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Six World Cup matches that went down to the wire
As the ICC World Cup 2019 enters its third week, the excitement is building up. This is also the perfect time to visit Britain, watch a few matches and get some sightseeing done. And when you are travelling abroad, remember to carry your Axis Bank Multi-Currency Forex Card .
We look back at some of the closest matches fought in earlier world cup tournaments.
- Pakistan v/s West Indies, 1975
Pakistan batted first in their group match against the mighty West Indies and scored 266 on the backs on half centuries by Majid Khan, Mushtaq Mohammad and Wasim Raja. West Indies looked down for the count at 203 for 9. However, wicketkeeper Deryck Murray and last man Andy Roberts had other ideas. They slowly chipped away at the target and made sure that the dangerous Sarfraz Nawaz bowled out his quota of overs. They won the match with two balls to spare. - India v/s Australia, 1987
A regular group match turned into a nail-biter that ended up with Australia winning it by two runs. And the Aussies had one man to thank for it: Dean Jones. He convinced match referee Hanif Mohammed to change what had been declared as a four into a six. Ultimately, those two runs made a huge difference as Maninder Singh was the last man out when the score was 270 and India needed two runs to win. - West Indies v/s Australia, 1996
Australia struggled to 207 in their 50 overs in the semi-finals against the West Indies. At 165 for 2 the Windies seemed all set to enter the finals. But the Aussies had other ideas as Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Damien Fleming sparked off a batting collapse. West Indies were all out for 202, with their captain Richie Richardson left stranded on an unbeaten 49 as the Aussies snuck into the finals. - Australia v/s South Africa, 1999
This was a match that decided the fate of the World Cup. This was the second semi-final of the World Cup. Australia were stuttering at 68 for 4 before half centuries from Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan pushed them to 213. For South Africa, Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten added 43 for the opening stand, before Shane Warne picked up three quick wickets. Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes steadied the ship before Shane Warne struck again. Going into the final over South Africa was 9 wickets down, needing 9 runs. Lance Klusner, player of the tourney, was at the crease with Alan Donald for company. Boundaries off the first two balls meant the target was reduced to one run off four balls. All the fielders were brought in. After a close call on the third ball, Donald rushed for a hopeless single and was run out. The match was tied, but Australia were into the finals on the strength of having beaten South Africa at the Super Six stage. Australia went on to win the Cup, the first of three World Cup wins in succession. - Sri Lanka v/s South Africa, 2007
This was a match in which Lasith Malinga almost pulled off an incredible win single-handedly. Sri Lanka batted first and put up a paltry 209 in their 50 overs, with Tillakaratne Dilshan and Russel Arnold both hitting fifties. South Africa were cruising at 206 for 5 when Malinga decided to spice things up. He dismissed Shaun Pollock, AJ Hall, Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini with the last two balls of the 45th over and the first two balls of the 47th over, before South Africa managed to eke out a boundary to win the match with one wicket to spare. - South Africa v/s New Zealand, 2015
Another match involving South Africa, another semi-final. This time they faced off against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup. The Proteas batted first and scored 281 in just 43 overs as rain played spoilsport. Thanks to the Duckworth Lewis rule, New Zealand needed 298 to win in the same number of overs. At 149 for 4 it looked tough. Enter Grant Elliot, a native of Johannesburg but now playing for the Kiwis, to spoil the party. Along with Corey Anderson, he absorbed the pressure to keep New Zealand in the hunt. Five runs were required off the final two balls, when Elliot smashed Dale Steyn for a six to seal his adopted team’s spot in the finals.
The ICC World Cup 2019 is also sure to throw up plenty of edge-of-the-seat thrillers. When you are visiting Britain to watch them, the Axis Bank Multi-Currency Forex Card is the perfect accessory to carry. You can use this prepaid Forex Card to make hassle-free payments. What’s more, it protects you from currency fluctuations and is valid for multiple trips and makes you eligible for special offers.
Also make sure you have adequate travel insurance to meet any medical emergency and sufficient currency for transactions where card payments may not be accepted.
Disclaimer: This article has been authored by The Source, a Mumbai-based content creation and curation firm. Axis Bank does not influence views of the author in any way. Axis Bank and The Source shall not be responsible for any direct / indirect loss or liability incurred by the reader for taking any financial decisions based on the contents and information. Please consult your financial advisor before making any financial decision.
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