5 Instances When Indian Players Gave A Befitting Reply To Opponents

Like any other sport, Cricket also observes players involving in clashes during matches. Although cricket is termed a ‘Gentlemen’s Game’, there are some instances when players lose their temper and express aggressive gestures. Even Indian players have been involved in such instances in cricket in the past.

Indian players have always been clam-headed and friendly on the cricket field. However, there are some incidents when some players lost their calm against opponents and gave a befitting reply to them. Such instances also gained wide attention in media and fans, and have almost become nostalgic memory for cricket lovers who witnessed it live on television.

Here we talk about 5 instances when Indian players gave a befitting reply to opponents.

5 Instances When Indian Players Gave A Befitting Reply To Opponents

5. Venkatesh Prasad to Aamir Sohail

During ODI World Cup 1996, Venkatesh Prasad gave an aggressive send-off to Pakistan’s Aamer Sohail in the quarter-final match. Chasing 288 for victory, the Pakistan team were going powerful at the start of their batting. After hitting Venkatesh Prasad for a boundary on the off-side, Pakistan’s Aamer Sohail sledged the Indian bowler.

He pointed fingers towards Prasad and said, “Go get the ball”. However, on the next ball, Venky clean bowled Sohail. After dismissing him, the Indian player gestures an aggressive send-off to the Pakistani opener. Meanwhile, India won the match by 39 runs after restricting Pakistan to 248/9 in the match.

 4. Sourav Ganguly to Andrew Flintoff

India vs England NatWest Series 2002 final is an epic example of India’s incredible comeback. After winning the match at Lord’s in England, the then Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly removed his shirt and waved it off at the Lord’s balcony. It was a reply to England’s all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who removed his shirt and ran on the field at Mumbai Wankhede’s stadium a few months earlier. Flintoff’s gestures arrived after England defeated India in an ODI match and levelled the ODI series.

At Lord’s, the Indian team needed to chase 326 for victory. Being 146-5 at one moment, India were struggling on the field. However, Indian players Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif made a fabulous partnership of 121 runs to take India close to victory. With an unbeaten 87 runs by Kaif, India won the match by 2 wickets to lift the trophy. Sourav Ganguly’s gesture of waving his shirt after India’s victory become one of the memorable incidents for Indian cricket fans.

3. Yuvraj Singh to Andrew Flintoff

During India vs England clash in ICC T20 World Cup 2007, Yuvraj Singh smacked English pacer Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in a single over. The Indian player smashed six maximums in a row just after an argument with England skipper Andrew Flintoff. “I will cut your throat off”, Flintoff told Yuvraj to disturb him while batting.

Even the left-arm batsman Singh uttered some words to the English player in response. Later in his aggressive mood, Yuvraj shattered six sixes in a single over of Stuart Broad to script history. The incident became a nightmare for both Flintoff and Broad, who faced the consequence of sledging Yuvraj Singh.

2. Virat Kohli to Mitchell Johnson

During India’s 2014 tour of Australia, Virat Kohli gave a befitting reply to Mitchell Johnson in a Test match in December 2014. Kohli was newly appointed as India’s Test skipper and was also a powerful batsman for India. When Virat was close to his century, Mitchell Johnson tried to disturb the Indian player by throwing the ball at him.

Kohli was hurt with the throw and also uttered some words to the Australian pacer. In the last ball of his over, Kohli smacked him for a boundary. Later, he also smashed a century and his aggressive celebration was clearly visible on the field.

 1. MS Dhoni to Bangladesh

Ever since Bangladesh defeated India in ODI World Cup 2007 and became a reason for India’s humiliating group-stage exit, both the neighbouring countries have become rivals in ICC tournaments. During ICC T20 World Cup 2016, India had to defeat Bangladesh to stay alive in the tournament. During the match, Indian skipper MS Dhoni gave a befitting reply to the Bangladesh team and their fans. Ahead of the match, Bangladesh cricket fans shared a photoshopped image of Indian player MS Dhoni with a severed head.

The nail-biting match witnessed Bangladesh almost pulling a victory in the final over. Mushfiqur Rahim hit a boundary when Bangladesh needed just 6 runs off 4 balls. His premature celebration gave confidence to the Bangladesh team and fans for a confirmed victory. However. Indian bowler Hardik Pandya picked 2 wickets on the next two balls to make a comeback in the match.

On the final ball, Bangladesh needed 2 runs to win. Taking note of the situation, wicketkeeper MS Dhoni removed his gloves to be prepared for a chance of run-out. The batsman missed hitting the final ball which landed straight into MS Dhoni’s hands. As they tried to sneak a single, the Indian player ran quickly towards the stumps to claim a run-out and bag the victory for India by just 1 run.