8 most unexpected victories by India at the world stage
India has produced surprise wins in a number of different sports over the years. Such ‘miracle’ victories, coming when the odds are heavily stacked against the individual or team, have their own unique place in history for the sheer joy they give to the country’s fans.Athletes like Prakash Padukone, Leander Paes and Saina Nehwal pulled off unexpected victories to become an inspiration for others. Such moments not only bring pride to Indians but also sometimes mark the starting point for a sport to achieve bigger things.The surprise triumph for Kapil Dev’s men in 1983 World Cup was one of the biggest reasons for cricket becoming the most followed sport in the country.In this slideshow, we look at eight such magical moments that created big turning points in the sporting history of India.
#8 India winning the NatWest Trophy (2002)
Like winning the 1983 Prudential World Cup, winning unexpectedly the NatWest Series in Lords in 2002 was a positive turn around to Indian Cricket.
Chasing a score of more than 300 in an alien condition is a daunting task for any team especially under alien swinging conditions. As confided by Saurav Ganguly later, it was the self confidence of the players that paved the way for this achievement.
Centuries by Marcus Trescothick and Nasser Hussain had created a great platform for the English Cricket team.
But India had the power and quality batsmen to upset a score of that magnitude. A middle order collapse had India reeling at 146 for 5.
But it was left to two young batsmen in their early twenties to steady the ship and take it safely to the shores. A 63 ball 69 and a 75 ball 87 by Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif and a last minute surge by Zaheer Khan made India romp home by 2 wickets with 3 balls to spare.