Heartbreaking moments for top teams in the 21st Century

Sports, just like life is a great leveller. For all the exhilarating highs there are soul-crushing lows that keep us firmly grounded with the insatiable desire to constantly improve. Cricket is no exception to that as there have a plethora of instances since the turn of millennium where the top eight teams have witnessed excruciating lows' edged in the footprints of the cricketing folklore forever.

Since the turn of the century, partly due to the resurgence of Bangladesh and most recently Afghanistan coupled with their inability to transform their domestic infrastructure according to the changing times, the perennial top teams of the world have had a plethora of heartbreaking moments leaving their fans gutted.

Here's a look at the most painful moments the perennial heavyweight teams have witnessed since the turn of the century.

#8 West Indies failing to qualify for the Champions Trophy 2017

Sarwan and Gayle celebrating with the 2005 Champions Trophy

West Indian cricket has been on a downward spiral for a better part of two decades. The slide that started with a plethora of their greats retiring in the late 80s and early 90s was further compounded by lack of system at the grassroots level, inconsistent selection policy and lack of coherence between its cricket board WICB and the player's organization.

Still, the Windies at the back of enormous talent in the likes of Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Chris Gayle, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and many others managed to show a glimpse of their former self, evident from their dramatic win in the final of the Champions Trophy 2004. However, the animosity between the WICB and the players reached its nadir when the Windies abandoned their tour of India in 2014 midway. The repercussions are truly evident as the former champions failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy in 2017, a blot in their proud history. Things may turn from bad to worse for the Windies as they play the World Cup qualifiers in Zimbabwe to qualify for the event, they had ruled for so long.

#7 Sri Lanka failing to win the WT20 Finals, 2012 at home

Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene after the WT20 Final loss

Sri Lanka, in the first decade of the 21st century, was one of the most consistent teams in the ICC events. Having featured in the finals of 2007 and 2011 50-over World Cups and also the runners-up and semi-finalists of the preceding two WT20 in 2009 and 2010, an elusive World title still eluded the Lankans.

In 2012, Sri Lanka had the opportunity to drive home some brownie points and win the silverware for their two legends Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene, possibly playing their last big event on home soil. Sri Lanka was on course to achieve that when they had reduced the West Indies to 2-14, including a wicket of Chris Gayle, in six overs in the finals. However, an initially sedate inning by Marlon Samuels turned into a marabou assault as the right-hander powered his way to a swashbuckling 78, to help his team post a fighting total of 6-138. His innings proved to be a match-winning one for the Windies as the hosts, in an insipid display of batting, could only muster 101 and fell short of the elusive title win on home soil by 36 runs.

#6 New Zealand losing the World Cup final at the MCG in 2015

Brendon Mccullum and Michael Clarke pose with the World Cup trophy ahead of the 2015 Finals

The Blackcaps have always been 'dark-horses' in major ICC events, but the build-up to the 2015 World Cup was different. New Zealand, who have always 'punched above their weights', buoyed by the raw aggression of Brendon McCullum, their skipper and a plethora of match winners in Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Southee and Boult at their disposal entered the World Cup 2015, played across the Trans-Tasman as favourites.

New Zealand had a set formula that had translated into success leading into the World Cup. The formula was engineered on the rampaging assault by McCullum at the top, resilience, and tenacity in the middle-order by likes of Taylor and Williamson coupled by a farrago of pace and swing bowling by opening duo of Boult and Southee.

The formula paid rich dividends for New Zealand throughout the World Cup, that saw them reach the finals for very first time and better the performance of the Late great Martin Crowe's team in the marquee event, last held in the country in 1992.

But their best chance to win a World Cup medal fizzled out in the very first over when a full in-swinging ripper from Mitchell Starc claimed Brendon McCullum's stumps, the chief architect of the winning formula for New Zealand. A ruthless Australian bowling outfit bowled the Blackcaps out for a mere 183, and chased it down in a whisker with seven wickets in hand, to salvage their fifth World Cup win.

#5 England's loss to Bangladesh that saw them exit the World Cup 2015 in the group stage

Rubel Hossain celebrating Ian Bell's wicket

England's mediocre limited overs performances, a by-product of their insipid and outdated approach towards the format reached its nadir in the 2015 World Cup played across the Trans-Tasman. That the English think-tank was in shambles going into the World Cup was testified by the absurd sacking of the skipper Alastair Cook both from the position that he beheld and from the team, a month before the marquee event. But even the ardent critics of English ODI set-up would have expected the team to get past the group stages at least. They were in for a shock of their lives as England capitulated against a rejuvenated Bangladesh and were subsequently knocked out of the event before the quarter-final stages.

However, the painful loss serves as the much-needed fillip for English cricket. Post the World Cup, England have adopted an aggressive brand of play that has seen them post 300+ totals frequently and have earmarked themselves a team for higher honours with the next World Cup to be held on their shores come 2019 and erase the blemishes of the past.

#4 South Africa's exit from yet another World Event at Home, ICC WT20, 2007

Albie Morkel during his valiant knock

A lot has been said and documented about South Africa's infamous World Cup exit in 1999 and a rather bizarre one at home in 2003, where they miscalculated the D/L par score. South Africa added another painful memoir in their cricket history when they failed to enter the semi-finals of the inaugural WT20 in 2007 even after being the consistent team in the tournament.

South Africa went into the final Super Eight game against India unbeaten and were expected to prolong their run when they kept the Men in Blue to 3-33 in the first powerplay. Their hopes to make further inroads were defied by a resilient Rohit Sharma, who with his pristine cuts and backfoot pull gave a glimpse of what the future of Indian batting beheld. Sharma (50*) was an ably supported by skipper MS Dhoni (45), as the duo took India to a respectable 5-153 in 20 overs. The equation was simple for South Africa: they needed to win or at least score 126 runs to keep their run-rate ahead of New Zealand and subsequently knock the latter out of the competition and progress to the semi-finals along with India.

