Team India's best moments during Diwali Week

#2 India vs Australia, Reliance World Cup, 1987

Azharuddin played the role of an all-rounder in the Reliance World Cup 1987

This was the 15th match of the Reliance World Cup 1987. In the earlier league match played at Chennai, India lost to Australia by one run.

Australia won the toss and elected to field. For India, four batsmen, Sunil Gavaskar, Navjot Sidhu, Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohammad Azharuddin scored fifties and India reached a commanding score of 289. A score of 289 in those days was considered as a mammoth total.

In reply, Australia at one stage were 100 for 1. But the introduction of spin in the form of Maninder Singh and Ravi Shastri slowed down the run rate. Maninder Singh took the important wickets of Geoff Marsh, Dean Jones, and Allan Border. At the other end, Ravi Shastri took care of the dangerous David Boon.

An injury to Chetan Sharma forced captain Kapil Dev to bring Azharuddin to the bowling crease. He finished off the Aussie tail by taking 3 wickets in 3 overs. India won by 56 runs and Azharuddin was named the Man-of-the-Match.

While Austraila went on to with the Reliance World Cup 1987, then-defending Champion India crashed out in the semi-final when they were swept aside by Gooch and Gatting.

As an aftermath to the World Cup defeat, Kapil Dev was removed from captaincy.