Top 5 game changing moments in cricket

It was an “Apple falling” episode in the 17th century, which many believe, resulted in the discovery of the “Law of Gravitation”. Had Sir Issac Newton been desperately hungry when the apple fell on his head, we would not have known anything about the existence of gravity. Thankfully, he turned out to be a genius, who scratched his head and discovered a major breakthrough in physics out of nothing.

We might have also come across certain minor instances which later on went on to create a big impact on our own lives. This theory is applicable in sports too, and more so in a team game like cricket. A few minor occurrences on the field are more than enough to turn a game right on its head. How often have we seen a fall of wicket or a bad decision by the umpires changing the situation of a match totally, resulting in a victory or a defeat for a team? Sometimes, even nature has played spoilsport, denying a side a well deserved triumph.

Such moments which have shifted the momentum from one team to the other in the course of a match are called the game changers. We will go down the memory lane and try to recall five of those incidents which ended up having a huge bearing on the outcomes of some of the most important matches.

5. Steve Bucknor’s faux pas in Sydney Cricket Ground:

I was very much impressed when Simon Taufel decided to quit his umpiring job at a very young age of 41. To be an umpire, of course, you need not just be physically fit, but also have proper eyesight. Without the aid of a clear vision, your decisions are bound to go wrong, especially with regards to observing faint nicks off the bat or while scrutinizing leg before appeals. Taufel did a good job all throughout his career, and ensured that he quit his job before his eyesight let him down.

When Bucknor was umpiring in Sydney Cricket Ground during the Border–Gavaskar trophy in 2007-2008, involving Australia and India, he was 61. So, it is needless to point out his capability when it came to observing and hearing the proceedings on the field. The Kangaroos were looking down the barrel in their first innings with the scoreboard reading 139/6, thanks to some impressive spells by Ishant Sharma & Co.

It was then a game changing decision, if ever there was one, made by Steve Bucknor when a clear edge, pretty much audible when the ball flew past the bat of Andrew Symonds, off the bowling of Ishant Sharma, was given not out. The batsman was caught behind and everyone, barring the man in hot seat – Steve Bucknor, heard the nick. He ruled the decision in favour of the batsman and the Queenslander made most of the second opportunity given to him by scoring a whopping 162 runs in the first innings, taking his team’s overall score to 463. The match, in the end, was won by Australia, thanks to a few more dubious decisions by the umpires on the final day of the test. Had that decision been made rightly, India might have registered a comprehensive victory over the Aussies at the very famous SCG.

4. Rain intervention in England vs South Africa, 1992 World Cup semifinal:

It was South Africa’s first ever World Cup and they came very close to winning it. As a newly formed team, they did so well all throughout the tournament down under, making cricket pundits raise their eyebrows in amazement. Truly due to some incredible performances, they were able to raise their level of the game so well that they eventually managed to book a semifinal slot against England.

England, batting first, made a reasonably good score, leaving South Africa to chase 253 in 45 overs. Just for the readers’ information – due to rain delay in between – the match was restricted to 45 overs per side. The batsmen from the safari land consolidated the innings in the middle overs pretty well after an indifferent start, thanks mainly to Jonty Rhodes and Hansie Cronje. When Brian Mcmillan and David Richardson took the target within the reach of their side who were needed to score just 22 runs of the last 13 balls, the rain intervened.

Due to some bizarre rain rule which was prevailing at that time, the South Africans were asked to achieve an impossible target of 21 runs off one ball, once the rain stopped. It required a mad man to bowl many wides and no balls to help the batsmen to get to that target and Carl Lewis, who bowled the last delivery of the 43rd over, was not that kind. Mcmillan took a single off the last ball of the innings and the dream of “men in green” to reach their first ever World Cup final failed to materialize.

3. Sachin Tendulkar’s back pain in Chennai Test against Pakistan:

Not only external factors like rain or umpiring decisions affect the course of a match but also, on certain occasions, internal factors like player’s physique and other elements can ditch you at the most inconvenient time possible.

