Top 5 Most Memorable ODIs In The Past 25 Years

In the 49-year-old history of ODI cricket, we have witnessed a plethora of memorable encounters; games that kept you at the edge of your seat and still invoke a lot of bitter-sweet memories to this day.

So, with cricket currently on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we at Cricket Addictor, thought why not go down memory lane and reminisce five most memorable ODI encounters in the past quarter of a century.

Here’s a look at five most memorable ODIs in the past 25 years-

Also Read: Five Biggest Upsets In ODI Cricket Since 2000

India vs England, Natwest Trophy 2002 Final

If Kolkata 2001 was the turning point in the history of Indian Test cricket, the same can be said about India’s miraculous win against England in the 2002 Natwest Trophy Final at Lord’s.

It was a game that broke jinx; a game that broke myths; a game that showed the world that the 21st-century Indian team is different; a team that will not bow down to adversity, a team that will not be shy in giving it back to the opposition; a team that will see new heroes emerge and conquer.

And, India did see two heroes emerge that day- Yuvraj Singh & Mohammad Kaif. Chasing 326 to win, India, courtesy a 100-run-stand between Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag, had got off to a brilliant start before a middle-order saw them reeling at 5-146 at the half-way mark.

You could be forgiven to switch off your TV sets when Mohammad Kaif walked out to his crease; even his parents didn’t have any faith as they strolled out to watch Devdas. But Kaif [87*] was determined, as was Yuvraj. And, together the duo started the rebuilding phase. They ran hard between the wickets besides punishing the bad ball.

Yuvraj was initially the aggressor but when the southpaw got dismissed, Kaif brilliantly shifted gears and kept the asking rate afloat. The winning runs eventually came off Zaheer Khan’s bat in the final over when Kaif scampered for a couple to give India one of its most famous wins and an iconic image that Dada Sourav Ganguly still regrets to this day (but we don’t)- of him removing his shirt at the Lord’s balcony; a fitting response to Andrew Flintoff’s antics in Mumbai.

New Zealand vs South Africa, 2015 World Cup Semi-Final, Auckland

A game that saw contrasting emotions at its peak. A game that saw one team broke the jinx and the other side adding more scars to their tragic World Cup story.

Batting first in the all-important semi-final, South Africa, on the back of half-centuries from Faf du Plessis [85], AB de Villiers [65*], and David Miller’s 18-ball 49 posted 5-281 in a 43-over-a-side rain-curtailed encounter.

The target was adjusted to 298 in 43 wickets, and New Zealand desperately needed a brisk start. And, that us exactly what Brendon McCullum did, during his rollicking 26-ball 59.

But New Zealand continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. McCullum, Martin Guptill [34], Kane Williamson [6] and Ross Taylor [30] were all back in the hut and with the score reading 4-149, the hosts looked like staring down the barrel.

But Grant Elliot [84*] and Corey Anderson [58] accumulated 103 runs for the fifth wicket to keep the home side in the game. Anderson could have been run out on 33 if Rilee Rossouw had given enough time to AB to run-in and collect the ball. It eventually came down to 46 off 21 balls when Anderson eventually top-edged a skier.

Luke Ronchi followed suit and South Africa could have got Elittot but Duminy and Farhaan Behardein collied to shell a match-defining opportunity. The rest, as they say, is history, as Dan Vettori scorer a boundary before Elliot smashed a straight six over Dale Steyn in the final over to etch his name in the folklore forever.

Australia vs South Africa, 434 vs 438, Jo’Burg 2006

Another one such game that defied belief. A game that saw that a team racking up in excess of 400 for the first time in the history of ODI cricket and the other side matching blows for blows and go one better than the opposition.

It is surreal that such was the brilliance of Herschelle Gibbs 175 that one often forgets that Ricky Ponting too player an absolutely breathtaking innings that day. It was Ponting’s whirlwind 164 that helped Australia to breach Mount.400 for the first time in 50-over cricket.

Australia eventually ended up with 4-434 in 50 overs and the legend goes that Jacques Kallis said that in the dressing room that the Aussies are actually 10-15 runs short. Whether he said that or not, Herschelle Gibbs certainly ensured that indeed was the case. Gibbs played an innings of his life. He cut, he drove, he pulled, he swept, and along with Graeme Smith went on to add 187 runs for the second wicket.

