Great World Cup games that never cease to inspire - Part One

With the 2015 edition of the World Cup set to begin in a few day's time, the mind rolls back to some classic matches, which have gone down in cricketing folklore.

Be it 'Kapil's Devils' taming mighty West Indies on that fateful day at Lord's in 1983, or even Mahendra Singh Dhoni doing a pleasant encore 28 years later, smashing India to a second title with that six at the Wankhede, World Cup cricket has seen many such games which have been forever ingrained in fan memory.

Though only time would tell as to whether the upcoming edition in Australia and New Zealand would throw up similar matches (at least for India of course!), the tournament has lived out its popularity by a memorable clash or two on many occasions.  

So as Dhoni once again leads his 'band of boys' in pursuit of 'Mission OZ', come a few days time, here is the first part on great matches to have been played in World Cup history.

1975 World Cup final - Australia run out of steam in Lords thriller!

Clive Lloyd inspired West Indies to a thrilling win in the 1975 World Cup final (India.com)

The first edition of the quadrennial tournament in England saw a clash between two rising cricket powers, which literally went down to the wire from ball one.

Great fielding, superb bowling, awesome batting and what not was played out, as Australia and West Indies fought tooth and nail in a bid to become the first ever holders of the World Cup. West Indies who were put in to bat first at Lords, were reduced to 50 for 3, thanks to some hostile pace displayed by the likes of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson and Gary Gilmour.

As in walked skipper Clive Lloyd, little did Australia know as to what was about to hit them!

Lloyd does a rescue act!

Lloyd, who had the reliable Rohan Kanhai for company, resurrected West Indies thanks to some magnificent stroke-play, thus keeping the run- meter ticking.

By the time Lloyd was dismissed by Gilmour, the skipper had turned the game on its head with a splendid 102, and had taken West Indies past the 200-run mark. Lloyd dismantled Gilmour and co.and flayed them with 12 fours and two sixes, which all but swung the pendulum in West Indies' favour.

The 149-run partnership (Kanhai scored 55) rescued West Indies from a potential crisis, and some lusty hitting by their lower-order batsmen late on, meant that they reached a more than competitive 291 in 60 overs.

Australia come out all guns blazing!

Come the Australian innings and despite the enormity of the total, their batsmen never looked intimidated and were hell-bent on hunting down the huge run-target.

Allan Turner (40) and Ian Chappell (62) meant business and though the West Indies did well to reduce Australia to 170 for 5 by the , the Aussies could never be discounted for, thanks to their famous grit and resilience.

Earlier the West Indies had run-out three Australian batsmen, courtesy some terrific fielding by Viv Richards, and as Doug Walters (35) walked off after having his furniture disturbed by Lloyd, with the score at 170 for 5, the game by now looked all but out of Australia's reach.

And it looked even worse when Keith Boyce mopped up Rod Marsh (11), Gary Gilmour (14) and Ross Edwards (28) with a fantastic spell of pace-bowling, thus leaving Australia on the brink of defeat. With Max Walker being run-out (once again!) by Vanburn Holder, Australia were tottering at 233 for 9, and the doors of victory seemed to have been firmly shut on them by now!

Frantic finish!

But it was not to be as the game saw a new twist with Thomson and Lillee denying the West Indies that final wicket, as the duo put on 41 for the last wicket.

Both batsmen countered fire with fire and as the runs trickled by, West Indies were left floundering as to how to dismiss either one of them. Lillee and Thomson ensured that Australia had somehow managed to claw their way back into the contest and with nineteen needed from nine balls, a frantic finish was all but expected.

But in the end it proved a tad too much for Australia, as Thomson was eventually run-out by Deryck Murray, in pursuit of a quick single, which meant that West Indies had clinched the game by 17 runs.

Though credit must be given to Thomson and Lillee, who showed exemplary courage in defying West Indies till the fag end, the match will definitely go down as one of the best in cup history, thanks to a concoction of high-quality cricket. Lloyd was deservedly named man-of-the-match and as he later hoisted aloft the glittering trophy on the Lord's balcony, West Indies had just entered the World Cup party!

1983 World Cup final - India knock mighty Windies off their lofty perch!

Kapil Dev masterminded India's stunning 1983 World Cup win (India.com)

Picture this - West Indies were the reigning kings in world cricket, post two consecutive title wins in 1975 and 1979.

Lloyd's side were shattering records, right, left and center in both test and ODI cricket, and a pace battery consisting of the likes of Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Malcom Marshall and Andy Roberts had put fear of god in opposition batsmen.

Prior to this 'mismatched' finale, India had managed to upset West Indies in a previous league match, and though an encore was as unlikely as finding 'an Eskimo in the Sahara', Lloyd's men were all but expected to comfortably add a third consecutive cup title to their kitty. As Lloyd put India to bat first on a lively Lords wicket, his pace quartet were all but left smacking their lips in eager anticipation!

India crumble as expected

West Indies' pacers were on top of India from ball one, as none of their batsmen showed enough hunger to take the fight back to the opposition.

Apart from Kris Srikanth's quick-fire 38, the others floundered miserably as wicket after wicket fell, thus leaving India on the brink of an embarrasing collapse.

Mohinder Amarnath (26) and Sandeep Patil (27) showed some spunk, as the duo helped India ease past the hundred-run mark. Roberts ran amok with a three-wicket haul, and was ably supported by the others who shot out India for a meagre 183.  With India left battered and bruised in the aftermath of West Indian pace hostility, the stage was set for Lloyd's men to just turn up and waltz their way to victory!

