Rising From the Ashes: Here Are Top 10 Defining Moments In Indian Cricket
World Cup winning Team India (Twitter)
Indian cricket, with its share of ups and downs, has stood the test of time. Multiple events have contributed to its unmatchable popularity and craze among fans. We look at those top 10 defining moments in Indian cricket that will remain in the history books forever.
1. From underdogs to World Cup winners
Prince Charles hands over the coveted trophy to Kapil Dev. (Source: ICC)
The World Cup triumph in 1983 has to take the first place on this list. No one gave the Kapil Dev-led Indian team a chance. The formidable West Indies squad was supposed to take home the glory for the third time in a row. However, the underdogs achieved the impossible with a complete team show. Whether it be Kapil Dev's 175* against Zimbabwe in a must-win match or Mohinder Amarnath's knockout performances, it was no less than a fairytale. Not only this Indian team made the world sit up and take notice but sent waves of optimism across the country.
2. Breaching the Gabba Fortress
Indians celebrate after breaching the Gabba fortress. (Source: Twitter)
Well, we can have a controversy here. Winning a Test at the Gabba and, ultimately, the series placed above the World Cup victory in 2011? For me, yes! Australia had not gone down in a Test at Brisbane for 32 long years. The Indian team was supposedly down and out after being bowled out for 36 in the Adelaide Test.
However, they bounced back with a victory in the second Test and a hard-fought draw in the third. By the time the bandwagon reached Gabba, injuries had taken over like a pandemic. With a relatively depleted side, powered by Rishabh Pant's heroics, India scaled an improbable target of 328 in the fourth innings. With a show of ultimate grit and determination, India pocketed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1. And in the process, the Aussies had been defeated in their impenetrable backyard.
3. World Cup win at home
India won the World Cup in 2011 after 28 years. (Source: ESPN Cricinfo)
Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Men In Blue ended a 28-year-long wait by winning the ICC World Cup in 2011. This World Cup will be remembered for many iconic moments and performances.
Yuvraj Singh battled through his undiagnosed cancer and yet pulled the team out of distress; Zaheer Khan led the Indian pace attack to offer crucial breakthroughs; Gautam Gambhir was the man of the big occasions; Mahendra Singh Dhoni promoted himself in the final to leave behind an immortal knock–everything came together to script a World Cup victory on home soil. Sachin Tendulkar’s illustrious career could not have ended without this glory.
4. A young team acing a new format after the seniors disappoint
Mahendra Singh Dhoni captained India to a famous win in the T20 World Cup. (Source: ESPN Cricinfo)
The year 2007 was one of two different stories–at two ends of the spectrum. A star-studded Indian side made a heartbreaking exit from the group stages of the 50-over World Cup. A shambolic showing sent shock waves across the country. In such a situation, a young captain in MS Dhoni took charge. With the seniors giving the inaugural T20 World Cup a skip, youngsters made their way to South Africa. This tournament saw Yuvraj Singh pummelling Stuart Broad for six consecutive sixes in an over. In the finals, the Men in Blue got the better of arch-rivals Pakistan to script a historic win.
5. Sourav Ganguly's appointment as the skipper after the fixing scandal
In the 1990s, the retirement of stalwarts like Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev left a void. Furthermore, the dark days of Indian cricket were about to set in because of the fixing scandal. In such a precarious situation, BCCI handed the captaincy duties to Sourav Ganguly. The Bengal Tiger turned around the fortunes with his fearless attitude. Winning the NatWest Series in 2002, drawing the Test series Down Under and reaching the World Cup final in 2003 are some achievements attributed to the Prince of Kolkata.
6. Turnaround in Kolkata
VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid stitched a 376-run partnership in the Kolkata Test. (Source: Twitter)
Sourav Ganguly's leadership instilled a never say die spirit among the players. When the invincible Aussies imposed a follow-on in the Kolkata Test of 2001, it required something special to avoid an innings defeat. When saving the test seemed a far-fetched reality, VVS Laxman (281 off 452 balls) and Rahul Dravid (180 off 353) had other ideas. Steve Waugh’s side needed 384 runs in the fourth innings due to the two batters’ unrelenting spirit. Young gun Harbhajan Singh then spun a web to hand India a remarkable victory against the mighty Australian team.
7. Winning the first series on foreign soil
Under Ajit Wadekar's leadership, India won its first test series overseas in 1971. First, they defeated England 1-0 in a 3-match series. They followed it up with another win on foreign soil, this time in the Caribbean. A 1-0 victory margin in a 5-match Test series against the dominating West Indies side was a remarkable achievement.
8. First test series win in Australia
India's maiden Test series win in Australia came in 2019. (Source: Twitter)
Virat Kohli's India took over an unconquered frontier by defeating the Aussies 2-1 in their backyard in 2019. Although the Aussies were without Steve Smith and David Warner, this test series win could not be discredited. Cheteshwar Pujara stood as the pillar of the Indian batting lineup, with contributions from others.
9. Inception of the IPL
Yatra pratibha avsara prapnotihi--where talent meets opportunity.
Despite all the apprehensions and reluctance, the BCCI launched the IPL in 2008. And in no time, franchise cricket grabbed eyeballs and brought in truckloads of money. BCCI strengthened its position in the cricketing world on the back of the success of the cash-rich IPL. Moreover, hidden and unearthed talent got a platform to showcase their skills. The introduction of the IPL is a true watershed moment in Indian cricket history.
10. First Test victory
In 1952, India registered its maiden Test win, defeating England in Chennai by an innings and eight runs. This Vijay Hazare-led squad heralded a new phase for the young cricketing nation of India.
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