5 memorable moments in Indian cricket that every fan can remember on Independence Day

Cricket is a religion in India, as evident from the thousands of fans who flock to the stadium, chanting 'Vande Maataram' during matches. Over the years, the Indian cricket team has truly given its most beloved fans some great moments to cherish.

As the country celebrates the 75th anniversary of its independence, here's a look at five such moments that have become immortal in the history of Indian cricket:

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#5 Breaching Gabba fortress

The highlight of India's 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy win was their victory at the Gabba in Brisbane. This particular stadium was considered a fortress by the Aussies as they hadn't lost a Test match here for almost 33 years.

The visitors, on the other hand, were plagued with injuries and apart from Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane, they were a second-string side with an almost third-string bowling attack.

However, defying the odds, they won the game and Rishabh Pant's sparkling 89* is still regarded as one of the best Test innings played by an Indian on overseas soil. Given the context in which the game was played, it was an incredible achievement and something that the fans will never forget.

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#4 2013 Champions Trophy win

After winning the 2011 World Cup, the Men in Blue went through a transition phase, especially in white-ball cricket. Greats like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were replaced by Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli as the new top three.

The-then skipper MS Dhoni handled this transition really well and created a strong base of a team that would go on to dominate ODI cricket for the coming years.

In the 2013 Champions Trophy, they found new heroes in Rohit and Dhawan and a reliable all-rounder in Ravindra Jadeja. The Men in Blue went unbeaten throughout the tournament and beating hosts England in the final was the icing on the cake.

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#3 2007 T20 World Cup win

The 2007 T20 World Cup was a tournament that showcased the world-class ability of MS Dhoni as a leader. T20 cricket wasn't that popular in India at the time and seniors like Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly decided to opt out of the T20 World Cup.

The one positive about this young team was that they didn't have any baggage of expectations. The so-called 'underdogs' went on to beat the mighty Aussies in the semifinals and played one of the best T20 finals of all time against Pakistan to win the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup.

The Men in Blue haven't managed to win the competition since and this makes that achievement even more special.

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#2 1983 World Cup win

The tournament that influenced a young Sachin Tendulkar to take up the game of cricket was the 1983 World Cup. India had a number of quality players at the time like skipper Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar. However, they weren't rated highly as a team and it was almost assumed that they would be knocked out in the group phase.

It was, however, Kapil Dev's 175 against Zimbabwe that turned around the fortunes for the team in the tournament as they gained momentum. They rolled over hosts England in the semis and beat favorites West Indies in the final to win their first-ever World Cup.

Defending just 183 runs in the final against a star-studded West Indies team was an incredible achievement. Cricket has become a major sport in India and the 1983 World Cup-winning squad had a huge role to play in it.

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#1 2011 World Cup win

The 2011 World Cup was going to be Tendulkar's last showpiece event and the entire nation prayed for the Men in Blue to win it for The Little Master. The long wait of 28 years had made fans restless and with India being co-hosts, the expectations were huge.

This made the World Cup win even more special as the team won crucial matches against top oppositions like Australia and Pakistan amidst the pressure of being tagged as favorites. Yuvraj Singh had a dream run to be ultimately adjudged the Player of the Tournament.

Gauram Gambhir's 97 and MS Dhoni's 91* are still regarded as two of the best knocks under pressure. Dhoni's iconic six over long on to win the World Cup still remains fresh in the memory of every Indian cricket fan.