FaaipDeOiad
Hall of Fame Member
Agreed. That is without question the greatest one dayer ever, and I'd be surprised if I ever see one that compares. It was a phenomenal game, from start to finish.
Wasn't he dropped early on in that innings? Was it Boucher?Craig said:A favourite ODI for me was when Stephen Fleming smashed South Africa all around Wanders in the 2003 WC. Has he not batted any better?
For Bangladesh (seeing as I'll probably be writing it) I was thinking of using the ICC Trophy Final from 1997pug said:Decided to do a quick cricinfo search for Bangladesh.
ODI # 2250
ODI # 1471
ODI # 2201
ODI # 2336
ODI # 2258
Will post details later. Must run to keep an appointment now.
so? it happensquick4mindia said:The hobart victory was not without some major umpiring goof ups that led AUS to finish the match.
I will add another interesting little backstory to that match. Before the game started, ESPN-Star (Who were covering the WC here in the subcontinent) had their panel of guests for a pre-game show. John Dykes was asking questions to Tony Greig and Sunny Gavaskar who were both at the ground. Tony Greig mentioned that he felt that Shaun Pollock was going to do very well that day. He said it was his gut feeling and said that he will the MOTM in this game. John Dykes than asked Rameez Raja (who was the third guest there) but he gave up and said that it was too early to predict such things. He then asked Gavaskar to nominate someone to be the MOTM that day, and guess who Gavaskar picked? A blonde Australian leggy. Funny how both guys had massive games that day. Tony Greig was chuckling during the half time break show, but Sunny had the last laugh.Francis said:I might do a list later, but right now what I'll say is that there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the 1999 World Cup Semi Final between Australia and South Africa is the single greatest one day match ever. When I started a thread months ago asking what the greatest ODI match ever was, that match made nearly everybodies list, while other matches were in many different lists.
That match was the only single match to make C4's top 100 sporting moments of the 20the century and its legend still remains today. When South Africa won that great ODI a few months ago, Mark Boucher said that ODI was still in his head during the game. And the backstory is just incredible...
It's starts off with an Australian team that underachieved in the West Indies with many people writing them off. The the group stages they lost easily to Pakistan and New Zealand. They had a terrible game against Wales and only just made it into the super six off of some Tom Moody hitting. However, since Pakistan and New Zealand made it into the super six and they beat Australia, Australia took no bonus points into the super six. Pakistan took 4 and New Zealand two. Meaning one thing, Australia had to win every single game from here on in to win.
South Africa were just amazing and had absolutely no reason to lose. They were flogging teams left and right and that was down to two things. (1) They had a great team. (2) They had, at his peak, the best ODI player I'd ever seen in Lance Klusener. He'd take South Africa home comfortably in some of the most tight moments that his presence became enormous. Amazingly, South Africa had a fluke loss to Zimbabwe, which all great teams have every once in a while. The problem was that since Zimbabwe made it into the super six, South Africa could only take two points, insted of four, since they only had one win over the teams that made the super six from his group. People remember Herchelle Gibbs dropped catch, but I tell you this, had South Africa taken that extra bonus point, they would have made it into the final after that infamous draw.
Australia did well finally once they made the super six, but to make the semi finals they had to beat South Africa, who they weren't fancied against. South Africa made 270 odd on a pretty lame-duck pitch for batting. Australia were in trouble before Steve Waugh puts on one of the best one day innings ever. You can talk about hitting the ball over the park with luck and making runs fast, but Waugh came in under pressure and made an amazing century. Gibbs dropped him and that remains famous. Remember, had South Africa won against Zimbabwe, it wouldn't matter if they drew Australia.
The semi final comes around and South Africa put on an amazing bowling performance and Australia were lucky to even make it past 200 thanks to Michael Bevan. What separates this from other games where teams defend low scores was that this was the only time I saw a team defend a low score without taking early wickets. It was almost the equivelant of Botham's Ashes for ODI's because when Warne came in South Africa only needed 160 with plenty 10 in hand. Warne got immediate wickets and his figures of 4-29 don't tell the story. After nine over he was 4-20. So basicly in the middle of a game with the field spread, he kept South Africa to around 2 an over. A sloppy last over covers that up. The pressure Warne put them under was amazing and more importantly inspirational.
