Greatest Achievements of India Cricket Commemorating the completion ofhe 25^th anniversary yaer of Indian Cricket.(started in June 1932 on 25^th June at Lords)

These are in my view the greatest achievements of India Cricket.Indian Cricket began at Lords on 25^th June 1923 and thus today the 75^th anniversary year will be completed.

To me  these are the best achievements

1. Wining the 1983 Prudential World Cup. 

India’s  superb temperament , batting depth,all-rouinders. and Never Say Die attitude won the  tournament. Brilliant batting and allround performances  won India the tournament.Mohinder Amarnath,Kapil Dev,Madan Lal and Roger Binny were the chief stars. The fact that they started as underdogs  motivated the team ti prove it’s ability.The seamers brilliantly exploited the English conditions. Nobody expected India o defend a paltry 183 against West Indies in the final .It was like magic.

2. Defeating West Indies on their home soil in in 1971.

The unofficial world title was claimed by India that year. By virtue of winning he 3^rd test at Trinidad  by 7 wickets India clinched the series .They had the better of the drawn first and  5^th test. After conceding a massive lead in the first innings of he final test India came back magnificently to get the home team reeling at 165-8 and almost pulled of a sensational victory .For the first time in Cricket history a four pronged spin quartet existed which turned into a wining combination.Sunil Gavaskar’s 774 run sat 154.80 and Dilip Sardesai’s at an average of 80 won India he series.Infact it was SArdesai who wno the Trindad est.

3.Defeating England on English soil in 1971.

By virtue of winning the 4^th tset at the Oval by 4 wickets chasing a target ofr 171 India won their first series on British soil.It was Chandrashekar’s graet s[pell that rattled out England for 101.He simly bemused the English batsman like  a magician performing tricks .The Indian batsman fought hard on a turning track and took India to victory with Sardesai and Vishwanath making important contributions.

4.Winning the Benson and Hedges World championship of Cricketi n 1985 in Australia

. India ouitplayed every team with ease, They did not play the West Indies but thrashed England, Australai and Pakistan. Again the all-rounders won the tournament like Ravi Shastri Useful contributions were also made by Shrikanth,Azharuddin,Kapil Dev and Dilip Vengsarkar.The Indian team was brilliantly organized in every department.

5.Beating Asif Iqbal’s Pakistan team in 1979-80.

No one expected India to vanqish a mighty Pakistan team rated on par with West Indies and Pakistan. Pakistan had the best batting line up in he World with thel likesof Majid Khan ,Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal,Javed Miandad, Wasim Raja Etc.After the first 2 tests were  evenly fought India gained a sensational 131 win in Mumbai. A swashbuckling 69 by Kapil D ev,helped by Syed Kirmani and Karsan Ghavri took Indi toa respectable first innings score. Of 334 after being badly placed at 154-6 wickets.Chasing 322 run s Pakistan capitulated to 190 runs. In the 5^th test a sensational allround performance by Kapil Dev scoring 84 runs and capturing 11 wickets won the 5^th tset by 10 wickets and  clinched the rubber ForIndia, Sunil Gavaskar’s painstaking 166 also shaped a famous Indian win.IOverall Kapil Dev captured 32 wickst at 17,88 and averaged 30.88 including 2 match-winning 50’s  in the series and established himself as one o he world’s great all-rounders..

6Defaeting Austrlia at home in 2001 

After being one down and   on the verge of a massive defeat   after conceding a250 run lead in the 2^nd tset at Calcutta India came back remarkably with  a record 376 run partnership  for he 5^th wicket between Laxman and Rahul Dravid.India won after making a mammoth 2 nd innings total and setting the Kangaroos a 200+score.India won the 3^rd tset by 2 wickets to clinch a famous series victory.

7.Sharing a series with Australia In Australiin 2003-2004

India pulled of a  sensational wni at Adelaide  after facing Australia’s total of 556 and placed at 80-4.A 303run partnership between Laxamn and Dravid pulled India back while brilliant bowling spell  by jit Agarkar brought India back. Chasing 233 India scraped home thanks to a solid 72 by Rahul Dravid. Some missed chances cost India a win in the 4^th st after India cored a record 705 runsTo be level with an a ll-time great team was a major achievement. No taem got as close to conquering the Aussies on heir home soil.

8.Winning the recent triangular tornament in Australia in 2007-2008
beating Sri Lanka and Australai.

In the Commionwelath bank finals India outplayed the champion Australian taem.

9.Beating Pakistan for he first time ever on their home soil in 2004

India made history by winning the firs tand 3^rd tests and outplaying heir arch rival.Virendra Sehwag and Rahul Dravid in theb atting department and Irfan Pathan and Balaji in the bowling department played af ormidable role.India scored at a remarkable scoring rate and adopted a most positive attacking attitude. Overall it was great series for the game which India clinched 2-1.It contributed greatly to the spirit of the game.

10.Defaetin Englland in Engalnd in 1986

India outplayed England in all departments of he game to win the series 2-0.Dilip Vengasrakar’s batting and Kapil Dev’s bowling won the Lords tset.(hard –fought upto he 1^st Inings)Kapil Dev’s great spell in the 2^nd innings virtually won the ematch for India.In the 2^nd tset Roger Binny and Madan Lal; exploited the seaming conditions brilliantly and outfoxed England.Vengasrakars centurty at Leed in wet conditions was one of the bset exhibitions of batting seen against the moving ball.

