The final of any tournament is the hardest and the most nerve-wracking game a sportsperson can experience. There can be so much on the line where one wrong step and all the hard work leading to that moment becomes nothing. Despite of all this, it’s a very different spectacle for a fan who a lot of fun and joy watching these finals and if the final is very entertaining, that’s the cherry on the cake. So, in this article, we shall look at the ten most entertaining finals of all time.
1. India VS Bangladesh, Asia Cup, 2018
In the final of the Asia Cup tournament of 2018, India faced Bangladesh at the neutral venue of Dubai. Batting first, Bangladesh made a respectful total of 222 runs, thanks to the century by Litton Das, before getting all out in the 49th over. In response, India also struggled in batting as there were no single batsmen on the crease for a long time. However, small contributions from almost every batsman got them over the line at the last ball of the innings. India won the match by 3 wickets in dramatic fashion.
2. India VS West Indies, World Cup, 1983
This match is probably the turning point of Cricket, especially in the context of the finalists, India and West Indies. At that time, West Indies was the powerhouses of Cricket and the only team in the world to win the World Cup (1975 and 1979). India was the clear underdog in this match. In the 60-over game India got all out for 183, which, the fans thought, would be an easy chase for West Indies. However, India showed a resilient bowling performance to bowl out West Indies for just 140 runs. This ended the dominance of that Vivian Richards led team.
3. India VS Sri Lanka, World Cup, 2011
From one World Cup final to another, this time at the home soil of India, Mumbai. India and Sri Lanka were ready to battle for the World Champions title. Sri Lanka batted first and posted 275 in 50 overs with a century from Mahila Jayawardene. India came out to chase but lost both their openers in the powerplay. Wankhede was utterly silence at the departure of Sachin Tendulkar. This match is always known for the heroics of Captain M.S. Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir, who fought back and took India over the line.
4. Australia VS England, World Cup, 1987
This match was only the 4th ever World Cup final played where both the finalists, Australia and England, were to fight for their first title. The venue was India’s Eden Gardens, and Australia batted first, putting up a respective 253 on board. In its response, England was quite comfortable in most of the chase but when the asking rate started mounting, they collapsed and Australia got a famous 7-run victory.
5. India VS Bangladesh, Nidahas Trophy, 2018
In this 20-over format final, India and Bangladesh battled for the Nidahas Trophy on the neutral soil of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Bangladesh batted first and posted a good score of 167 to chase for India. In its response, the top order stumbled, and the match went more towards Bangladesh, but the last 2-over heroics of Dinesh Karthik took the tie away from them and made India the champions on the last ball of the innings.
6. India VS Sri Lanka, West Indies Tri-Series, 2013
In one of the most entertaining finals of all time we saw India and Sri Lanka go head to head for the Tri-Series victory in West Indies. Batting first, Sri Lanka was restricted to a total of 201, thanks to Jadeja’s 4-wicket haul. While chasing, India’s batting line-up also collapsed, but the Captain, M.S. Dhoni, stood till the last, and his heroics gave India a 1-wicket victory.
7. England VS West Indies, T20 World Cup, 2016
England and West Indies were the finalists of the T20 World Cup hosted by India. England batted first and was restricted to only 155. The target was not that big but England got both the openers of West Indies out for cheap. Wickets kept falling but Marlon Samuels kept battling for the win. In the last over 19 runs were needed and everybody thought that England has clinched it but then came Carlos Brathwaite who hit 4 sixes in a row to win the trophy for West Indies.
8. India VS Pakistan, T20 World Cup, 2007
Two arch rivals, India and Pakistan, battled for the inaugural crown of the T20 Champions of the World. Batting first, India posted 157 runs on the board thanks to Gautam Gambhir’s 75 runs. In response, Pakistan lost some early wickets, making it a tight game. The wickets kept falling but Misbah-ul-Haq kept fighting and looked a real threat. It went till the last over when, on the 4th last ball of the match, Misbah got caught, and India clinched a mere 5 run victory.
9. England VS India, Champions Trophy, 2013
This game, which had to be a 50-over game, was restricted to 20 overs because of rain. Batting first India was stopped for just 129 runs, setting up an easy 130 runs target for the home side, England. England was cruising to victory with occasional blows until Ishant Sharma got two wickets in 2 balls and changed the game. India showed its quality and dramatically won the match by 5 runs.
10. England VS New Zealand, World Cup, 2019
It’s also known as the best final of all time. England and New Zealand met at the World cup final in 2019. Batting first, New Zealand got to 241. In response, England did not get a great start, but a good partnership between Ben Stokes and Buttler gave hope. Ben Stokes stood till the last and drew the game for England, leading to a super over. The super-over was also a draw, with both teams making 15 runs each. However, the trophy was awarded to England because they had hit more boundaries.
