. Yuvraj top scored with 62 runs providing the impetus the innings needed and guided India to a respectable score of 261/9.

South Africa lost an early wicket when Zaheer Khan got Graeme Smith caught at point to a brilliant flying catch from Yuvraj. The pair of Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis then batted with a great control and put together 178 runs for the second wicket. After getting an aggressive century, Gibbs was forced to retire hurt as the humid conditions in Colombo took a toll on him to such an extent that he was not able to hold his bat.

South Africa were still the favourites at that point with 70 runs required in 13 overs. The next batsman Jonty Rhodes was dismissed to yet another stunning catch from Yuvraj at short fine leg. Harbhajan Singh got the wicket of Boeta Dippenaar in the same over putting South Africa under pressure.

With the spinners bowling well, Indian captain Sourav Ganguly made a great tactical move bringing in Sehwag to bowl for the first time in the match in the 42nd over. Sehwag got the important wicket of Boucher to tilt the balance of the game in India’s favour considerably. The Indian spinners bowled splendidly keeping a check on the flow of runs and denying a well-set Kallis and big-hitter Lance Klusener the necessary boundaries.

With 25 required off 12 balls, Zaheer bowled an excellent over conceding just four runs. Sehwag was given the responsibility of defending 21 runs off the final over. Kallis started off with a six towards mid-wicket, but was out playing the same shot on the next delivery. Klusener could only muster another four runs before getting out on the final delivery as India scripted a grand comeback to enter the Final of the Champions Trophy for second consecutive time.