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1999: Australia vs. South Africa
Result: Match tied
There have been many close finishes in the World Cup but none of them quite matches the first ‘tied' game of the competition.
The gritty Aussies had stared at exit from the competition when successive boundaries from Lance Klusener off the first two deliveries of the final over from Damien Fleming had levelled the scores at 213.
Four deliveries to go and a marauding Klusener at the crease with No. 11 Alan Donald at the other end, Australia had to strike without conceding a winning run in this semifinal clash.
It did, and how!
With one to get off four balls, Steve Waugh had brought the fielders inside the circle to save the single. Klusener bludgeoned the third ball straight to mid-on and Donald took off. Had Darren Lehmann hit the stumps at the non-striker's end, Donald would have been out by some distance and the match over right there.
Lehmann missed.
Off the next delivery, Klusener hit straight past the bowler and set off for, what he thought would be the winning run. Donald, possibly shaken by the close shave the previous delivery, stood rooted to his end, following the ball even as Klusener came pelting down the pitch.
A diving Mark Waugh stopped the ball at mid-off and flicked it to Fleming, who, in turn, rolled it to 'keeper Adam Gilchrist, who whipped the stumps off, with the hapless Donald well short.
Thus ended what is arguably the most thrilling match in the history of the World Cup.
Australia went through to the final by virtue of having beaten South Africa by five wickets in their Super Six clash only four days earlier.
Timely blows
During the South African chase, Shane Warne's timely blows had kept Australia in the hunt. He sent back openers Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten — who had put on 48 in pursuit of a modest target — off successive overs.
Two balls after clean-bowling Kirsten, Warne had skipper Hansie Cronje swishing at a ripping leg-break, and Mark Waugh held the catch at first slip.
But Warne's most crucial strike came in his last over. He deceived a well-set Jacques Kallis in the air and the all-rounder drove uppishly to Steve Waugh in the covers.
Thereafter, Australia's pluck and South Africa's panic conjured up an unforgettable denouement.
Coming out unscathed in this key contest was nothing less than a triumph for Steve Waugh's team.
1987: India vs. Australia
Result: Australia won by one run
This was a heart-breaking result for defending champion India and a path-breaking one for the eventual winner Australia.
If Australia had managed to bounce back in the final 10 overs to script one of the most thrilling victories in its World Cup history, it was not without India's help.
Chasing what appeared to be, for those days, a match-winning score of 270, India had reached 200 for two in only 34.1 overs at the Chidambaram Stadium in Madras (now Chennai) in what was the first World Cup match in the country.
Then came the twist to the tale. India lost eight wickets for 62 runs in 13 overs to fall short by one run. More than the defeat, it was the casual manner in which Kapil Dev's men lost the plot that saddened the home supporters.
Only a year ago, at the same venue, Australia had tied a Test match which India had clearly deserved to win.
With most of the hard work done, thanks to Navjot Sidhu (73), K. Srikkanth (70) and Sunil Gavaskar (37), India only needed to bat sensibly to cross the line.
Instead, those who followed paid the penalty for trying to finish the chase in a hurry.
The dismissals of Mohammad Azharuddin and Ravi Shastri, followed by the run-outs of Roger Binny and Manoj Prabhakar left Maninder facing Steve Waugh in the final over.
It may be recalled that Maninder was the man who was the recipient of the contentious and much-debated leg-before decision that ended the Test in a ‘tie'.
On this day, off the penultimate delivery of the innings, Maninder swung over the ball and was bowled, with India still needing a run to draw level the scores.
The wisdom of Kiran More, who remained unbeaten on 12, to expose Maninder to Waugh for the last two deliveries was debated no end.
Result: Match tied
There have been many close finishes in the World Cup but none of them quite matches the first ‘tied' game of the competition.
The gritty Aussies had stared at exit from the competition when successive boundaries from Lance Klusener off the first two deliveries of the final over from Damien Fleming had levelled the scores at 213.
Four deliveries to go and a marauding Klusener at the crease with No. 11 Alan Donald at the other end, Australia had to strike without conceding a winning run in this semifinal clash.
It did, and how!
With one to get off four balls, Steve Waugh had brought the fielders inside the circle to save the single. Klusener bludgeoned the third ball straight to mid-on and Donald took off. Had Darren Lehmann hit the stumps at the non-striker's end, Donald would have been out by some distance and the match over right there.
Lehmann missed.
Off the next delivery, Klusener hit straight past the bowler and set off for, what he thought would be the winning run. Donald, possibly shaken by the close shave the previous delivery, stood rooted to his end, following the ball even as Klusener came pelting down the pitch.
A diving Mark Waugh stopped the ball at mid-off and flicked it to Fleming, who, in turn, rolled it to 'keeper Adam Gilchrist, who whipped the stumps off, with the hapless Donald well short.
Thus ended what is arguably the most thrilling match in the history of the World Cup.
Australia went through to the final by virtue of having beaten South Africa by five wickets in their Super Six clash only four days earlier.
Timely blows
During the South African chase, Shane Warne's timely blows had kept Australia in the hunt. He sent back openers Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten — who had put on 48 in pursuit of a modest target — off successive overs.
Two balls after clean-bowling Kirsten, Warne had skipper Hansie Cronje swishing at a ripping leg-break, and Mark Waugh held the catch at first slip.
But Warne's most crucial strike came in his last over. He deceived a well-set Jacques Kallis in the air and the all-rounder drove uppishly to Steve Waugh in the covers.
Thereafter, Australia's pluck and South Africa's panic conjured up an unforgettable denouement.
Coming out unscathed in this key contest was nothing less than a triumph for Steve Waugh's team.
1987: India vs. Australia
Result: Australia won by one run
This was a heart-breaking result for defending champion India and a path-breaking one for the eventual winner Australia.
If Australia had managed to bounce back in the final 10 overs to script one of the most thrilling victories in its World Cup history, it was not without India's help.
Chasing what appeared to be, for those days, a match-winning score of 270, India had reached 200 for two in only 34.1 overs at the Chidambaram Stadium in Madras (now Chennai) in what was the first World Cup match in the country.
Then came the twist to the tale. India lost eight wickets for 62 runs in 13 overs to fall short by one run. More than the defeat, it was the casual manner in which Kapil Dev's men lost the plot that saddened the home supporters.
Only a year ago, at the same venue, Australia had tied a Test match which India had clearly deserved to win.
With most of the hard work done, thanks to Navjot Sidhu (73), K. Srikkanth (70) and Sunil Gavaskar (37), India only needed to bat sensibly to cross the line.
Instead, those who followed paid the penalty for trying to finish the chase in a hurry.
The dismissals of Mohammad Azharuddin and Ravi Shastri, followed by the run-outs of Roger Binny and Manoj Prabhakar left Maninder facing Steve Waugh in the final over.
It may be recalled that Maninder was the man who was the recipient of the contentious and much-debated leg-before decision that ended the Test in a ‘tie'.
On this day, off the penultimate delivery of the innings, Maninder swung over the ball and was bowled, with India still needing a run to draw level the scores.
The wisdom of Kiran More, who remained unbeaten on 12, to expose Maninder to Waugh for the last two deliveries was debated no end.