It was on January 26th, 1930 when the Declaration of Indian Independence (Purna Swaraj) was proclaimed by the Indian National Congress as opposed to the Dominion status offered by the British empire. 20 years later, in 1950, as a mark of respect, India chose to become a republic on this very day.
Ironically, cricket, which was a gift of the British empire to the Indians, is today the number one sport in the country. Over the years, cricket has given us Indians many moments to cherish.
It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. And today, as India celebrates its 68th Republic Day, we take a look at some of the iconic images that have defined Indian cricket over the past 67 years.
Note – These images are in the chronological order of their occurrence.
#1 A young helmet-less Sunil Gavaskar batting in West Indies in 1970-71
One of the first cricketing images to catch the eye of the Indians was that of a young helmet-less Sunil Gavaskar facing the Caribbean quicks. It was Gavaskar’s debut series and he ensured that it is remembered for ages to come.
Gavaskar, with 774 runs in 4 Test matches, was the chief architect of this famous victory. He scored four centuries with a highest of 220 in the fifth Test at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain. Such was Gavaskar’s dominance that it led to the now famous Calypso song –
It was GavaskarDe real masterJust like a wallWe couldn’t out Gavaskar at all, not at allYou know the West Indies couldn’t out Gavaskar at all
The bowling department was led by S Venkatraghvan, who captured 22 wickets in the series, and he was well supported by Bishen Singh Bedi (15 wickets in five matches) & EAS Prasanna (11 wickets in three matches).
This series also saw India defeat the West Indies for the first time in a Test match and series. Like all the firsts in life, this series has a special place in the history of Indian cricket. Needless to say, this victory would not have been possible without that helmet-less Gavaskar’s strong defence.
#2 Kapil Dev holding the 1983 Prudential World Cup
It was the third edition of the ODI World Cup and the final of the tournament can easily go down as one of the biggest upsets in the history of World Cup cricket. Not even Indian cricket’s staunchest supporters would have envisioned the World Cup trophy in the hands of the Indian skipper Kapil Dev. But as they say, cricket is a game of glorious uncertainties.
It definitely was a remarkable achievement for the Indian team, who were underdogs in the tournament. Although they reached the finals against all odds, no one expected them to win against the mighty West Indies. It was taken for granted that the men from the Caribbean islands would complete a hat-trick of World Cup titles (they had already won the World Cup in 1975 & 1979).
Things were going according to script in the first half as the Indians were bundled out for 183. But then the unexpected happened. Kapil took a brilliant catch running backwards to dismiss the king Vivian Richards. Thereafter, the Indians did not allow the West Indians to recover and eventually dismissed them for 140 runs to emerge as world champions.
The picture of Kapil Dev holding the World Cup trophy on the Lord’s balcony was engraved in the heart of every Indian forever.
#3 Sachin Tendulkar dancing down the track to Shane Warne in Sharjah in 1998
The decade of the 90s belonged to Sachin Tendulkar. His success and failure were synonymous with India’s victories and defeats. The year 1998 and more specifically, the Coca-Cola Cup played in Sharjah was a jewel in Tendulkar’s crown. During this year, Tendulkar scored 1894 runs in 34 ODIs on the back of nine centuries.
Coming back to the Coca-Cola Cup, the tournament was one of the many triangular series played in the 1990s. The Indians, who were competing against Australia and New Zealand, were struggling to even qualify for the finals.
It needed a Tendulkar special to get India into the finals and then to the trophy. The ‘little master’ smashed two consecutive centuries against Australia and was particularly harsh on leg-spinner Shane Warne. The image of him dancing down the track to smash Warne and commentator Tony Greig’s lines – “They are dancing in aisles in Sharjah” gives every Indian fan goosebumps even now.
#4 VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid acknowledging the cheer of the Kolkata crowd in 2001
This Test match would easily go down as one of the best ever Test matches to have been played in the entire history of cricket. It was only for the third time (in 1535 Test matches played till then) that a team had won after being asked to follow-on.
The opponents were the Australians and the venue was the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. “He has given him, he has given him. Umpire Bansal has given him. It’s the end of the match. India have won in dramatic style. The whole of Bengal are on their feet,” were the words of commentator Tony Greg in his trademark captivating style.
Now there are many images that a fan would have taken away from this match. There was a hat-trick from Harbhajan Singh (incidentally India’s first hat-trick in Test matches) and also a good spell of bowling from Sachin on the final day. But the one image which left a lasting impression, not only on this match but Indian cricket as a whole, was that of a satisfied VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid with towels tied around their necks.
The duo added 335 runs on day 4 during India’s second innings when they were following on. India eventually declared on 657 for the loss of 7 wickets and set the Australians a challenging target of 384 runs. The Australians were bowled out for 212 courtesy a six-wicket haul by Harbhajan.
Dravid summarised the importance of this match in Indian cricket perfectly when he said, “The foundation (of a formidable team) was laid, but it’s not that we became brilliant overnight. The process, however, started at the Eden.”