Warne was screaming after every wicket "C'Mon"! Urging his team to perk up. They responded and got themselves into a great position before Klusener came out. I knew watching this game, after all Klusener had done throughout the tournament, that no matter the scenario, if he got going it would be over. I remember in the last few overs, South Africa were nine down and desperate for runs, Klusener hit the ball long, Paul Riefel was under the ball, and dropped it. People thought he dropped the world cup. What was mroe amazing was the Klusener hit the ball so hard it hit his hand and went for six, which it wouldn't have done if it didn't hit his hand. Klusener kept the strike for the last over needing nine. He hit two fours and you just knew it was over and SA were home, I'd seen so many games where Klusener so easily took South Africa home.
What people forget about the ending is that there was more to it than choking. Klusener, with four balls left, hit a ball to Darren Lehman than Allan Donald wanted to run on. Lehman was like 5 metres away from the stumps with an underarm throw and had he hit, Donald would have been run out. I think Klusener knew that had they taken the run, they would have won since Lehman missed. Donald also put pressure on Klusener to run with that move because Donald was walking down the pitch as the ball was bowled. The next ball Fleming did good to get in a yorker and Donald, knowing he screwed up the ball before, stayed tight in his crease, whereas Klusener was a mad man running down the pitch.
You know the rest, a drawn game in the highest of drama, with dropped catches, poor running, big match performances. EVERYTHING! Great backstory too because had SA beaten Zimbabwe, or had Gibbs held that catch, or had there not been that weird understanding, they would almost certainly be the 1999 world cup champions. The thing is their team was so awesome and my favorite to watch. Pollock and Donald were at the height of their powers. Klusener stole games all the time. Kirstin was a great batsman and a big match performers... I could go on and on.
I'll never forget Hanse Cronje's look in the dressing room. No expression at all, he just could not believe it. Allan Donald said in his book he just can't figure out why a team so powerful just couldn't get past Australia.
That games impact on England remains today. Like I said it was the only cricket match to make C4's top 100 sporting moments of the 20th century. Tim de Lisle called it the model ODI match in that it had everything that made ODI cricket great. You wouldn't change a thing about it. You had the story of an Aussie team that were the laughing stock of the world cup when they nearly lost to Wales and guys like Steve Waugh and Shane Warne who were going to be dropped as soon as the world cup was over and what...? Waugh made that awesome century and Warne took 4-29 and both saved Australia. Then you had the team that were favorites by an absolute mile with talent top to bottom and how everything went wrong. It's a sad part of the best sporting moments... you always have to feel for the person/team that loses.
Yes he was on 51.Mr Mxyzptlk said:Wasn't he dropped early on in that innings? Was it Boucher?
But watching that match, I felt RSA bowled really poorly that day. 12 of the 17 boundaries of Fleming came on the leg side and everyone knows how strong he is off his legs. IT was more poor bowling than great batting for me.Craig said:Yes he was on 51.
Apart from that missed shot he looked pretty good.
My fav. Lankan ODIs will have Aravinda DeSilva as the main lead and Sanath in the best spoorting act.chaminda_00 said:ODI will come later, but a expect a Jayasuriya show.
i.e the 1996 World Cup Final, my fav too.Sanz said:My fav. Lankan ODIs will have Aravinda DeSilva as the main lead and Sanath in the best spoorting act.
Dont Forget the Semis, SL were 2 wickets down for a total of 1, Aravinda's count attack put India on defensive, SL went on to score 250+ . Stupid fans ruined a good match.chaminda_00 said:i.e the 1996 World Cup Final, my fav too.