In 1999, when India was playing Pakistan in a test match in Chennai, as always – the contest did not fail to catch up to the pre-match hype. Nothing separated the two teams as the batsmen from both the sides struggled to get their side past 300. India had a slight upper hand, gaining a slender first innings lead over their arch rivals. Pakistan did not do anything better in their second innings, leaving the renowned batting line up of India to chase a target of 271 runs with more than a day to spare.

Pakistan came back strongly though, by making life difficult for the Indian batsmen. Though the top order failed, Sachin Tendulkar gave everything he had by scoring a faultless century with patience written all over it.

Unfortunately, a decade long cricket career got the better of him as he began to suffer from enormous back pain. Despite the agony, he gave everything for his country. Nearing the target, Tendulkar wanted to finish off the game quickly as he could not handle the pain any more. So with six wickets down, he took a risk, going down the wicket to Saqlain Mushtaq attempting to hit a maximum. But then, he could not quite get anywhere near it and eventually holed out Wasim Akram at mid-off.

When Sachin departed after scoring 136, India needed just 17 runs for victory. But the next three wickets fell like nine pins, with the batsmen adding only three more runs on the board. The match, which was always under India’s grasp, eventually went in the opposition’s favour as a result of it.

2. Mike Gatting’s attempted reverse sweep against Australia in World Cup final 1987:

When the English team took on Allan Border’s men at Eden Gardens, Calcutta in the 1987 World Cup final, the Aussies were the clear underdogs. Not many gave them a chance to win their first ever World Cup. Of course, both the teams had never won it before and the world was waiting for new champions to get crowned.

Australians took the crease first and made a fighting score of 253, faring quite well with the bat. England began their reply in style and with just two wickets down at 135, they seemed to be coasting through their innings. Mike Gatting was batting at about run a ball rate and appeared to have comfortably settled at the crease. It was then that Border made a gamble by bringing himself on to bowl some left arm spin.

Mike Gatting, who was a wonderful player of spin himself, should not have found a bowler like Border too tough to handle. But he did something which was inexcusable. All of a sudden, he tried to play a reverse sweep off a ball which pitched outside his off stump. This shot, which was totally uncalled for, transformed the day into a doomsday for him and his country. The ball got the edge of his bat and ballooned off his shoulders, leaving the fielder to take almost a juggling catch in the end. The English team never recovered from this dismissal and collapsed midway, losing out to the Aussies.

1. Herscehelle Gibbs dropping Steve Waugh in 1999 world cup Super Sixes:

“Mate, you have just dropped the World Cup”. I am not sure if those were the words which came from the mouth of Stephen Waugh when he was dropped by Gibbs during 1999 WC super six game against South Africa. Some of them say he said it, while some deny it and even Waugh himself does not seem to remember what exactly he conveyed.

Whether or not it was said by the former Australian captain – South Africa, I can say, lost the World Cup precisely because of failing to latch on to that catch the Aussie captain offered.

It was a must win game for the Australians at Headingly, as a loss here would have meant their exit from the World Cup. It was in fact the final super six game where they took on their arch rivals South Africans. South Africa, attempting to shrug off their chokers tag, performed excellently with the bat, posing a stiff target of 272 runs for the Australians to chase. The Australians began very nervously, and were soon reduced to 48/3.

So it was all left to Steve Waugh to play a captain’s knock. In fact, this mentally tough batsman did the same. He scored his half century and as he was beginning to look a bit dangerous, he guided a ball off Lance Klusener straight into the hands of Herschelle Gibbs, who was fielding inside the circle. It was a sitter which should have been taken. But Gibbs made a mess of it by dropping it even after the ball seemed to have got into his possession quite comfortably. Failing to secure it in his hands, he gave a second life to the Australian captain.

That was enough for Steve to turn things around as he compiled a spirited century, winning the match for his country. The Australians not only entered the semifinals but also forced their way into the finals as well, thanks to some reckless running by the South African batsmen at the most crucial juncture.

Thus, the drop proved too costly for the South Africans, who would have otherwise played an easier semifinal against Zimbabwe and who knows – would have even won their first ever World Cup.