ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Greatest Moments: Quarter-finals
The second round of voting is done and we have narrowed the list down to eight spectacular moments from previous World Cups with four match-ups drawn up for you to vote and decide the winner.
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India were crowned the World Cup champions for only the second time in their history on the back of a monstrous six, which came off the willow of their skipper MS Dhoni in the 49th over. The shot was a culmination of a successful home campaign, and was marked by Ravi Shastri’s momentous words from the commentary box, “Dhoni finishes off in style. A magnificent strike into the crowd!”
2011 CWC | MS Dhoni's match-winning six in the final against Sri Lanka
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A World Cup final of close margins was decided by the finest of calls. The game was won by England in the Super Over after they overcame New Zealand. But this wouldn't have been possible but for a deflection off the bat of Ben Stokes in the last over of the England innings.
Chasing 242, England needed nine off three balls. Stokes hit one in the legside, and was almost caught short off a Martin Guptill throw from the deep. But not only did Stokes make it back just in time, his bat inadvertently deflected the ball towards the boundary. And England ended up getting six in place of the expected two that the batters had ran. They were able to get two off the next ball to secure a tie and force a Super Over.
2019 CWC | Deflection off Ben Stokes' bat in final over of 2019
The India batter was their all-round star in the win against Australia. After picking up 2/44, he came in at 143/3 and helped India out of a precarious situation with an efficient 57* from 65 deliveries. Taking good support from Suresh Raina, he added 74 runs for the fifth wicket to knock out the World Champions.
2011 CWC | Yuvraj marshalls the chase against Australia in the quarter-final
A topsy-turvy thriller, between two of the finest cricketing teams of the 90s, boiled down to the final over, in which South Africa needed nine runs with one wicket remaining. South Africa had their talismanic finisher Lance Klusener on strike while Australia’s skillful seamer Damien Fleming held the ball. At the non-striker’s end was Allan Donald.
Two balls later, South Africa effectively had one leg in the final after Klusener had hit back-to-back fours. The next ball was a dot, but the Proteas still needed just one off three balls.
Klusener then hit one directly down the ground, but the ball was intercepted by the fielder. However, the all-rounder had taken off even as Donald was caught ball watching. The latter was run out, and Australia got through by the virtue of finishing at a higher place in the Super Six stage.
1999 CWC | Klusener-Donald run-out in the semi-final against Australia
When South Africa were sitting four runs away from their target with five wickets in hand, their win over Sri Lanka seemed merely a formality.
Enter Lasith Malinga. The sling-actioned pacer took four wickets in four balls to turn the game on its head. While the Proteas managed to scamper to a one-wicket win, the pacer’s effort left its mark on the tournament.
2007 CWC | Malinga takes four in four v South Africa
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Pakistan were searching for quick runs while chasing a revised target against South Africa. Inzamam-ul-Haq lifted the Pakistan scoring rate with his brisk knock. In the 31st over, a Brian McMillan delivery hit his pads and lofted towards the point region.
Inzamam set off before realising that no run was available. He turned back for the safety of his crease. However, by that time Jonty Rhodes had already snared the ball and raced towards the stumps. He pulled out a flawless dive and stretched out his right arm to crash the stumps before Inzamam could make it.
1992 CWC | Jonty Rhodes runs out Inzamam
MS Dhoni’s fighting knock in the 2019 semi-final came to an end courtesy a brilliant direct hit from the deep. Martin Guptill’s accurate throw ended India’s last hopes of world glory in the 49th over.
With his retirement from the game in 2020, this also became Dhoni’s final international innings.
2019 CWC | MS Dhoni run out by Guptill direct hit
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India were eyeing the crucial wicket of Viv Richards during the World Cup final. The West Indies batter had already slammed a quickfire 33 and was taking the game away from India.
When he pulled a Madan Lal delivery towards the mid-wicket region, India skipper Kapil Dev ran all the way back from infield to rush in and take a sensational catch to leave West Indies without their prime batter at 57/3. Within the next 20 runs, the Men in Maroon had lost more than half their side to an inspired India. Kapil's side went onto win the match by 43 runs.
1983 CWC | Kapil Dev's running catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the final