7 most iconic dismissals of the last 25 years

A batsman being delcared out in cricket is quite a common occurence – after all, it’s a game between bat and bowl and dismissals are a part and parcel of the game and ultimately lead to a result. But then there are some dismissals that end up becoming bigger than the match itself, talking points that will be discussed for years to come. Indeed, there are forums and threads dedicated solely to the discussion of iconic dismissals that changed the way cricket was viewed, both by the fans and the players.In no specific order, we present the 7 most iconic dismissals of the last 25 years of International cricket.

#1 Shoulder-before-wicket - McGrath vs Tendulkar, 1999

It’s prudent to start with a dimissal that created incredible controversy and endless debates between fans, players and commentators, with everyone agreeing on one thing – that it was controversial at the least, and completely unfair at the most.

The setting was Day 4 of the 1st Test in Adelaide, December 1999. India had been set a daunting 396 runs target, and with three wickets going cheaply, all hopes were on Tendulkar to thwart the Aussies once again and set India on the path to victory.

On a wicket showing variable bounce (well, it was the 4th day), the Aussies decided to pepper Tendulkar with short-pitched bowling, in an effort to unsettle him. McGrath led the charge, and proceeded to bowl a couple of enticing deliveries before the set-up ball.

Short ball. Tendulkar ducks. Ball stays low and hits him on his shoulder. Loud appeal. Tendulkar looks nonplussed. Daryl Harper puts his finger up. Pandemonium ensues.

There are literally thousands of articles on this one single encounter between bat and ball. And yet there is no clarity on the legitimacy of the incident.

Pity there was no DRS back then.

#2 Instant karma - Venkatesh Prasad vs Aamer Sohail, 1996

If there’s one thing this dismissal taught me, it’s that there is a time and a place for gloating about your achievements and goading your rivals. And that place is not a cricket pitch, especially when the said opponent is getting riled up and has a few more balls to bowl at you.

Aamir Sohail learnt about instant karma the hard way on that fateful night of the 1996 World Cup quarter-final between India and Pakistan.

Not content with tonking Prasad through the covers for a boundary, Sohail went beyond the call of duty and taunted Prasad with a few words and pointed gestures.

The rest, as they say, is history. Literally. Every time someone gets too cocky for their own good on a cricket pitch, they are instantly reminded of the Sohail incident.

Don’t do a Sohail, kids. Mock they opponent, sure, but wait till the match is over.

#3 Ball of the Century - Warne vs Gatting, 1993

Shane Warne can spin a ball, that was never in doubt. But what the world didn’t know, up until Warne decided to show it, was how much spin could one impart on a cricket ball.

Mike Gatting had a first-hand experience of a viciously turning cricket ball, and despite his legendary exploits as a batsman and captain of England, Gatting will forever be remembered as the king that got castled by Warne’s magical delivery.

The ball’s trajectory was as follows: Starts on middle stump, drifts outside of leg, pitches outside leg, turns many a mile and hits the top of off-stump. Champagne stuff.

Ian Healy would later go on to describe it – “It’s the first ball on English soil for Shane Warne, and it completely changed his (Warne) life.”

Enough said.

#4 The Golden Duck - Akhtar vs Tendulkar, 1999

Sachin Tendulkar is famous for getting runs. Lots of them. Up until Feb 1999, Tendulkar was not known for getting out on the first ball.

Shoaib Akhtar changed all that with his iconic first-ball dismissal of India’s premier batsman on Indian soil. In the process, he handed Tendulkar his maiden golden duck.

There isn’t much that Tendulkar could have done about this, to be fair. A fast, inswinging yorker that knocked out his middle stump on the very fist ball he faced – an unplayable delivery. That, then, is an homage to Akhtar’s exploits on the day. Tendulkar couldn’t save his wicket, neither could Dravid.

As a cricket fan, things like these stay with you forever. Iconic doesn’t even begin to describe it.

#5 The flying South African - Rhodes vs Inzamam, 1992

It’s referred to as the Superman runout. A flying Jonty Rhodes proceeded to run over and destroy a perfectly good pair of stumps in the 1992 World Cup, in the process sending Inzamam-ul-Haq back to the stands with yet another run-out attached to his record.

While the run-out in itself is memorable, it had far-reaching effects that are still seen to this day. Jonty Rhodes set a new level of fielding standards, and triggered a wave of incredibly athletic, acrobatic run-saving machines that were the fielders of the late 90s and early 2000s.

Credit to Inzy for being the batsman. Who knows, if it had been someone quicker than him, then the effort would have been in vain and Rhodes’ acrobatics would have been pooh-poohed instead of being lauded and immortalised

#6 The dismissal that never was - Harmison to Kasprowicz, 2005

The 2005 Ashes will go down as one of the most memorable and exciting Test series ever played. Over five hard-fought matches, England emerged the eventual victors, wiinning 2-1.

Amongst the many iconinc moments from that series, there is one that stands out. A moment so crucial and immersivethat itchanged the tide of the series, A dismissal that knocked the stuffing out of the marauding Aussies and gave England the confidence to go on and win the series.

With 3 runs needed for victory, Kasprowicz faces up to Harmison. The English needed just 1 wicketto tie the series, but Brett Lee and Kasprowicz had thwarted their attempts for a while now.

The ball is short from Harmison, hits Kasprowicz on the glove, the catch is taken and England celebrate a memorable win, and the Aussies a heartbreaking loss.

Yet, the fact remains that because the ball hit Kasprowicz on the glove which was not on the bat at the time of impact, the dismissal was incorrect.

But lets not let facts get in the way of a good story, eh?

#7 A scoop too big - Misbah-ul-Haq vs India, 2007

The inaugural World T20 pitted old foes India and Pakistan against each other in the final. As far as India-Pakistan matches in World Cups go, this one stuck to the script.

With just 13 runs needed in the last over, and with Misbah in scintillating form, the bookies favoured Pakistan to bring home the cup. The odds were tilted even further in Pakistan’s favour when MS Dhoni handed the ball to Joginder Sharma as Indian hearts sank.

Misbah brought it down to 6 runs off 4 balls, and with victory in sight, proceeded to “Dil-scoop” the third ball of the over straight down the throat of one Shanthakumaran Sreesanth. A fitting example of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

India winning the inaugural T20 WC had further ramifications. The win immortalised MS Dhoni’s exploits as captain and created a demand for T20 cricket, an edition of the game that was still in its infancy at the time. The IPL followed, and today T20 cricket is arguably more popular than ODI cricket.

Who’s to argue that it was this dismissal and the subsequent result that paved the way for the advent of T20 cricket?