12 best Innings in the World Cup of all time
1.Kapli Dev's 175 against Zimbabwe at Turnbrtridge Wells
Kapil Dev that day resembled ahurricane and literally performed a Houdini act.India were tottering for 17 runs for 5 wickets and were literaly down and out.Kapil Dev saved a sinking ship in abattle .Gaining magnificient support from Kirmani Kapil Dev made the then One Day International record score of 175.He simply wrote an epic and to many it was like seeing an unexpected climax in aHollywood film.He tore the Zimbabwe attack like abutcher choppping meat executing a devastating range of strokes.His inning sconsisted of 16 boundaries and 4 sixes.Kapil smashed Zimbabwean bolwer Curran for 18 fromone over. and also was merciless aginst Fletche,Traicos and Butchart.
2.Steve Waugh's 120 in the 1999 World Cup against South Africa
The most calculated inings ever played in a World Cup ,chasing adaunting target.Steve literally dispalyed the guts of amilitary Marshall leading his batalllin to victory winning a lost war .At 68-4 everything seemed lost with the rtun rate rquired over 7 runs an over.Waugh launched ablitering assault and in no time took the Australian score to 152 -4,having scored at 8 run sperover for abour 9 overs.Fortunaley he was dropped by Gibbs but he capitalised on that error and hit the winning tun sfor his taem which enabled his team to qualify.With great discreation he executed his sttokes like asurgeon perfotming an operaration.
3.Clive Lloyd's 102 in the 1979 final against Australia
It was an innings that even Sir Don Bradman would have been proud of .Clive resmbled atiger tearing flesh and batted like an Emperor annexing terriroty over territory .He hooked and pulled Lillee and Thomson and it was like seeing aHollywood epic.He scored his hundred oi 82 balls woth 12 4's and 2 sixes.
4.Sachin Tendulkar's 98 agaisnt Pakistan in 2003 at Centurion.
No inings could have resmbled Sir Don more.Sachin launched ablitzcreig on Wasim,Waqar and Shoaib Akhtar,treating them like cannon fodder.He played them with the ease of ashepherd handling his flock .He dissected every region of the fieldwith the precison of asurgeon.From atechnical point of view it is the best innings ever played i aWorld Cup
5.Collis King's 86 in the 1979 final at Lords against England
To me the rael hero of the day was Colllis King.After being precarius placed at 99-4,WEst INdies saw amagnificient partnership between KIng and Viv Richards that won them the game.King batting resmbled aRoman galadiator piercing the flesh of his opponents.The English bowlers resembled a bunch of cattle walking to aslaughterhouse.King scored 86 of 67 balls and but for Kig Richards would not have plated his epic.
6Alvin Kalicharan's 78 at the Oval against Aistralia in 1975
Kalicharan batted with the skill of ashee genius,dissecting every part of an impreganable field.He resmbled abomber destroying an aitbase when he launched his assault on Lillee and Thomson.He reminded you af musical compser that day.It was like seeing aleft-handed Rohan Kanhai.
7.Viv Richards 138 in the 1979 Final at Lords versus England
Viv played arestarined innnings ,biur when he launched his blistering assault in the last overs lit lightning and thunder.The English bowlers were thoroughly demoralised nad looked as though thry wee heading for afuneral profession when Viv smote them all over.Viv scored 138 at more than arun aball and played one of Cricket's classics.
8.Zaheer Abbas's 93 in the 1979 semi-final against West Indies at the Oval
Zaheer batted displaying the artistry of a poet or amusical composer.He held his bat like a musical wand and played the WEst Indian fast bowlers with the ease of a violinist strutting hsi violin.He cut,flicked and dove the WEst Indian quartet of Robers,Holding,Garner and Croft and with Majid Khan looked like taking the game away from the WEst Indies.At 176-1,chasing a victory target of 293 runs,Pakistan were cruising home.HoweveR Zaheer's freak dismissall,at that stage , led to a batting collapse and Pakistan literally threw the game away.I have neve sen abetter exhibitin of abrring against the graet Calpso quartet in aone day game.
9.Mohsin Khan's 70 against WEst Indies in the 1983 semifinal at the Oval
On the quickest of tracks when the entire Pak batting was ar sea Mohsin exhibited the technical precison of asurgeon performing in a war.He btillinatly wetheed the 4 pronged pace attck of Marshall,Garner,Holding and Roberts.His guts and tenacity was truly exceptional that day.
10.InzamaUl Haq's 60 in the 1992 semi final against New Zealand ar Auckland.
Coming in requiring a rate at 8 run san over Inzamam batted like agenius.He found the gap inall regions anfd transformed the entire complexion of the gam,e.He pulled ,drove and cut majestically and in full flow looked lik an emperor leading a parade.Chaing 263 runsPakisatn gained afamous win after being 140-4 .
11.Ricky Pontings 140 at the 2003 World Cup Final at Johannesburg against India
One of Cricket 's classis and Ponting resmbled an executioner behaeding his convicts.He took time to launch his eventual assault scoring hsi first 50 of 75 ball sbbut his second 50 of less than 30 balls.In the end he was literally controlling te steering wheel of a racing car.It was agreat match-winning innings
12.Aravinda De Silva's 66 in the 1996 semi-final at Calcutta.against India
In difficult conditions,wioth the ball turning prodigiously,De'SDilva batted with the precsion of asurgeon.He mastere the condirions and brilliantrly dissected all regions of the field,launching a series of blistering cuts and drives.His batting won the semi-final for Sri Lanka.
© Harsh Thakor., all rights reserved.
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