Cricket's Closest Contests: 1993 Hero Cup Semi Final

“Everyone is at the edge of their seats…this one is going right down to the wire” – An expression immortalized by our very own Ravi Shastri.

Since its inception in the 1970s, nail biters in ODIs have been a common phenomenon. There have been numerous close contests that have set the heart pounding and the nerves racing. But over the years, there have been a few encounters that have made an indelible mark in the memory of cricket lovers and have cemented their place in the cricket history books as “Classics”. These encounters not only put the players under the cosh, but also tested the fans. If the players felt pressure on the field, the spectators were left with jangled nerves off it.

Starting today, Sportskeeda brings to you a series of ODIs that not only were enthralling, but literally, “went down to the wire”.

The setting

A week after Diwali, fireworks returned to Kolkata with the Eden Gardens staging its first ODI under lights in the CAB Jubilee tournament, The Hero Cup. India took on South Africa in the semis of the five nation tournament. The Indian captain Md. Azharuddin won the toss and elected to bat first. Since it was the first game under lights, India didn’t gamble on chasing and also, setting a target was more preferable than chasing one in the 90s.

However, the decision backfired as the Indian top order collapsed in front of a fiery spell from Fanie De Villiers and Richard Snell. South Africa’s immaculate control and superlative display on the field had India reeling at 4 down for 50 odd. With Ajay Jadeja, Manoj Prabhakar, Vinod Kambli and Sachin Tendulkar back in the hut, it was left to Eden’s true hero to take up the mantle, yet again. As always, the stylish Hyderabadi didn’t disappoint. Md. Azharuddin’s silky wrists got down to work and crafted another Eden Garden’s special. He got a crisp 90 and added 95 runs with Pravin Amre. After Amre’s unfortunate run out, the tail wagged with the skipper to take India to a fighting 195.

It looked a daunting task for India to defend a modest total, but under the lights, the men in Blue looked determined to make the Proteas sweat. The Indian pacers kept the boundaries in check and some good fielding didn’t let them off the hook. Though the asking rate crept up, the Proteas had it under control with Andrew Hudson and Jonty Rhodes rotating the strike.

The game, however, changed with the introduction of Anil Kumble and Ajay Jadeja. The dismissal of Rhodes, Pat Symcox and Hudson within a space of 20 runs turned the tide of the match. While Hudson was cleaned up by Kumble, Rhodes was brilliantly caught by Azharuddin at covers off Jadeja.

The ‘Big’ Brian McMillan

Just as the match started to tilt in India’s favour, out came the “Big” Brian McMillan. He came out swinging and took a liking to the Indian pacers. Partnered by a very steady Dave Richardson, McMillan launched an onslaught on the Indians. While Javagal Srinath got hammered for 23 in two overs, Kapil Dev too lost his bearings. Adding 40 plus for the 8^th wicket, McMillan and Dave Richardson steadied the ship and looked all set to knock India out of the contest.

The Turning point

The disheartened crowd started to leave the ground in anticipation of an Indian loss. Almost half the ground cleared out but a few optimists hung in. Md. Azharuddin, however, had quite a riddle to sort – “Who will bowl the last over?” With Kumble done with his quota, his choices narrowed down to a misfiring Srinath, a clueless Prabhakar and the experienced Kapil Dev. The tension oozed from the faces of the players and the longest team meeting took place in the middle of the park. The stakes were high and no one queued up to defend an equation that said 6 off 6. The increase in Azharuddin’s signature shoulder shrug signalled the intensity of the situation. Then it happened. The five feet three figure ran up from the mid wicket boundary, grabbed the ball from Azhar’s clasps and went across to hand over his cap to the umpire. The entire ground looked in utter disbelief - “Azhar ki pagol? Kopil thakte keu Sochin ke ball dey?”

It was Sachin Tendulkar, who was to bowl the last over.

The last over

“Right arm over” – the umpire shouted as the curly haired Indian youngster ran up to bowl the last over. The first ball saw Fanie de Villiers run himself out, venturing for a needless second run. McMillan stroked the ball to deep cover and de Villers wanted to come back for a second. A long throw from the deep from Salil Ankola saw Vijay Yadav whip off the bails. And then Tendulkar worked his magic. The next two balls pinned the new batsmen Alan Donald to the wicket and McMillan at the non striking end. Donald finally managed to get a single off the fifth ball, which left MacMillan to score four runs from the last delivery. Macmillan swung hard and missed, handing India one of the most memorable and pulsating victories in cricket history.

Right arm over

Paper mashals lit up all over Eden Gardens as the Indian team broke into celebrations. The atmosphere was nothing short of “electric” and every spectator who dared staying in that night, felt it. India went on to win the Hero Cup, crushing the Windies in the next game, but that Semi Final etched itself into the memories of Indian fans as a “Diwali Blockbuster”!

It was a special night for Eden Gardens, for India and of course, for that “Right arm over” bowler. There have been many memorable encounters at the Eden, but this one will always find a special place in every Indian fan’s memory. Like they say, there are great games and then, there are Epics!

Video: 1993 Semi finals Hero Cup