The world cup, one of the most important tournaments in cricket, is eagerly awaited by our people. A world cup victory for any country is the highest level of achievement for any team. World Cup matches are always exciting, especially when there is close competition between the two groups. Such nail-biting games always excite people. Let us look at some of the nail-biting matches in the world cup over the years:
1. England Vs New Zealand (world Cup 2019)
It was the final match of the 2019 world cup between England and New Zealand. NZ had given a target of 242 to England, and the latter made 241 and leveled the runs. It led to a super over, for the first time in a world cup final. Even the super over was nail-biting. NZ required only two runs off the final ball but could only go for one. It was undoubtedly the most nail-biting world cup match.
2. Australia Vs South Africa (t20 World Cup 2021)
South Africa had a mere target of 119 to Australia. Australians’ 119-run chase got off to a slow start when skipper Aaron Finch was sent back by Anrich Nortje for 0 runs. Following Finch, David Warner and Mitchell Marsh also lost their wickets, leaving Australia at 38/3 after 7.5 overs. When Australia kept losing wickets, even towards the end, people had thought South Africa might win. However, Australia defeated SA with a boundary.
3. Pakistan Vs Afghanistan (2019 World Cup)
Afghanistan batted and made 229 total, and; it was an easy target for Pakistan. They were off to a decent start. It was Pakistans game. However, soon enough, most Pakistan batters got dismissed one after the other. This narrowed down the chance of Pakistan winning the match. It became a nail-biting match until Gulbadin Naib made 49 runs and made Pakistan win.
4. India Vs Afghanistan (2019 World Cup)
The pitch was challenging, which made batting a challenge. When the Indian batters got out one after another, India struggled. India had to ultimately settle for a score of 224. The Afghan top order performed admirably in the first few overs of the 225-run chase. India did not regain control of the game until Jasprit Bumrah took the crucial wickets of Hashmatullah Shahidi and Rahmat Shah in the 29th over. However, Md Nabi was still on the crease, and it wasn’t easy to get him out. Afghanistan needed 16 off the final over, and it became a nail-biting match as Nabi hit Shami for a four on the first ball itself. But, Shami took a hat trick and won India that match.
5. West Indies Vs New Zealand (2019 World Cup)
New Zealand had made a total of 292 in the game against the Windies, wherein Kane Williamson made a massive 148 runs. In the chase, Gayle and Hetmeyer were comfortably hitting but suddenly gave away their wickets back-to-back. This put Windies in a tough spot. After this, Braithwaite came in to bat and scored a beautiful century. However, from the other end, wickets kept falling. With nine doors down, the equation was six runs needed from 7 deliveries. Unfortunately, in the final ball of the penultimate over, Trent Boult took a stunning catch of Braithwaite and thus won New Zealand the thrilling match.
6. India Vs Sri Lanka (2011 World Cup Final)
In the iconic 2011 world cup final, India faced Sri Lanka in a thriller. Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni were the driving forces as India defeated Sri Lanka by six wickets in the final in a dream match. Chasing 275 for a historic victory, the Indians maintained their calm even after losing Sachin Tendulkar and Sehwag. Gautam Gambhirs’ crucial 97 runs and MS Dhonis’ iconic, aggressive 91 runs, led India to victory. The nation witnessed the thriller match, the world went crazy after this match.
7. New Zealand Vs Australia (2015 World Cup)
It was in the 2015 world cup match between New Zealand and Australia. This match was one of the most nail-biting matches of that season. New Zealand was chasing, and they needed a six to win the game. Kane Williamson hit Pat Cummins for a big six and won NZ a thrilling one-wicket win over Australia.
8. India Vs England (2011 World Cup)
India had set a massive target of 339 runs in the group stage match against England in the 2011 world cup. Sachin Tendulkar had made 120 runs, and India was in a comfortable position. However, Andrew Strauss played an epic 158-run inning. This resulted in a tie in the match. It was one of the most thrilling matches in the 2011 world cup.
9. Australia Vs West Indies (1996 World Cup)
Australia, which had struggled in the first have of this semifinal game, won a miraculous 5-run victory in one of the most fantastic world cup games ever. With victory in sight, the Windies spectacularly crumbled, going from 165-2 to 202-10. Australia had given the Windies a target of 207 runs and then bowled immensely well to win the semifinal.
10. India Vs Pakistan (2007 T20 World Cup)
In an epic world cup final clash between the arch-rivals India and Pakistan, the Indians pulled off a thriller. India had given a target of 157 to Pakistan. The Pakistan team was playing comfortably, with Misbah-ul-Haq leading the chase. However, wickets kept falling from the other end. In the final over of the game, Pakistan needed 12 runs, and Misbah was on strike, with just one door remaining. From India, Joginder Singh had come to bowl the over. After getting hit for a 4, the equation came down to 7 needed from 4 balls, and the match became very exciting. However, in the 3rd ball of the final over, Misbah hit the ball in the air, and Sreesanth caught it, thus resulting in an iconic t20 world cup victory for India.