11.Winning the natwest tournament in 2004 I England.

Chasing a mmamoth 326 uns India won y 2 wickets after being precariously placeda t 146-5 at the half-way stage.However a brillionat stand between Yuvraj Singhand Muhamad Kaif brought India back.They scord at atround 8.5 runs an over Another useful stand took place between Harbhajan Sinh nad Kaif and eventually Kaif styered India home.

12.Combating Ricky Ponting’s taem I the 2007-2008 tst sriesin Australia.

After being vanquised in the 1^st tset India stage an honourable come back going down nobly in the 2^nd tst and staging one of Cricket’s all-time garet comebacks on a bouncy surface at Perth.in the 3^rd test.Costly umpiring decisions cost India the 2^nd tset which India lost chasing over 300.Howevr at Perth Australia were truly vanquished chasing over 380 runs. V.V.S Laxman,Virendra Sehwag and SAcvhin Tendulakr played an instrumental  role in the batting, while .P.Singh,Ishant harma  and Irfan Pathan bolwed consitently well.Though series was lsot 2-1 morally India were the winners.

13.1975-76 SERIES I West Indies.

Chasing a then record 406 in the 4^th Innings of the the 3^rd tset at TRindad ,India scored a  remarkable 6 wicket win.Centuries from Gavaskar and Vishwanathb steered India home.India lost  the 4 test series 2-1 but morally they should have drawn he series as in the 2^nd test rain cost them the match.I the 4^th tset after an even encounter in the Ist Iniings the WestIndies restored to a bumper war nd won the match as  result of inflicting injuries son the Indian batsman.

15.Sharing atset series with Australia in Australia in 1980-81

India pulled of remarkable 59 run victory at Melbourneon atwo=paced track  after setting Australai a mere 143 run target.India were outplayed for the entire rubber but came back sensationally on the last day of he series.Kapil Dev,Karsn Ghavri an Dlip Doshi made aremarkable contribution with the bal while Sandip Patil and Vishwanath displayed heir prowess with the bat.

16.Defaeting West Indise on their home soil in 2006

India won ahard fought final test to clinch a famous series win.Rain probably denied India a 3-0 winning margin. Rahul Dravid’s batting was outstanding on abad wicket in the final test at Kingston while in the series useful knocks wee played by Wasim Jaffer Etc.Shreeshant and Irfan Pathan were effective with the ball and made crucial breakthroughs So too were Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.

17.Beating South frica in the Titan Cup final in India in 1996

After South Africa brilliantly dominated he entire series India brilliantly revrsed the tables in the final defending 22 2runs.The South African jinx of capitulating in the final Continued.The Indian spinners oxed he proteas batsman.

18.Defaeting Australai in ahome tset series I 1998.

Sachin Tendulkars batting played an a instrumental role in India winning the 1^st tset at Madras.In the 2^nd tset at Calcutta  the Kangaroos were outplayed by an all-time graet margin.

19.Winning the Rothamns Cup  in 1985

India pulled of a sensational win over Pakistan after scoring a mere 125 runs. Pakistan were skittled out for 87.India’s run of luck continued with Ravi Shastri and Kapil  Dev most effective.

20.Defaeting England IN England in 2007

India displaced England as  the no 2 taem.Effective bowling by Zaheer Khan and Irfan Pathan played an important role lus the bating of Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.The Inian seamsr troubled he core of he Englsih batsman.

21.1979 serise in England where India almost chased arecord 4^th innings total at heOval,after being 1-0 down and nearly squared the series.
 

A brilliant 221 from Suinl Gavakar almost brought India a famous wiN chasing a record 4^th innings total of 438 at the Oval.Infia fell 9 runs short because of some dubious umpiring decisions.India seemed on coarse at 366-2 with 20 overs left but capitulated top 429-8 underpressure.

22.Coming back from 2-0 down to nearly win aseries against Australai in Australia in 1977-78

In 1977-78 India lost the first 2 tests by 16 runs and 2 wickest in Australia. They came back to win the 3^rd and 4^th  tests by huge margins .In the final test chasing a mammoth 493 India fell 47 runs short scoring the highest ever 4^th innings losing total. India’s spin quartedt, particularly Bedi and the batting of Sunil Gavakar and Gundappa Vishwanath layed an instrumental role on India’s comeback.It was one of Cricket’s most competitive series.

23.Coming back from 2-0 down to square the series against West Indies I 1974-74.

Though India lost 3-2 they made a remarkable comeback with the aid of Gundapa Vishwanath and the spinners

24.Almost beating Allan Border’s Australian taem in 1985-86.
India orally won the sriesand rain denied India a certain win in he 2^nd tset  at Melbourne)Also poor umpiring0India alos acme cose to snatching a sensational win at Adelaie on the lat ay of the series.(Australia following on lost 5 wickets)Sunil Gavaskar ,Krishna Machari Shrikanth and Kapil Dev  played superbly.

25.Beating South Arica at home in 1996-97

India beat a powerful Souh African team on turning tracks .Srinath’s sensational spell won India the 1sttset on a broken wicket at Ahmedabad.In Kanpur he turning rack foxed the Springboks who went down by abig margin.