Although there is always talk about how the shorter formats of the game are devised to favour the batsmen, there are days when it is the turn of the bowlers to rule the roost. While low-scoring matches used to be a regular feature in the early years of ODI cricket, flatter pitches and several new rules stacked in favour of the batsmen have decreased their frequency of late.
Over the years, the Indian team has engaged in a number of encounters which not only produced low scores but also went down to the wire. Even though they did end up on the losing side in some low-scoring affairs, Team India managed to pull off a win in quite a few of them as well.
Let’s take a look at 5 low-scoring thrillers where India won the match:
#5 India vs South Africa at Johannesburg, 2011
Victory margin – 1 run
The 5-match ODI series which formed part of India’s 2010/11 tour to South Africa was a hard-fought one and witnessed some exciting cricket. The best of the lot, though, was the 2nd ODI played between the two sides at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
The Indian batsmen found the going difficult after skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and decided to bat first. Led by a fighting half-century from Yuvraj Singh and contributions from Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, India managed to put 190 runs on the board.
Despite Hashim Amla’s early dismissal for just 4 runs, South Africa were cruising along quite nicely with captain Graeme Smith leading the way. But the situation changed a bit when Harbhajan Singh and Ashish Nehra accounted for Colin Ingram and AB de Villiers respectively.
The Proteas were still in the driver’s seat, however, at 152 for 4 in 32 overs when Munaf Patel brought about the turning point of the match by dismissing Smith for 77. This opened the floodgates for the Indians as the rest of the South African batsmen could manage just 37 runs between them.
Patel ended the game by dismissing Morne Morkel with South Africa needing just 2 runs to win and claimed the Man of the Match award for his figures of 4 for 29.
#4 India vs Pakistan at Quetta, 1978
Victory margin – 4 runs
India and Pakistan have always been known for providing some entertaining cricket when facing each other and have a played out a number of great matches across formats. One of the earliest ODI thrillers between the two teams came way back in 1978.
It was the 1st ODI of a series which featured three 40-over matches played at Quetta in Pakistan. The Indians batted first and a fifty from Mohinder Amarnath, alongside a couple of 30s from his brother Surinder and Dilip Vengsarkar, helped India post a competitive total of 170 for 7.
Opener Majid Khan batted quite well at the top of the order, scoring a 64-ball half-century and engaging in a 60-run partnership with Zaheer Abbas. But when both batsmen were dismissed in quick succession by Mohinder Amarnath, the Pakistanis lost their way.
The 9th wicket pair of Wasim Bari and Sarfaraz Nawaz did manage to hold fort for Pakistan but were unable to take their team across the line. The match ended in a 4-run victory for India as they took a 1-0 lead in the series but conceded it by losing the next two matches.
#3 India vs New Zealand at Auckland, 2003
Victory margin – 1 wicket
India’s tour to New Zealand in the 2002/03 season was a disaster in every way but the ODI series did witness them register a thrilling victory over the hosts. The 7-match series had already slipped out of their hands as they lost the first 4 matches before eventually winning the 5th game at Wellington.
The Indians were looking to restore some pride when they met the Kiwis once again in the 6th ODI at Auckland. With Sourav Ganguly winning the toss and deciding to field first on a seaming pitch, the home side were on the back foot as they lost 4 wickets for just 50 runs.
An 80-run partnership between Scott Styris and Lou Vincent restored order in the New Zealand innings but the former’s dismissal triggered yet another collapse and they were reduced to 147 for 9. However, a belligerent unbeaten stand of 52 runs between Vincent and Shane Bond propelled their score to 199.
The visitors got off to a great start with Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly adding 70 runs at the top of the order and the good work continued as Sehwag and Rahul Dravid shared a 72-run 2nd wicket partnership. Dravid was dismissed with India on 142 for 2 and Sachin Tendulkar didn’t hang around for long, too.
With India needing just another 18 runs for victory, centurion Virender Sehwag also got out and the innings started to fall apart. The hero of the previous match, Zaheer Khan, was the 9th man to get out, leaving Ashish Nehra and Javagal Srinath with 2 runs to score in 9 balls.
While Srinath ran a leg bye off the 4th ball of the 49th over, Nehra managed to turn the penultimate delivery towards cow corner and pull off a 1-wicket win for India.
#2 India vs Sri Lanka at Port of Spain, 2013
Victory margin – 1 wicket
Following their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy played in England, the Indians headed to the West Indies to take part in a tri-nation series also involving the home team and Sri Lanka. Despite losing their first two matches in the tournament, India qualified for the final where they met the Sri Lankans.
MS Dhoni put his opponents into bat after winning the toss but the men from the Emerald Isle batted resolutely to be placed at 171 for 2 in the 38th over. However, they collapsed badly after Lahiru Thirimanne got out for 46 and Kumar Sangakkara, who top-scored with 71, also fell in quick succession.
Sri Lanka were all out for just 201 in 48.5 overs and India looked all set to register a convincing win. When they came out to bat, though, the Indians got off to a poor start and were reduced to 27 for 2 in 10.4 overs as both Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli fell cheaply.
Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik steadied the ship by adding 50 runs for the 3rd wicket and this was followed by a crucial 62-run partnership between Rohit and Suresh Raina. But both batsmen were dismissed within a space of 3 overs, leaving India in deep trouble at 145 for 5.
Even as wickets continued to fall at the other end, skipper MS Dhoni stood tall and looked determined to see his team through. With 15 required to win in the last over, Dhoni missed out on the first delivery from Shaminda Eranga but smacked the bowler for 6, 4 and 6 off his next 3 balls to lead India to an emphatic series win.
#1 India vs South Africa at Kolkata, 1993
Victory margin – 2 runs
Perhaps one of the most exciting matches in the history of Indian cricket took place at the Eden Gardens during the Hero Cup in 1993. India faced off against South Africa in the first semi-final of the 5-nation tournament which commemorated the diamond jubilee of the Cricket Association of Bengal.
Mohammad Azharuddin chose to bat first after winning the toss but the Indians got off to a disastrous start losing 3 wickets for just 18. When the score was 53, Sachin Tendulkar, too, got out for 15, leaving skipper Azharuddin and Pravin Amre with a job to do.
The duo added 95 runs for the 5th wicket before Amre finally got out just 2 short of a half-century. None of the batsmen who followed could make any impression and the onus was on Azhar to take India to a respectable total.
The Indian captain did all that he could before being dismissed for a well-made 90 and the team score reached 195 in 50 overs. During the run chase, South Africa did not look out of the game at any stage of the match despite losing wickets at regular intervals.
All-rounder Brian McMillan and wicketkeeper Dave Richardson were threatening to run away with the match with their fine partnership. Even as Richardson got out for 15 in the penultimate over, the Proteas looked firm favourites with just 6 runs needed in the last over and McMillan still batting.
In the most unlikeliest of decisions, Mohammad Azharuddin tossed the ball towards Sachin Tendulkar to bowl the final six balls. What followed was sheer magic as the man who would go on to be the country’s greatest cricketer gave away only 3 runs in the over and handed India an unforgettable victory.
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