The Top Five International Cricket Matches You Need To Watch Today
The men’s Cricket World Cup has produced many memorable matches over its 11 prior editions, despite its inadequacies and formatting errors.
A list of today international match cricket that includes seismic upsets, close finishes, and games whose significance resonated well beyond cricket has been compiled by Alison Mitchell, Jim Maxwell, and Charu Sharma, the hosts of Stumped on BBC World Service.
Here are top picks for the top 10 Cricket World Cup games. (H2)
- India v Sri Lanka, 2011
India won the World Cup on home turf by defeating Sri Lanka in a thrilling championship today international cricket.
When it appeared like his team was languishing in its attempt to catch Sri Lanka’s 274-6, captain MS Dhoni moved up the order and expertly timed his team’s run-chase.
As Dhoni secured the victory with a six that soared far into the bleachers and set off wild celebrations in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, Gautam Gambhir’s 97 seemed little more than a footnote.
Coach Gary Kirsten remarked, “It felt weird, the end of a tremendous three-year journey with the Indian team.
“All we really needed to do was fly in formation, and they were a pretty talented group of cricket players. Prior to the World Cup, we had had some significant highs and lows, but everything came together beautifully.”
- India v Zimbabwe, 1983
Even though Kapil’s match, as it has come to be known, was never broadcast on television, it will always be remembered by everyone who went among the Tunbridge Wells rhododendrons. You should definitely watch this international cricket match today.
When World Cup rookies Zimbabwe reduced India to 17-5, a significant upset appeared in the cards.
The captain of India, however, had a different plot in mind. His incredible 175 not out in just 138 balls helped India reach what ultimately proved to be the winning score of 266-8.
“They were still only approximately 100-7 when we took a break for lunch after 40 overs. We had everything under control until Kapil abruptly shifted gear “says Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Dave Houghton, who witnessed the vicious attack up close.
“He made no errors with the ball. He succeeded in everything he attempted by shooting a missile out of the earth or a tracer bullet along the ground. He didn’t give me a chance, even though it wasn’t like we dropped him or it was a close call.”
- India v Australia, 1987
In one of the World Cup’s closest matches ever, Australia edged off defending champion India by one run in Chennai.
When a teenage Steve Waugh bowled Maninder Singh to claim the victory, India needed two runs in the space of two balls to reach their total of 271.
If Dean Jones from Australia had not persisted in trying to make up for a perceived injustice during Australia’s innings, the result would have been drastically different.
Jones stated, “I was facing the left-arm orthodox Maninder Singh, and I hit one down the ground. “Ravi Shastri was on the boundary, and it appeared obvious to me that it crossed over his arm and carried past the rope, but Ravi claimed it was four, so we all objected,” stated the complainant.
“I turned to [umpire] Dickie Bird, who stated he had to accept the fielder’s word.
Soon after, I exited and ran into Hanif Mohammed, the match referee. I complained, and he said that we’ll discuss it at the conclusion of the innings.
“Dickie Bird entered their changing area and offered Ravi one more chance. They adjusted the score from 268 to 270 after he remarked, “Let him have it for six.”
“I don’t think that’s ever happened before,”
- Pakistan v England, 1992
Pakistan won its first World Cup after Wasim Akram defeated England, spurred on by Imran Khan’s advice to fight like “cornered tigers.”
In front of a packed house at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Pakistan posted 249-6 thanks to half-centuries from Imran and Javed Miandad.
And even though England recovered from a shaky start, Wasim bowled two inswinging yorkers in quick succession to dismiss Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis, effectively guaranteeing England’s third loss in a World Cup final.
A bus ride that ordinarily takes 20 minutes took seven hours to get us back to Lahore, according to Wasim.
“We moved slowly as the streets were crowded. It’s something you imagine having. I’ve never witnessed anything like that, and I doubt I ever will.”
- New Zealand v South Africa, 2015
The fortunes of both sides bounced back and forth in this rollercoaster of a semifinal, leaving the result up in the air until the very end. It is one of the international cricket matches today that you should watch.
After rain, New Zealand was suffering at 149-4 in the 22nd over of their 298-run, 43-over chase, but Grant Elliott and Corey Anderson brought them back into the game as the boisterous Eden Park crowd roared for each run.
Elliott sent Dale Steyn into the Auckland night sky when five needed to be scored from two balls, sending New Zealand into their first World Cup final.
Since it was literally “hero or zero,” Elliott said, “that was perhaps the most stressful time of my career in terms of a single moment.”
“I was going to try my hand at it wherever the ball was since I didn’t want to wait until the last ball. Thankfully, it was in a favourable spot for me, and the rest was a huge relief. It felt fairly fantastic to accomplish what at the beginning of the tournament looked impossible.”
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Also Read: The Top 5 Indian Batters Who Have Scored the Most Runs in International Cricket