1975

What a match Sirji

The first World Cup final, and a Caribbean coronation. West Indies were always in control against Australia once their captain, Clive Lloyd, belted 102 off only 85 balls. Chasing 291, Australia’s work was undone by a succession of run-outs. Three came from brilliant work by Viv Richards in the covers alone, including both Chappells. At 233 for 9 it was as good as over, but Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson jangled one or two nerves, until the fifth and final run-out finished things late on the longest day of the year. The winning margin was 17 runs, 13 of which came from Thomson no-balls. The game, which started at 10.30am, finished at 8.43pm.

 

2009

Three months after the horrific attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, the two teams met at the final of the World T20 at at Lord’s. It was Pakistan’s second appearance in the final, and this time they made good of it. Mohammad Amir dismantled Sri Lanka’s main weapon, Tillakaratne Dilshan, for a duck in the first over, and Abdul Razzaq, returning from the ICL, picked out Sanath Jayasuriya for 17. Shahid Afridi led the 139-run chase with a masterful unbeaten 54.

2015

A come-from-behind win for Pakistan in Galle, their first Test win in Sri Lanka in nine years. In response to Sri Lanka’s first-innings 300, Pakistan were at a wobbly 96 for 5 before Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed fought back to give them a lead of 117. Legspinner Yasir Shah then brought the hosts down on the fifth day with 7 for 76, leaving Pakistan needing only 90 for victory. This after the first day was lost completely to rain.

 

2015

Bangladesh notched up their first bilateral series win against India, fresh off a similar ODI series win against Pakistan at home. The hosts were hardly made to sweat in the second ODI, in Mirpur, as they kept India to a modest 200 in a rain-curtailed game. Rookie left-arm seamer Mustafizur Rahman followed up his five-for in the first ODI with 6 for 43 here, before the batsmen knocked off the runs with six wickets to spare. Thcomprehensive nature of both victories ­- and against a full-strength India at that – ­made the achievement memorable. It was also Bangladesh’s tenth straight win at home.

 

Sportsnasha

Suhas Bengeri