Cricket World Cup History: 7 greatest finals of all time

After 48 matches that spanned 46 days, the hosts England were crowned World Champions after playing one of the best ODIs ever in cricketing history against New Zealand. The two teams had nothing to separate them as the scores were tied even after the Super Over.

World Cup finals have always produced historic matches. The pressure that comes with playing a World Cup final is so big that only the best emerge victorious. Teams take three to four years to build the team for the World Cup. They try out different combinations from a pool of players to find a core who will be representing the country in the quadrennial event.

Teams after having an impressive run in the group stages have failed miserably in the WC finals. On the contrary, teams have gone on win the WC after an average showing in the preliminary stage. India's journey in 2003 reflects the former while the triumph of 1983 is a perfect example for the latter.

On that note let's look at seven of the best finals in World Cup history.

#7 1975: Three run-outs that won West Indies the inaugural World Cup

Greg Chappell's run-out dented Australia's chances

The mighty West Indies faced a strong Australian side in the final of the 1975 World Cup. Ian Chappell won the toss and surprisingly chose to field first. The move reaped rewards as the team was reduced to 50-3.

Captain Clive Lloyd joined Rohan Kanhai to rescue the innings with a 149-run partnership. Lloyd was at his usual attacking best as he scored 102 off 85 balls with 12 fours and two sixes. Gary Gilmour not only picked up the wickets of these two but also the young Vivian Richards.

The lower order contributed with the bat to take the total to 291. Australia started the chase well with the score reading 81-1. Richards then produced three moments of brilliance on the field with three run-outs to dismiss the Chappell brothers and Alan Turner. Richards' strong arm and accuracy in throwing took West Indies closer to the WC.

The Australian tail-enders scampered through in the death overs but it was too much for them as the West Indies won the WC by 17 runs.

#6 1987: A shot that cost England the World Cup against Australia

Border's Australia did extremely well

1987 was probably the only time when Australia were underdogs going into a final. Mike Gatting's England was the clear favourite against Allan Border's Australia. Batting first, David Boon and Geoff Marsh gave Australia a steady start.

Just like the semi-finals, Boon played the sheet anchor role. The finishing touch was given by Border and Mike Veletta whose 31-ball 45 propelled the score to 253. Tournament's leading run-scorer Graham Gooch started the chase well for England. With Bill Athey and Gatting at the crease, it seemed England would coast to victory.

But Gatting played a reverse sweep against his conventional sagacity which brought the downfall of him and his team. Allan Lamb tried his best with a 45, but Border and Steve Waugh made run-scoring difficult with their slow bowling. Australia won the game by seven runs and lifted their first World Cup.

#5 1996: Aravinda de Silva single-handedly wins for it Sri Lanka

Aravinda's innings is still rated as one of best

Sri Lanka took on Australia in the 1996 World Cup amid a growing rivalry between the two. The Aussies batted first with captain Mark Taylor leading from the front along with highly talented Ricky Ponting. But Sri Lanka's four-pronged spin attack kept picking wickets in the middle overs as Australia ended up with 241-7.

The Islanders had a shocking start as they lost the attacking duo of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana with just 23 runs on board. That's when Sri Lanka's crisis man Aravinda de Silva produced a masterclass of batting under pressure.

His partnership with Asanka Gurusinha steadied the innings as the dew helped the batsmen. He was later joined by Arjuna Ranatunga and the duo finished off the chase to become the first team to win a World Cup final after chasing. Aravinda de Silva's all-round performance (107* and 3/42) fetched him the Man of the Match award.

#4 2011: A World Cup for a man and a billion people

Sachin relished his dream of winning a WC after 22 years

After an early exit in the 2007 World Cup, India were determined to lift the trophy in 2011 as they were co-hosting the tournament. With Sachin Tendulkar playing his sixth and final World Cup, the entire nation wanted to win the cup for one man.

But it wasn't easy in the final, as Mahela Jayawardena brought all his class to craft a brilliant century off just 88 balls to post a stiff target of 275. Despite losing their talismanic openers, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli kept the chase alive with timely boundaries. After Kohli's dismissal, Mahendra Singh Dhoni stepped up to play one of the best captain's knock ever.

He came up the order just on a simple premise that he could handle Muttiah Muralitharan better than the left-handed Yuvraj Singh. He finished with 91 off 79 deliveries as his iconic six off Nuwan Kulasekara is still etched in the memories of a billion people.

#3 1992: Imran Khan inspires Pakistan to a historic world title

From the verge of getting eliminated, Pakistan became World Champions

Imran Khan's Pakistan took on England in the 1992 World Cup finals. Bowling first, England's Derek Pringle dismissed the Pakistani openers cheaply. Captain Imran Khan and Javed Miandad built a slow and steady partnership of 139 runs. Inzamam-ul-Haq and Wasim Akram's cameos powered Pakistan to 249.

England got off to a horrible start losing four wickets for a mere 69 runs. Allan Lamb and Neil Fairbrother then stitched together a valuable partnership of 72 from 84 balls. They scored runs at ease against a tough bowling attack under lights. Just when the match was in the balance, Imran brought back Akram into the attack.

Bowling round the wicket, Akram bowled a beauty that held its line to take the off-stump against Lamb. The next ball was even more special as Chris Lewis went for an expansive drive but was bowled by an inswinger that curved in the air. England lost all the momentum they had gathered and were bowled out for 227.

#2 1983: The ultimate underdogs beating the invincible West Indies

India's success revolutionized the game of cricket

The final of the 1983 World Cup was expected to be a one-sided affair as no one gave India a chance against the mighty West Indies. The Carribean pace quartet of Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, and Michael Holding ran through the Indian batting line up to bundle them out for 183.

West Indies were off to a flying start with Vivian Richards at his dominant best. Kapil Dev then produced a moment of brilliance as he ran back from the inner circle to pounce a skier from Richards. India's medium pacers used the overcast conditions well as the West Indies were reeling at 76/6.

Marshall and Jeff Dujon tried to rescue the innings with a 43-run partnership but Mohinder Amarnath wrapped the lower order with his medium pace. India won the final by 43 runs which inspired many in the country to take up the sport.

#1 2019: England's maiden World Cup triumph

The four deflected off Stokes' bat had a massive effect

The final of the 2019 World Cup was a thrilling game as the fortunes swung like a pendulum between England and New Zealand. Kane Williamson won the toss and chose to bat first. Williamson and Henry Nicholls stitched together a healthy partnership of 74. But Liam Plunkett dismissed them in quick succession to take the momentum. Tom Latham's 47 dragged the total to 241.

The Kiwi fast bowlers delivered once again as they left England reeling at 86-4. Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler steadied the innings with a 110-run partnership. With 46 runs required off 30 balls, Lockie Ferguson picked up crucial wickets.

Stokes kept the chase alive as he brought down the equation to 15 runs off the last over. The southpaw slog-swept the third ball and Trent Boult caught it but stepped on the boundary to concede six. The next ball was even dramatic as a Martin Guptill's throw hit the bat of a diving Stokes and went to the boundary as four overthrows. With two needed off the last ball, Mark Wood was run-out at the non-striker's end as the match ended in a tie.

England batted first in the Super Over and scored 15 runs. James Neesham's sensible batting yielded 14 runs off 5 balls. Guptill was run-out in the last ball as the Super Over ended in a tie. On the virtue of scoring more boundaries, the World Cup was awarded to England.