Sanz said:ODIs(In No Particular Order) :-
India Vs. West Indies, 1983 WC Finals It may not be a great match for sheer performance, but this was a match that brought India her greatest glory and more importantly announced India's arrival as an ODI team. This match also ended WI's reign over the world cups and arguebly was the beginning of the Great WI decline. This one match made en entire generation of Indian cricket fans believe that they can indeed be the world champs and compete with the best of the best.
India Vs. SA, 1993 Hero Cup Semi Finals This was the game that made Tendulkar household name, ironically though, not for his batting but for the inspired last over bowling where he reportedly snatched the ball out of legendry allrounder KapliDev's hand. SA needed 6 runs off the last over with Brian Mcmilland and De Villiers at the crease, Sachin's last over resulted in 3 runs and a runout, India won by 2 runs. This one match made Tendulkar hugely popular (at least in my little town) and IMO changed his life as a cricketer.
India Vs. Pak 1996 WC Quarter Finals This was a revenge match for Indians and our way of honoring Javed Miandad for the 6 he hit on a friday in 1986 and put an entire nation in depression for a decade. This match brought our self belief back that we could indeed compete with Pakistan and win against them. India batted first and was on its way for a decent total until Ajay Jadeja decide to go berserk, he hit Waqar 3 fours in a row and then a 6 to collect 24 runs in his 9th over. Thanks to him India made 287 in 50 overs with last 8 overs yielding 87 runs. Pakistan started the chase well with Sohail/Anwar making 83 runs in 10 overs and then something hit Sohail and he decided to sledge Prasad after hitting him for a four. Prasad had the last laugh when he bowled Sohail on the next ball. India won the game, This was Javed Miandad's last ODI.
India Vs. Aus 1998 Sharjah - The Desert Storm Sharjah Stadium was hit by two storms on that eventful day, First storm was caused by mother nature, second storm was cause by a little man named Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. After the sand Storm hit, India were set a revised target of 134 in 15 overs to qualify for the finals. Sachin took charge like never before, during the storm he didn't return to the pavillion and instead waited on the ground with his helmet on. When the match restarted Aussie bowlers couldn't stop him, India made 134 in 12 overs, SRT ended up with 143 runs in 134 balls, 9 4s and 5 6s. India ended up losing the match, but so much was the effect of Sachin's assault that in the finals Aussie bowlers couldn't do much against him. A truly special match sole because of one of the greatest ODI inning by an INDIAN.
India Vs. England Lords - NatWest Finals England put up 325 runs on board thanks to the two centurions Tresco and Nasser, India started off well with Sourav and Sehwag hammering 100 runs in 14 overs and then England's lesser known bowler Irani, Tudor and their best spinner in Giles shared 5 Indian wickets amongs themselves for 40 runs in 10 overs. From 106/0 in 14.3 India were reduced to 146/5 in 24 overs with all the big names back into the pavillion and most fans leaving the stadiums and Tv sets. Those who stayed watched a new generation of Indian cricketers taking India to an almost impossible target and giving India one of its finest wins in years. Md. Kaif and Yuvraj Singh shared a 120 run partnership in 17 overs, Yuvraj got out when India still needed 60 runs to win the game, but Kaif made sure that India didn't lose from there and finished with 87 not out in 75 balls.
I wanted to do this for tests as well, but I dont think I have watched enough tests in last 30 years to pick top five and hence I will leave it other Indian members to pick the list of 5 best Test matchs and tell us why those tests are great. From what I have watched, I consider following as 5 best Test matches India have played in last 30 years :-
1. India Vs. Australia 1986 Tied Test, Madras.
2. India Vs. Pakistan 1987 , Banglore , Gavaskar's last Test.
3. India Vs. Pakistan 1998, Chennai
4. India Vs. Australia 2001, Kolkata
5. India Vs. England 2002, Headingley
Yes you are rightSanz said:Quicky, I havn't forgotten any of those, it's just that they dont make my top 5 list. If you think those are your top 5 ODIs then please post them with links, this is what the thread is all about.