5 greatest run chases in Cricket World Cups

#3 Australia vs Sri Lanka (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, March 1996)

Sri Lankan players celebrate after beating Australia to win the World Cup

After a topsy-turvy tournament, filled with thrills, chills and some outright disappointing performances, only two teams were left standing for the Cup. Rival captains Mark Taylor and Arjuna Ranatunga had more than just a victory on their minds; for the latter, it was a chance for vengeance after the entire Muttiah Muralitharan chucking controversy the previous year Down Under.

He exacted it sweetly. A blazing start by Taylor and Ricky Ponting was nullified when the spinners came on, collapsing to 241 in their essay. Much of this fall was attributed to the four-pronged spin attack which was able to gain considerable assistance from a flat deck. Yet, during the chase, they lost their dynamic opening pair of Sanath Jayasuriya & Romelu Kaluwitharana early. In Ravi Shastri’s words, someone had to put up his hand and step up to shepherd the side out of deep waters.

Enter Aravinda de Silva, who had led the side in the previous edition of the tournament. Having taken three wickets with his off-breaks, he then proceeded to launch a calculated assault on the rival bowlers, mixing caution with aggression. In the company of first Asanka Gurusinha & then Ranatunga, de Silva compiled a magnificent century, knocking off the winning runs as the Emerald Islanders became the second team to win a World Cup final when chasing.