Ten terrific cameos in ODI cricket

Ajay Jadeja v/s Pakistan (45 off 25 balls), 1996 WC QF

In any World Cup tournament, Indian fans want two things – victory in the summit clash, and a clinical demolition of arch rivals Pakistan. As former wicket-keeper Rashid Latif once pointed out, it doesn’t get bigger than this.

India continued their domination over their subcontinent neighbours in the quadrennial showpiece, but nothing in their initial approach suggested that they would end up victorious in that game. Despite Wasim Akram pulling out with an injury, his bowling partner Waqar Younis was breathing fire, and Navjot Sidhu’s invaluable 93 kept the Indian hopes alive.

Regular strikes by the Men in Green had troubled the Indians, but then came the turnaround. Ajay Jadeja, who had been tried as an opener in the earlier games, walked in at No. 6 and proceeded to play an innings that made the difference between the two sides.

He took on Waqar in his ninth over, dispatching the half-volley to the cover boundary first up. Realizing he was in the zone, Jadeja went for his shots. He flicked the stunned pacer for two sixes in that over, one of which came off the inswinging yorker that was Waqar’s trademark. In all, the Pakistani speedster’s final two overs cost his side 40 runs, as India posted 287.

What followed next is now part of cricketing folklore – Prasad sent Aamer Sohail’s off-stump cartwheeling after being sledged, Javed Miandad ended his international career with a whimper, and India progressed to the semi-finals. In all that kerfuffle in the second innings, Jadeja’s magic is sometimes forgotten.