Indian Cricket team has witnessed numerous moments of glory and victories. From 1983 to the 2011 World Cup, Indian Cricket has always been blessed with memorable victories. Even though there are many matches in which India won the game one-sided. But there were many matches in which there was no chance of winning the game. There are some rare moments in which Team India defied the odds and won unbelievable games. So, here’s a list of 10 Times when India defies the odds.
1. Eden Gardens Test Vs Australia, 2001
The test match was known for VVS, Rahul Dravid's partnership, and Harbhajan Singh's fantastic hat-trick. Following on, Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. With the crucial contribution of Mathew Hayden's 97 and Steve Waugh's century, Australia scored 445 in 1st inning, in which Harbhajan Singh took the hat-trick. In the first inning, India got all out at 171. Australia invited India for a follow-up. India lost four wickets at 232 runs, and then, one of the most outstanding partnerships came in the history of cricket. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid built the legendary partnership of 376 runs. India gave a target of 384 runs. Again, with Harbhajan Singh's excellent bowling, India won by 171 runs. It is one of the most unbelievable wins of India.
2. T20 World Cup, 2007
After facing a humiliating 50 overs World Cup campaign, India’s greats like Sachin, Sourav, and Dravid did not participate in the first T20 World Cup. After that, a Young-blooded team was made, which included Uthappa and Irfan, with some seniors like Ajit Agarkar. Young MS Dhoni was appointed as the new captain for the T20 World Cup. This was the total opposite of 2007; The 50 overs World Cup also gave us some of the most memorable moments like “Six Sixes in an Over”. India became the first-time T20 World Champion, which shocked everyone.
3. Natwest Final Vs England, 2002
This match is famous for Dada’s T-shirt twirling. Apart from this, the remarkable partnership between Yuvraj and Kaif took place. At first, England won the toss and decided to bat first. Marcus Trescothick and Nasser Hussain scored centuries, and England set a target of 326. India was five wickets down at 146. After that, Kaif and Yuvraj built a partnership of 121 runs, and in the last-over thriller, India won by two wickets. Mohammad Kaif got the Man of the Match for his sensational innings.
4. Titan Cup Vs Australia, 1996
It was a memorable win for India, as it was the first ODI tournament victory in 1996, and under Sachin Tendulkar’s Captaincy. Titan Cup was the Tri-Series ODI Cup played between India, Australia, and South Africa. South Africa and India played in the finals. India won the Titan Cup series, and Sachin Tendulkar was the leading run-scorer in this series. He scored 320 runs in 6 innings. Allen Donald got the Player of the Series award with 17 wickets.
5. T20 World Cup Vs Bangladesh, 2016
It was one of the closest India vs Bangladesh matches we have ever seen. India won the game from the impossible situation. At the start, Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bowl first. India had a good start; every batter contributed some runs, and India set a target of 147. Tamim Iqbal played well from Bangladesh's side, and the match reached a point where Bangladesh needed two runs in three balls. By Dhoni's incredible run-out, India won by only one run.
6. Benson Hedges World Championship, 1985
This Benson Hedges Cricket World Championship was held to celebrate the 150th anniversary of European settlement in the Australian State of Victoria. It was an ODI tournament held in Australia. India and Pakistan played the final, and India won the finals. k Srikanth scored the Most (238 runs), and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan took the most wickets (10). Ravi Shastri was awarded the Player of the Series and got the iconic Audi 100 Car.
7. Test Series Vs Australia, 2018-19
It was the first time that India won the series on Australian soil. Under Virat Kohli’s captaincy, the Indian team emerged as the “Aggressive Team”, as Team India sledged the Australians. It was the four-match series played between India and Australia. India won the series by 2-1, “One of the greatest victories” in Indian test history. Cheteshwar Pujara scored the highest run (521) in this series, while Jasprit Bumrah took the most wicket (21). Cheteshwar Pujara was awarded as the Player of the Series.
8. World Cup, 1983
It was "one of the most unexpected" moments in cricket history. No one expected that India would win this World Cup; not even Team India thought they would become Champion. India beat West Indies in the finals. At that time, West Indies was an unbeatable team with champions like Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, etc. India's team went against the probability and defied the odds by winning their first World Cup, which every Indian remembers.
9. Test Series Vs Australia, 2020-21
India again won the series in Australia. But this was more special, as most players got injured during the series. India went on to play with their Net- bowlers. Especially, Young players like Shubman, Siraj, and Rishab Pant showed their maturity and excellence. When India got all out at 36, Many experts said India would lose the series by 4-0. But these young players proved everyone wrong. All Indians have remembered the spells by Siraj, the Matured Knock by Shubman, and the Match-Winning Knock by Pant. India won the series by 2-1 and retained the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
10. T20 World Cup, 2022
India vs Pakistan is the greatest rivalry in cricket; the amount of viewership channels get on this match is unreal. However, after the previous 10-wicket loss against Pakistan, India was all set to take revenge this time. India won the toss and decided to bowl first. After Babar’s and Rizwan’s wickets, Pakistan bounced back. Shan Masood and Iftikhar Ahmed scored half-centuries. India got a target of 160 runs. After losing the first four wickets at 31 runs, Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya built a crucial match-winning partnership of 113 runs. We still remember those two sixes by Virat Kohli. He defied the odds and snatched the winning match from Pakistan’s hands.
