The concluding part of India's entertaining past in England where the ICC World Twenty20 kicks off today
The concluding part of India's entertaining past in England where the ICC World Twenty20 kicks off today
The 1999 World Cup started disastrously for India with losses to South Africa and minnows Zimbabwe but they won the next three games against Kenya, Sri Lanka, England.
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Mohd Azharuddin's Indians celebrate a wicket during the 1999 World Cup. pic/mid day archives |
The game against defending champions Lanka was lit up by Sourav Ganguly (183) and Rahul Dravid (145). The win over Pakistan at Manchester raised India's World Cup invincibility against their arch-rivals to a new level three wins in three editions.
The next time India visited England was for the 2002 Tests and Natwest Series one-day triangular which involved the hosts and Sri Lanka. Amazingly, Ganguly's men only slipped in one game against England at the Oval.
Epic finalIn the final against England at Lord's, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif proved that India's youth brigade meant serious business.u00a0
A massive 326-run target was achieved in the final over of a match that beat the World Cup final in 1983 in terms of gripping action. The celebrations were as memorable with Ganguly waving his shirt on the hallowed balcony at Lord's. It was an act inspired by Andrew Flintoff who ran around the Wankhede Stadium a few months ago after England claimed the one-day series against India.
On a cold and wet evening in Birmingham, Ganguly told this correspondent how Flintoff's antics played in his mind time and again. Few days later, these eyes saw it being enacted from the media centre at Lord's.
The Test series began as usual with a loss at Lord's but India played some brilliant cricket in Trent Bridge and Leeds where Ganguly's men caught up with England in the series scoreline. The last Test at the Oval Tendulkar's 100th, ended in a draw and with series shared.
However, the Natwest Challenge series against England and the Champions Trophy in 2004 were highly forgettable events for India.
In 2007, India escaped defeat by the skin of their teeth, thanks to some stubborn lower order batting and rain in the first Test at Lord's. Rain threatened to ruin the second Test at Trent Bridge but pre-Test showers didn't make another appearance as the Test was played in fine weather. India won, thanks to Zaheer Khan's super-human effort with the ball. Incensed by jellybeans thrown near him when he walked in to bat, Zaheer's five-wicket haul made England look like jelly.
England on the matIndia's batting floored England first up at the Oval as Dravid's men piled up 664 with Anil Kumble of all batsmen scoring the only Indian Test hundred on the tour. Dravid came in for some flak for not enforcing the follow-on but his 'safety first' strategy was justified since a rare series win was the priority.
Kumble's hundred was most talked about but MS Dhoni's 92 off 81 balls was brilliant too.
The one-day series could have been better for India but Dravid's men deserved credit for coming back after being 1-3 down after the fourth ODI in Manchester.
Both teams entered the seventh and last one-dayer at Lord's with the series open but England claimed the honours. No Indian supporter was complaining due to the lack of entertainment though.
And before they defend their World T20 crown, Dhoni's men look to do just that... entertain!
