"Nobody was talking to anyone, but some dared to go for lunch" - Mohammad Kaif reflects on the famous 2002 NatWest series win
Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif etched his name in cricketing folklore with a match-winning effort in the 2002 NatWest final against England at Lord's. The 326-run chase gave the world a glimpse of what the next generation of Indian cricketers was capable of doing. A young array of players built on this monumental win and made it to the final of the 2003 ODI World Cup eight months later.
The odds were stacked against India after a poor bowling performance. Nasser Hussain and Marcus Trescothick's twin hundreds meant that the Men in Blue had to compile their highest-ever ODI run chase to win the tri-series, which also involved Sri Lanka.
One of the most memorable chase for India on this day 20 years ago in the Final of NatWest Series. Iconic celebration from Sourav Ganguly. https://t.co/XJVF6KYewm
Recalling the atmosphere was in the Indian dressing room after conceding 325 runs, Kaif in the most recent edition of Cricket Monthly said:
"We were nervous, and our bowlers were disappointed. Conceding 325 in those days... I remember seeing John's face. He didn't say much, but just seeing his body language, you could make out that he wasn't in a good mood."
Kaif added:
He was extremely restless, though he kept his anger and disappointment to himself. We knew we had to stay away from him (laughs)! Nobody was talking to anyone, but some dared to go for lunch."
India arguably got a shot in the arm following a scintillating start by the opening pair of Virender Sehwag and skipper Sourav Ganguly. The duo took on the bowlers right from the word go to stitch together a 106-run partnership inside 15 overs.
Apparently, the pair exceeded expectations, with Ganguly having eyed 90 runs in the first 15 overs of the run chase. Kaif continued:
"Fifteen minutes before the chase, Dada [Ganguly] called us and said, "They have scored, and so will we. He reminded us that we had already beaten England in the group stage, and said the plan was to score around 90 in the first 15 overs. That helped us calm down."
England clawed their way back into the contest with the best antidote – which was wickets. The Hussain-led side dismantled the Indian batting backbone in the next 10 overs, leaving them reeling at 146-5 near the halfway stage.
Mohammad Kaif recalls what Sachin Tendulkar told the dressing room during tense run chase
The improbable task of scoring the remaining runs fell on the young shoulders of Yuvraj Singh and Kaif. The young pair forged a historic 121-run partnership for the sixth wicket, leading the visitors closer to victory.
20 years ago (already?!) today.
The words "NatWest Series Final" can mean only thing to Indian fans. THAT run chase by @MohammadKaif and @YUVSTRONG12.
Nasser Hussain reportedly said of 21yo Kaif when he came to the crease: "He must be the bus driver." https://t.co/DGwRm6P0aF
Following Yuvraj's (69 off 63) dismissal with a little over eight overs to go, Kaif had to bat with the lower order to close out the chase. The Uttar Pradesh-born batter remained unbeaten on 87 off 75 balls as India sealed the contest with three balls and two wickets to spare.
Recalling the instances of superstition in the dressing room during the high-pressure run chase, Kaif added:
"It was only when Yuvraj and I had put on a few that our dressing room could feel something could still happen. That is when messages were sent to us. Now that we had started playing well, Sachin told the dressing room: 'Everyone sits where they were. There were no hopes earlier, but now that we have some, keep sitting where you are'."
The image of Ganguly wildly celebrating on the iconic Lord's balcony is still vivid in the minds of every Indian cricket fan. The victory acted as a catalyst, leading to a lot of good things for the sport in the country.
Is the NatWest Series final the greatest run chase that India have ever compiled considering it was ahead of its time? Let us know what you think.