5 greatest lower-order comebacks in ODIs

2. Heroics of the local lads - Srinath and Kumble (vs Australia, 1996)

India's premier bowlers turned into saviors with the bat.

A lot was at stake when India locked horns with Australia in the third match of the 1996 Titan Cup. After losing their first encounters against the Proteas, neither team could afford another loss on the trot.

Australia managed a mediocre total of 215 in the stipulated overs, with Mark Taylor's century the highlight. The pre-millennium Indian team was notorious for being poor chasers. True to their image, they were cornered at 47-4 at one stage.

Sachin and Jadeja steadied the ship, but the latter never looked too comfortable during his stay. When his luck finally ran out (pun intended), India were still 90 runs away from victory. A couple more quick wickets compounded the pressure, which finally got the better of Tendulkar, who departed for a gritty 88.

As per what felt like tradition at the time most TV sets were switched off at this point, as a win looked bleak.

But in the silenced stadium, two men believed that it could be pulled off. Both had grown up playing in the very same MA Chinnaswamy stadium in their teenage days. Both looked as if they knew the pulse of the pitch. Srinath, who was wildly swinging the bat till then, started to bat with purpose.

He audaciously pulled the short pitched deliveries and struck Waugh for a straight six, instilling some hope in the crowd.

The pair also had tremendous luck, as they survived a few edges and some run out chances with their street smart running between the wickets. Kumble's flick through leg side in the 49th over saw India wrapping up the game, with an unbeaten partnership of 52 off 40 balls.

The sight of Kumble's mother and grandmother in a cheering frenzy as the local lads got the job done may still be etched in the minds of older cricket fans. For India, this victory was a turning point in the campaign, as they bounced back with a newfound vigour to win the tournament, defeating South Africa in the finals.