Smith himself smashed a 55-ball 90 before holing out to Mike Hussey. But Gibbs continued to smash the Australian attack ti all corners to keep South Africa afloat.

Gibbs was looking prime for a double-hundred but one shot proved too many, as in an attempt to hit Symonds for three sixes in an over, mistimed a lofted cover-drive to Brett Lee.

South Africa still needed another 136 runs to win in 18.1 overs when Gibbs was dismissed. And, this is where Mark Boucher [50*] stepped up. Boucher stood like a rock even as Van der Wath [35], Justin Kemp [13], and Roger Telemachus [12] continued to attack from the other end.

With 7 required off the final and two wickets left, memories of the 1999 semi-final began to surface but Boucher and Hall kept their cool. Hall stroked a much-needed boundary off the 2nd ball to reduce the equation to 2 off 4 balls. Hall tried to emulate the same shot but only managed to hit it straight to mid-on. Makhaya Ntini then scored probably the most important single of his career to tie the game before Mark Boucher eventually sealed the deal to send the entire Bullring into raptures.

England vs New Zealand, 2019 World Cup final

While there can be a debate on which is the greatest ODI of all time, there is certainly no debate on which is the greatest-ever World Cup final.

The 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand at Lord’s defied belief as to what is possible on a cricket field. It has drama, it had grit, it had fightbacks, it had controversies (lots of them). And, at the end of it all, it showcased the dichotomy of emotions- one team ecstatic, other buried in agony- at its absolute zenith.

Chasing 242 to lift the cup, England found themselves reeling at 4-86 before Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler added 110 runs for the fifth wicket. But England still needed 46 off 32 balls when Buttler was dismissed. And, this is where Ben Stokes stepped up. The all-rounder rode his luck and took the game deep, with calm and calculated hitting.

England got a massive reprieve- first when Trent Boult dropped Stokes with the equation read 22 off 9 balls and then in the final over when a throw deflected off Stokes bat and went for a boundary. The game eventually got tied and teams headed for a Super-Over. England smashed 15 runs in the Super-Over thanks to Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.

James Neesham gave England a mighty scare after he smoked Jofra Archer for a six but Archer eventually kept his cool as Martin Guptill could only manage to score a single of the final delivery. The super over also ended in a tie but England was declared the winners as they had scored most boundaries in the actual game. The rule attracted a lot of controversy but England couldn’t care less. After all, their dream of winning the World Cup was finally realized.

Also Read: Top 5 Match-Winning Performances By Ben Stokes

Australia vs South Africa, 1999 World Cup semi-final, Edgbaston

Exactly 21 years have passed but it still dumbfounds cricket fans into a sea of ‘What ifs?’.

What if Lance Klusener and Alan Donald taken that elusive run required to book their ticket for the finals? What if the duo didn’t have that brain fade? What if Australia were knocked out? Would they still have gone to embark on dominance like they eventually did?

Of-course, ifs, and buts have no relevance in live sport. But it still fascinates you how did South Africa manage to mess it up? It also makes you think that how did Australia managed to get away despite having two dropped catches from Paul Reiffel and a missed run-out chance on the penultimate ball of the game?

Chasing 213, South Africa had got off to a brilliant start before the magician Shane Warne spun his web to take out Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten and Hansie Cronje. Daryll Cullinan was brilliantly run out, post which Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes staged a recovery. But just as it was looking that South Africa has got themselves into a position, Jonty Rhodes dismissal brought yet another twist in the game.

Shane Warne [4-29] removed Kallis and soon the Proteas found themselves reeling at 9-198, with Lance Klusener left to do the dirty work. It could have been all over in the penultimate over itself but Paul Riefell dropped Lance Klusener at the long-on boundary to give another twist to the tale.

It looked like Reiffel had dropped the World Cup when Klusener smoked two back-to-back boundaries to reduce the equation to 1 off 4 balls. Darren Lehman missed a run-out opportunity off the very next ball but the tragedy eventually struck on the fourth delivery when Klusener and Donald found themselves in a horrible mix-up, only for Adam Gilchrist to complete an easy run-out.

The game ended in a tie but Australia, on the back of their win against the Proteas in the last league game, went on to qualify for the finals. The look in the eyes of Lance Klusener said it all and the rest, as they say, is history.