My favourite moments in Indian cricket (Part 1)

Today is a day of which I thought of only in my dreams. An India-Australia test series and India winning all the matches (although there were only two of them). I got that familiar feeling I get when I witness any great sporting moment. Trying to explain that feeling would be like teaching Macbeth to Lalu Prasad Yadav (totally unrelated). Anyways, the thing is, I remember the same feeling - moisture in eyes, tinge in the tongue, lump in the throat, fingers coming together to make a fist - when India won the Natwest at Lord's, or the 2007 T20 World Cup win.

That's why I've decided to pen down (or key down) the most memorable moments of Indian Cricket. Before doing that I would like to clear out some things. First, this list is highly biased. These moments are the ones occurring in my lifetime, i.e., I was there to witness them either personally or on TV or on youtube. That's why you will not find India's first ever test win over England in 1952, or the 400 plus runs chase in windies in 1976, in this list. Second, this list is chronological and not ranked. I can compare one or two entries but I can't rank all of them on the basis of awesomeness. Third, these are my moments. Some people may not agree with some entries and some may want to add some more.

I, being me, don’t care.

1. The Big One, Lord's, 1983

I was only 3 years old when this happened. Hence, it comes under the TV and youtube category. This feat can only be matched if India wins the next football world cup. India was David, West Indies was Goliath blah blah blah blah. What I liked the most was the smile on Kapil Dev's face when he ran to the pavilion after the win and again when he lifted the trophy. It was not a Miss-Worldsque oh-my-fucking-god-I-won smile. The smile was innocent, the smile showed joy. And most importantly, the smile said, "From now on, whenever you play against us, you better show some respect."

Why I love it: The repercussions of this win have been debated a million times but for me the most important one was, back home in Bombay, God was watching it. And he decided to play cricket  seriously.

2. Charity Match: Pakistan v India at Lahore, 10 Nov 1989

A reduced over charity match. Pakistan made 187. India needed 69 runs in the last 5 overs. But nobody was taking it seriously, except a small, curly haired boy who was making his debut in this series. He had other plans in his mind and when he lifted rookie leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed for two sixes, Mushtaq’s mentor, the legendary Abdul Qadir, went up to the boy and said, “Bachchon ko kyun maar rahe ho? Humein maar ke dikhao…”.  Big mistake. Big fucking mistake. He was hit for four sixes in that over. Lord Voldemort was defeated by a year old Harry Potter.
Why I love it: I was in fourth standard and the half-yearly exams were going on. I suddenly heard my dad shouting in joy. He never shouts while watching a match, unless he is with someone. I was more curious about who was the guest rather than what was going on. When I saw that dad was alone and there was this boy hitting sixes and fours, I was mesmerized. That boy became my hero. And I started playing cricket.

3. The Hero Cup Final, Calcutta, 1993

1993 was both a curious and important year. I turned thirteen and entered teenage. Economic reforms, started in 1991, were starting to take some shape. The country, on the other hand, was trying to stand up and brush off the dust of communal riots. And then came this win. Sachin Tendulkar, in the semifinal against South Africa, showed that he could win a match through his bowling also. In the final against WI, another player, with huge glasses came to the front and gave his best ODI performance – 6 wickets for just 12 runs.  Anil Kumble would go on to take 10 wickets in a single innings, but this night he won the match for India.

Why I love it: What I liked the most was not that India won a tournament, but the spectacle after that win. Tens of thousands of flames could be seen all around the stands. People lit up paper torches and firecrackers and the scene was unbelievable.

4. India vs. Pakistan, World Cup, 1996

The tension that mounts before an Indo-Pak match can only be matched by the Cuban missile crisis. Half an hour before the start of the match the tension was tangible. The streets were deserted, even the panwallahs were closing their shops. On TV, even the stadium looked silent. It was a knockout round match and when Sachin got out, hopes began sinking. The Indians batted quite well, but Ajay Jadeja, on the other hand, had different plans. He made 28 runs in a Waqar Younis over. Yes, you heard me right, he made 28 runs in a Waqar Younis, reverse-swing-yukt death over. There has been no one better than Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram in the death overs in all of the universe. These two can reverse swing the old ball to such a degree that no matter in which direction they bowl, the ball will meander along and hit the stumps. And Ajay Jadeja, chewing gum and smiling, hit that Waqar Younis for 28 runs.
Why I love it: Pakistan openers started explosively. Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar were literally toying with the Indian bowling. Sohail becomes over confident, smashes Venkatesh Prasad to the cover boundary, walks up to him, shows him the bat and gestures where he will send the next ball. Prasad is red-faced. He has two variations – the slow ball has already been hit for four, he tries the another variation – the slower ball, pitches it up, Sohail heaves, misses, and the stumps are no longer parallel. The moment. Prasad has adrenaline oozing out from his nose and ears. He gestures Sohail towards the dressing room. The crowd erupts. At that moment, we could have won back POK. India went on to win that match and enter the semifinals.

5.  India’s Tour of England, 1996

India was still recovering from the world cup semifinal defeat in Calcutta when they came to England in April. The weather was still chilly and the ball was flying across the pitch like it had wings of its own. India, according to the tradition, lost the first test in Birmingham. The second test was at Lord’s and things were not looking bright. England made a modest 344. India replied with 429. There were two debutants in that match who, along with Tendulkar, will go on and change history. One would become the most successful captain of India - Sourav Ganguly, and the other would become the most trusted batsman of all time – Rahul Dravid. Ganguly scored a century and Dravid scored 95. Had he scored 5 more runs, India would have become the only team whose two batsmen scored centuries in their debut innings.

Why I love it: The batting of Sourav Ganguly. The English pacers kept bowling on his off stump hoping to get an edge and he kept obliging them by hitting boundaries on the off side. Poor people, they thought that he is giving them chances by playing away from off stump. It will be later when they will come to know that on the off side, first there is God. And then there is the Sourav Ganguly.

6. The Desert Storm, Sharjah, 1998

India needed 285 to win in the penultimate match against Australia. The fourth wicket went down at 138 and India were looking down the barrel. Then came the sand storm. As if the Gods did not wanted India to reach the finals. India then needed more than a run a ball to at least qualify for the final. But then came another storm, this time originating from the bat of the master. He not only glided his team to the finals, but then went on to try to win the match. But the Australians would never recover from this innings. He will go on to win the final on his birthday with another century. Sachin was considered one of the best batsmen in the world along with Brian Lara, Mark Waugh and Inzamam-aloo Huq. After this, he became the best batsman in the world of his times. Anakin Skywalker has just transformed into Darth Vader.

Why I love it: The unbelievable batting of Tendulkar after the storm. More so, the unbelievable commentary by Tony Greig. One could imagine him jumping in his seat. He was like a 5 year old watching Tom and Jerry. Such was the brilliance of Sachin that even Richie Benaud was using superlatives.

Rest in Part 2...