Cricket World Cup highlights and shocks

 

 sachin tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar

Kersi Meher-Homji recalls

South Africa  is my favourite to win the 2015 World Cup. I back  Australia,  New Zealand  and  India  to make semi-final; the first two because of home advantage andIndia  because of, to be honest, sentimental reasons!

India  is also the reigning champs having won it in 2011 in  Bombay.

Australia  is the only country to win the World Cup (WC) four times; in 1987 and three times in a row in 1999, 2003 and 2007. West Indies and  India  come next with two Cups each (WI in the inaugural year 1975 and 1979, India in 1983 and 2011).  Pakistan  and  Sri Lanka  have won once each in 1992 and 1996.

England  entered the WC final three times (in 1979, 1987 and 1992) without winning even once. Graham Gooch played in all three finals. Must be an agonizing experience for him!

Personal records involving  India  and  Australia:

  • Sachin Tendulkar has scored most runs, 2278 at 56.95 in 45 matches and hit most centuries, five. He also rattled up most runs in a single WC, 673 at 61.18 in 11 matches in 2003.
  • India  has recorded the highest individual score; 5-413, v.  Bermuda, Port-of-Spain, 2007.
  • Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid hold the record for the biggest partnership, 318 runs for the second wicket against  Sri Lanka  at  Tauntonin 1996.
  • In the 2011 WC against  Australia  in the quarter-final in  Ahmedabad,India’s Gautam Gambhir narrowly escaped getting run-out twice but was run out off the third successive ball. Some people never learn!
  • glenn mcgrath
  • Australia’s Glenn McGrath took most wickets, 71 in 39 matches including most wickets in a single WC, 26 in 2007. His 7 for 15 v.  Namibia  at Potchefstroom, 2003 is also a record.
  • Adam Gilchrist made most dismissals, 52 (45 catches and seven stumpings), most dismissals in a single World Cup, 21, all caught, in 2003 and most dismissals in an innings (6 v. Nambia at Potchefstoom in 2003). His hurricane 149 off 104 balls (v.  Sri Lanka,  Bridgetown, 2007) is the highest score in a WC final.
  • Ricky Ponting took most catches by a non-wicket-keeper, 28.

 

Did You Know?

South Africa, arguably the strongest nation in the last two decades, has not even entered the final of a WC?

gary kirsten

 

Gary Kirsten

South African batsmen hold three records. Gary Kirsten made the highest individual score of 188 not out v.  United Arab Emirates  at  Rawalpindi  in 1996. Lance Klusener has the best batting average, 124.00 in 14 matches (followed by Australian Andrew Symond’s 103.00 in 18). Herschelle Gibbs, is the only one to hit 6 sixes (666666) in an over in WC. This was off DLS van Bunge from  Holland,Basseterre  in 2007.

Sri Lankan Chaminda Vaas’s spell against  Bangladesh  on Valentine’s Day 2003 was unique. He started the match at Pietermaritzburg by taking a hat-trick. Another Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga became the only one to capture 4 wickets in 4 balls, v.South Africa,  Providence, 2007.

Only two wickets fell for 441 runs in the match between  Pakistan  and West Indies in  Melbourne  in 1992.  Pakistan  scored 2 for 220 and  West Indies  replied with 0 for 221 to win by 10 wickets. Amazingly, the last 344 runs were scored without the loss of a wicket!

Pakistan  started her 1992 World Cup campaign disastrously, winning only one of their first five matches down under. But they kept improving and lifted the World Cup in  Melbourne, defeating  England  in the final.

On 9 June, the opening day of the 1983 World Cup, least-fancied  Zimbabweshocked  Australia  by beating them by 13 runs.

India  started her 1983 World Cup campaign with a flourish by beating the reigning champions  West Indies  by 34 runs.  India  went on to beat  West Indies  in the final at Lord’s.

Will 2015 be the repeat of 1983 and 2011 for  India? Or it is just wishful thinking?

 

Short URL: https://indiandownunder.com.au/?p=4313