Or was it?

'Cornered tigers' hit back!

As Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes swaggered their way onto the crease, no one gave India even a chance in hell as to defending their paltry total.

Previously a London bookmaking agency had offered odds of 50:1 of India winning the game, and only a mad man would have risked placing his money for an Indian win. With Balwinder Sandhu chugging in to start proceedings against Greenidge, what transpired next would forever change dynamics of Indian cricket!

Magic inswinger!

Eleven balls had passed and Greenidge looked comfortably at ease against the 'military medium-pace' of Sandhu, and a batting storm looked very much the order of the day.

As Sandhu jogged in to deliver the twelfth delivery, Greenidge, not even in his wildest dreams would have expected a delivery of such magical proportions. With Greenidge shouldering arms to a supposed outswinger, the ball suddenly reared in and shattered his off-stump in a moment of sheer magic, thus leaving the great batsman baffled!

West Indies had lost their first wicket to a jaffa, and as Richards walked in with his customary swagger, more pulsating action was yet to follow!

Kapil's stunning effort!

With Haynes dismissed by Madan Lal for a mere 13, Richards was hammering the Indians all round the ground with some scintillating stroke-play. West Indies had progressed to 57 for two, thanks to seven fours from Richard's blade, and the team looked set to close out the game earlier than expected.

But it was not to be as a moment of magic from Kapil saw Richards being sent back to the hut, as India well and truly stormed back in the contest. Kapil ran a full 20 yards from his initial position at mid-on and took a sensational catch off Richards, which had Indian fans in the galleries jumping with joy.

India had nullified the 'Richards threat' and at 57 for 3, Kapil's boys looked set to gatecrash the West Indian party!

India script history!

What followed next was a virtual treat for Indian fans, as their bowlers punched a hole in the great West Indian batting armoury and scripted a historic win, which would forever change cricketing history in the country.

West Indies were ruthlessly dismantled by India's so called 'tepid' pacers, as Amarnath turned an unlikely hero with his 3 for 12. Lloyd's men collapsed in wake of an 'Indian storm', with batsman after batsman being sent back to the galleries in quick succession.

And as Amarnath trapped Holding leg-before to finish off proceedings, West Indies had been shot out for 140, with India securing a historic World Cup triumph. With fans milling about by dozens on the hallowed Lord's turf, Kapil and Amarnath jogged off in unabashed joy to the dressing room, knowingly of the fact that they were to transform into overnight heroes!

The West Indian legacy had just been shattered, and world cricket had seen a massive shift in power!

Bangla Tigers roar at Northampton! - 1999

Bangladesh finally came of age in 1999! (getty images)

In what will go down as a major upset, Bangladesh cricket finally came of age at the sleepy County ground in 1999, as Aminul Islam's side upset Pakistan and triggered of a cricketing revolution in the country.

Bangladesh had not even acquired test status prior to the 1999 tournament in England, and worse, could not breach the 200-run mark in ODI cricket, even once.

With a terrifying pace-attack of the likes of Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akthar, Wasim Akram and Azhar Mahmood to contend with, a Bangladeshi collapse looked very much the order of the day, with 7000 fans all but expecting the inevitable.

Skipper Akram won the toss and opted to field first, thus leaving Bangladesh to face the full force of a frightening pace-quartet!

Surprise...Surprise...Saqlain Mushtaq takes center stage!

But instead it was maverick off-spinner Mushtaq who played wrecker-in-chief as he ripped apart Bangladesh with a five-wicket haul, and had them rolling like nine-pins.

Shahriar Hossain (39) and Akram Khan (42) top scored for Bangladesh, and by the time Mushtaq was done with his bag of tricks, Bangladesh had surprisingly managed to breach the 200-run barrier and had inched to 223 in their stipulated 50 overs. Amazingly, Pakistan's pacers could not do much against Bangladesh, and if it were not for Mushtaq's heroics, the Tigers may well have crossed the 250-run mark.

And as Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi strode in to help Pakistan notch up an expected victory...the County Ground was later to turn into 'mini Dhaka' in a space of a few overs! 

Tigers roar!

By the time Mahmood walked off after being run-out for 29, Bangladesh had barnstormed their way into the match and had reduced Pakistan to rubble!

The top five batsmen had perished for single digits and Pakistan had stumbled to 97 for 6, with an embarrassing defeat all but on the cards. Mahmud had sent three off the top five Pakistani batsmen tumbling with his canny medium-pace, and suddenly the Tigers were on course to notch up a historic win!

Though the Pakistani lower order tried their level best to salvage the game, it was not to be as they eventually collapsed by the end of the 44th over, thus leaving the handful of fans in delirium!

Pakistan disintegrated for 161, which meant Bangladesh had won the game by 62 runs in miraculous circumstances. A pitch invasion followed and as Mahmud and co were mobbed by a swarm of overjoyed supporters...the Tigers had finally roared...and Northampton had turned into 'mini Dhaka'!

Next up: Part two - Australia vs South Africa - 1999 semi-final (Game of the century!)

                                    Sri Lanka vs South Africa - 2007 ('Slinga-Malinga' runs riot!)

                                    England vs Ireland - 2011 (Kevin O' Brien sends England packing!)

                                    India vs Sri Lanka -2011 final (MS Dhoni seals the deal at Wankhede)