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Cricket, across all formats, has had its fair share of nail-biting and tense finishes, be it in test, one-day, or T20 matches. They are the kind of games played between evenly matched sides that make the spectators sit at the edge of their seats and chew their nails till there’s nothing left. Even though public memory is short, matches of high caliber that go all the way down to the wire are seldom forgotten. There is no difference between the victor and the vanquished in competitions such as these, and the efforts by the two sides make one wish there could be two winners. While you may not be able to get onto the pitch and rub shoulders with the legends, it is possible to play fantasy cricket and create some unforgettable moments for yourself.
This particular semi-final could be called the most riveting one-day match in history. It was 100 overs of drama, the kind never seen on a cricket turf, and had the most anti-climatic ending. It was a match that ESPN called the greatest ever. In the first innings, Australia put 213 on the board for the Proteas to chase. A very achievable target, but no one knew what was to come. The South Africans were coasting to victory and, towards the end, nine runs off one over to go through to the final. The South African dream ended with one run needed and two balls to spare. Lance Klusener edged the ball and scrambled for the run, only to find Allan Donald stranded halfway down the pitch. With the score tied, Australia sneaked into the final on the back of a superior run rate in the Super Six stage.
India’s efforts to clinch the second test of the 2007-08 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Sydney was ended by a part-time bowler. The Australian side gave India a target of 333. and the match looked like it was meandering to a draw. That was until Michael Clark came on to bowl his left-arm spin on a turning wicket. Clarke claimed three wickets, giving away only five runs in 1.5 overs. All three wickets fell in an over that saw plenty of mayhem. The last man, Ishant Sharma,lost his wicket with less than ten minutes to go before the close of play and handed the Australians the 2nd test, which they won by 122 runs.
The city of Chennai witnessed the closest-ever finish in any World Cup match as Australia got the better of title holders India by one run in a group-stage game. Maninder Singh was at the crease with India chasing 271 and needing two to win when a young Steve Waugh castled the tail-ender to take home the spoils. In fact, the outcome could have been different had Australia’s Dean Jones not persisted upon rectifying an error that saw the Australian score revised to 270.
In the 2016 World T20 final between England and West Indies, England got off to a rocky start when they lost both openers in the space of two overs. However, the English side managed to cobble together a score of 155, thanks to a half-century from Joy Root. Eoin Morgan’s men struck almost immediately at the commencement of the second innings by claiming the prize scalp of Chris Gayle with just four runs on the board. This left the Windies tottering at 5/2.Marlon Samuels and Carlos Braithwaite steadied the ship with some solid gameplay. Marlon Samuel contributed with 85 off 66 balls. With 19 required off the final over, Braithwaite struck four successive sixes off Ben Stokes, and West Indies romped home in style.
The T20 match between the two trans-Tasman rivals was as close a finish as it gets. The game went into a super over, with both sides tied at 214 after the allotted 20 overs. Australia started the chase well but appeared to have hit a bump when Michael Clarke was run out for 67. With the Aussies needing 125 from 60 deliveries, they looked on course for a victory till Tim Southee bowled an impressive over to end the match in a tie. In the ensuing Super Over bowled by Southee, Australia was restricted to 6/1. New Zealand stole nine off four deliveries and sealed a dramatic win.
With Australia winning the first test at Lord’s and England sealing victory in the second test at Edgbaston, the third Test at Old Trafford was up for grabs. England batted first and put on 444 on the board thanks to Michael Vaughan’s fine 166. In reply, Australia were in a tricky situation at 212/7 before Shane Warne’s patient 90 took them to 302. England carried the momentum into their 2nd innings despite Glenn Mcgrath producing a flurry of wickets for Australia. The English declared at 280/6, giving Australia a target of 423 on the final day. Andrew Flintoff broke the looming threat of the second wicket stand between Ricky Ponting and Mathew Hayden. The middle order collapsed as Michael Clarke joined Ricky Ponting as the latter plowed his way to a gritty 156. After Ponting’s departure, Australia seemed to be over the barrel as England needed to secure one more wicket in four overs to win. However, Brett Lee and McGrath held on to their wickers for dear life while playing out the final four overs and wrapped up a nail-biting finish for their team.