#5 Sourav Ganguly removing his t-shirt after the 2002 Natwest Trophy final in Lord’s
During a commentary session with Sourav Ganguly, former English captain and commentator Geoffrey Boycott said, “You must mention your experience about taking your jersey off and flying it in the air at the Mecca of Cricket: Lord’s! Oh, you naughty boy!”
Boycott was referring to Ganguly’s antics at Lord’s, when the former Indian captain had taken off his t-shirt to celebrate the Indian team’s victory over England in the finals of the Natwest Trophy 2002.
Facing a stiff target of 326 runs, India had half their side back in the pavilion with the score at 146. And not many fans would have anticipated an Indian victory. But the two youngsters at the crease, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif, had other ideas.
Together the two took India to 267 before Yuvraj fell, after scoring 69 valuable runs. Kaif then took centre stage and ensured that India emerged as the winners. If the match was not enough to excite the fans, Ganguly’s antics certainly were.
In a bid to reply to Andrew Flintoff (who had taken off his t-shirt during celebrations at Mumbai), Ganguly took off his t-shirt on the Lord’s balcony and stunned the Englishmen present at the venue.
#6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni holding the T20 World Cup trophy in 2007
It was the starting of the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-era in Indian cricket and was the first of the many big tournaments that India won under Dhoni. After senior players had opted out of the 2007 T20 World Cup, Dhoni had a young side at his disposal. Much like in the 1983 World Cup, the Indians were not the favourites to win the tournament.
But Dhoni marshalled his resources well and scripted a famous Indian victory. His key soldier in this campaign was Yuvraj Singh. Be it his six sixes against England or his 70 off 30 balls against Australia in the semi-finals, Yuvraj was always there whenever India needed him.
He was ably supported by Gautam Gambhir, who was the second highest run-scorer in the tournament (he scored 227 runs only behind Australia’s Matthew Hayden). With a score of 75, Gambhir was also India’s highest scorer in the final against arch-rivals Pakistan.
The finals itself was nothing short of a Bollywood blockbuster. India had managed to score only 157 runs in their quota of 20 overs. But it seemed that they had the match in their hands when Pakistan lost their sixth wicket for just 77. However, Pakistani skipper Misbah-ul-Haq had other plans. With some help from the tail-enders, he got his team within 13 runs of the target with one wicket in hand and an over to go.
Captain Dhoni chose Joginder Sharma for the final over instead of the experienced Harbhajan Singh. Soon, Joginder was hit for a six and Pakistan looked all set to defeat India for the first time in a World Cup encounter. But then Misbah did the unthinkable, he tried a scoop shot and was out caught by S Sreesanth.
Thus, India kept their World Cup record against Pakistan intact and a long-haired Dhoni lifted the inaugural T20 World Cup trophy.
#7 Mahendra Singh Dhoni hitting the winning six in the 2011 World Cup final at Wankhede
“Dhoniiiiiiiiiii...finishes off in style…a magnificent strike into the crowd…India lift the World Cup after 28 years…the party starts in the dressing room…and it’s the Indian captain who has been absolutely magnificent on the night of the final.”
These were the words of commentator Ravi Shastri after Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni had hit the winning six off Nuwan Kulasekara’s bowling.
And not just that six, Dhoni had been brilliant throughout the night of the final. For the record, he scored 91 with the help of two sixes. Along with Gautam Gambhir (who scored 97 runs), Dhoni was instrumental in India’s successful chase of 278.
The 2011 World Cup gave Indian fans many moments to cherish. Sachin Tendulkar’s tremendous form throughout the tournament, Yuvraj Singh’s all-round performance and Zaheer Khan’s 21 wickets were a few highlights. But one image from the World Cup stands out – Dhoni’s last six.
There was style and charisma written all over that shot. The shot portrayed the confidence of a captain who had promoted himself up the order ahead of an in-form Yuvraj.
#8 Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell speech in 2013
Now, a speech is not something that one would associate with cricket or with any other sport for that matter. But when the man in question is someone as special as Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, then anything is possible. Having done so much for Indian cricket with his bat, the little master for once, decided to let his mouth do the talking.
It was Tendulkar’s final Test match and was played against the West Indies at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. After India won the match, Sachin was given the opportunity to share a few words with his fans and admirers. As he took the mic, the entire Wankhede crowd exploded. Tendulkar began his speech and said, “All my friends. Settle down, let me talk, I will get more and more emotional.”
Not only the Wankhede, but the entire nation became emotional on that day. One of the country’s all-time best players was bidding adieu to the game and people were finding it hard to hide their emotions. For many Indians, cricket was Sachin and they were unable to imagine the sport without him. Sachin cried and the entire nation cried with him.
He ended his speech by thanking his fans for their support as he said, “Without that life wouldn't have been like this for me. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart, and also say that time has flown by rather quickly, but the memories you have left with me will always be with me forever and ever, especially ‘Sachin, Sachin’ which will reverberate in my ears till I stop breathing. “
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