5 most memorable performances by Indian players that helped them #ClingOnToVictory

India pulled off a heist against Bangladesh in the ongoing World T20 thanks to a last ball thriller and some brain-fade from Bangladesh batsmen. However, over the years, some Indian players have given us some phenomenal performances against all odds to take the team to victory.

These are performances which stand out and enjoy the limelight because they came against all odds, when the chips were down. Although it is hard to call one more important than the others, given all World Cup wins are equally important, league or knock-out matches, ODI or T20, we try to pick five which really stay alive in memory for any cricket fan.

Just like Castrol Activ’s Actibonds cling on to the engine and offer protection, these players stepped up at the right time to help protect India from defeat and cling on to victory.

Notable mentions: Zaheer Khan’s 3-22 against South Africa in Colombo, when India won by just 1 run in the 2012 T20 World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar’s 98 against Pakistan in the 2003 ODI World Cup and Irfan Pathan’s 3-16 in the Final of the 2007 T20 World Cup just miss out despite being some of the best performances by Indian cricketers at the game’s greatest stage.

Kapil Dev (175* v Zimbabwe, 1983 World Cup)

In terms of taking the team to the shore, this is one of the greatest ODI innings ever played, leave alone in World Cups and leave alone by an Indian. In a crucial encounter against Zimbabwe, in the 1983 World up at Tunbridge Wells, India were in deep trouble batting first at 17 for five before Kapil Dev played the innings of a lifetime.

Kapil scored a spectacular 175 in just 138 balls with 16 fours and 6 sixes. He added 60 for the sixth wicket with Roger Binny, 62 for the eighth wicket with Madan Lal and then an unbeaten 126 runs for the ninth wicket with Syed Kirmani to take India to an impressive 266. Zimbabwe chased well, but could only garner 235, losing the match by 31 runs.

The win gave India vital points in Group B, eventually helping them qualify for the knock-out rounds and eventually winning their first World Cup. Kapil Dev’s strike-rate of close to 127 in the match, two decades before the T20 era even started is nothing short of miraculous.

Yuvraj Singh (70 v Australia, 2nd Semi-Final, 2007 T20 World Cup)

In the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, India scraped its way through to the semi-final despite not playing at their best. In the semis, Yuvraj Singh came to the crease when the score was a dismal 41 for two after 8 overs. However, the flamboyant left-hander smashed a sensational 70 off just 30 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes against a bowling attack that had the likes of Brett Lee, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson. That pushed India to a total of 188 on a good batting surface in Durban.

Australia pushed India close, but eventually fell short by 15 runs, allowing India to beat Pakistan in the final to win the inaugural edition. Yuvraj’s innings, although not as trailblazing as his innings against England in the league stage, came under much tougher conditions and made the difference between India’s win and loss in a crucial knock-out game.

Virat Kohli (55* v Pakistan, 2016 T20 World Cup)

In terms of single-handed glory, we need not look too far back from the special Kohli innings recently in the T20 2016 World Cup against India. Playing at Eden Gardens, where the ball was turning square and where India were pushed back to the wall at 23 for three chasing 118, Kohli showed the mettle within him.

Giving the impression of someone who was playing on a completely different surface compared to the other batsmen, Kohli scored at a strike-rate of 148. His 55 off 37 balls included 7 fours and a six, an innings during which he broke the record for most T20I half-centuries moving to fourteen. The win was responsible to keep India alive after they had lost their previous encounter to New Zealand.

Venkatesh Prasad (5-27 v Pakistan, 1999 ODI World Cup)

In a Super Six match at Manchester, India could only muster a paltry 227 in their 50 overs. The score would have been lower, but half-centuries from Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Azharuddin helped India put up a fighting total. Venkatesh Prasad, who had done it against Pakistan in the 1996 World Cup at Bangalore went one better to register match figures of 5-27.

His wickets included the big ones of Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul-Haq, two batsmen who scored 36 and 41 respectively and would have taken Pakistan to victory if they stayed on the pitch any longer. Prasad’s economy rate of 2.84 in that match is one of the most stunning figures by an Indian bowler in the ODI World Cup. He was well-assisted by Javagal Srinath, who registered figures of 3-37 to help India continue their winning streak against Pakistan in World Cups.

Gautam Gambhir (75 v Pakistan, 2007 T20 World Cup)

Gambhir is one of India’s best big match players, playing two crucial knocks in two victorious campaigns in the finals for India at the World Cups. While it was MS Dhoni who stole the limelight for the 2011 ODI World Cup and Irfan Pathan, who won the Man of the Match for the 2007 T20 World Cup final, it was Gambhir’s strong hand that helped India in both cases.

Batting first, India scored 157, approximately half of which came off the left-hander's blade. Gambhir’s 75 came off just 54 balls at a strike-rate of nearly 139. The next highest score in the match was Misbah’s 43 as he fought a lone battle to take Pakistan home. But, they fell short by just 5 runs allowing India to win the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup.

Gambhir, the only half-centurion of that 2007 final, will also be remembered for his 97 once again in the 2011 ODI World Cup at Wankhede Stadium after India had lost Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag early.