However, an incisive spell of seam and swing bowling by RP Singh and Shreesanth coupled with outstanding fielding ensured the Proteas achieved none of the two aforementioned requisites. South Africa, thanks to a valiant partnership of 69 between Mark Boucher (36) and Albie Morkel (36) hobbled to 9-116 and were painfully knocked out of the tournament.

#3 Australia losing the Ashes at home in 2010

England celebrating after the win at Adelaide.

It's hard to spot a painful moment for the perennial heavyweights of the game like Australia, yet the teak from down under did have a phase of mediocrity following the retirements of a plethora of legends in Glenn Mcgrath, Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist to name a few. For a better part of two decades, the Ashes down under between Australia and England rendered the same script with the English already defeated even before the first bowl was bowled. 2010 was different though with the English boasting of a potent batting and an all-around bowling attack coming into the Ashes as real contenders.

Peter Siddle's breathtaking hat-trick offered the beleaguered Aussies hope of the reversing the inevitable. But Alastair Cook and Kevin Pieterson's partnership in the second innings at the Gabba gave a glimpse of what ensued in the succeeding Test matches. Though Australia, thanks to a rampaging Mitchell Johnson on a fast WACA track bounced England out to square the series 1-1 after a thumping in Adelaide, they effectively lost the Ashes in the first session of the Boxing Day Test at the McG, when they were bowled out for a mere 98.

Australia went on to lose the Test by an innings and 157 runs on the fourth morning, one of their heaviest defeats and subsequently lost the series 1-3 after another clinical performance by England at the ScG. That England has gone on to lose nine Test matches out of ten post-2010-11 triumphant series underpins the magnanimity of Ricky Ponting's team's loss in 2010.

#2 Pakistan spot-fixing scandal, 2010

Amir's dreaded no-ball.

That Pakistan cricket and controversies go hand-in-hand is a given, but it slipped to a new-low when three of Pakistan's players including their captain Salman Butt were accused of taking bribes from a bookie to deliberately bowl no-balls during the course of the Lords Test in 2010.

Pakistan had been outplayed in the summer of 2010, yet three players: their urbane captain Salman Butt, seamer Mohammed Asif and the young prodigy in Mohammad Amir stood out. But a magnanimous sporting scandal since the turn of the century was brewing in the backstage involving the three aforementioned personalities. In a shocking series of revelations made by bookie Mazhar Majeed (Salman Butt's agent), who boasted that he controlled the players and paid a hefty amount to deliver three no-balls during the course of Lords Test. While the first two no-balls hardly drew any suspicion, the third no-ball bowled by the rookie teenager Mohammad Amir due to its magnanimity turned heads. Amir hadn't bowled a no-ball before in First-Class cricket and his first to Alastair Cook was a massive overstep.

If the first no-ball by Amir turned heads, his second one confirmed that something was brewing. England on the back of Stuart Broad's maiden Test hundred and a 5-for by Graeme Swann got a stranglehold on Pakistan, who were 1-4 in the second innings at the end of the fourth day. Buy the controversy was about to blow with the Police conducting a search across the stadium with an objective to get a hold of evidence. Pakistan turned up on the last day, shell-shocked at the proceedings and capitulated to England in the first session. The series that saw Amir emerge as the Player of the series for Pakistan, the teenager along with Asif and Salman Butt were reprimanded and banned for five years. Amir pleaded guilty to corruption charges and spent three months in a young offenders institute, while Butt and Asif were jailed. In July 2016 Amir completed the full circle as he played a pivoted role in Pakistan's magnanimous win at the very venue that had sent him into a self-inflicted exile.

#1 India's eight overseas Test losses at the hands of England and Australia in 2011-12

Glum faces after a 0-4 whitewash against Australia.

For an Indian cricket fan who has grown-up overseeing the Indian team under Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, eclipse new highs especially overseas in the first decade of 21st century. Indians have always been belittled over their abysmal overseas record especially in the 90s where the team went through the entire decade without an elusive win. With Sourav Ganguly at the helm at the turn of century, things changed for the better.

It is in this retrospect that India's capitulation in England (0-4) and then in Australia (0-4) remains one of the most painful moments for Indian cricket this century. The seeds were sown pretty early when an 'under-cooked' Indian team turned up against England at Lords. The series which was billed as a contest between the two best Test sides in the world was virtually over when Zaheer Khan hobbled his way back to the dressing room in the first morning of the Test match. Zaheer would take no further part in four-match series and India's over-dependence on him was embarrassingly exposed as the English batsmen made merry and piled on a mountain of runs.

Indian batsmen barring Rahul Dravid, who scored three hundred on the tour, got buried under the mountain thanks to the duo of Anderson and Broad, who played a key role in handing India a 0-4 whitewash and subsequently relieving them of their No.1 status. If the loss in England was shocking, it amplified to catastrophic effects a few months later, when India toured Australia in the winter of 2011. The fact that India's core that has dominated World cricket for a period of time has crossed its sell-by date was epitomized to the hilt when Dravid, India's most successful batsman in England saw his stump get knocked over seven times out of eight innings. The pressure of achieving the 100th hundred was telling in the Master Blaster as after an encouraging start at the MCG, his form fizzled out and so did India's chances as Australia completed a 0-4 whitewash on the visitors.

The ardent Indian fans expected India's win and Tendulkar's 100th hundred prior to the series, they got neither, yet what they did get was a glimpse into India's batting future with Virat Kohli stamping his authority as a Test player with a pristine 75 in Perth and a maiden hundred in the fourth Test at Adelaide.