A 5th World Cup Knock Out Clash involving India and Australia

The Super Sunday do or die India vs Australia encounter on the 27th of March 2016 is just too difficult to call. Though India and Australia have contested each other many times in World Cups, it was only from this millennium that they have stood in the way of each other.

Looking back at the track record, it's 2-2 in knock out ICC world cup events with Aus clinching the 2003 WC final (23rd Mar), India winning a strong Aussie side in the 2007 T20 WC semifinal (22nd Sep) and then again vanquishing the Aussies at home in the 2011 WC Quarter final (24th Mar) thus preventing Australia from winning a back to back 4th WC title but however the Aussies avenged the revenge by thumping the Indians in their own backyard in the 2015 WC Semifinal (26th Mar). Both sides have won one each in South Africa and managed to come out trumps in their respective home ties. And now in the 2016 T20 WC, the two sides meet again at Mohali in a potential made up quarter final with both in the way of each other in garnering a spot in the semifinals.

Coincidentally also this is the 4th out of 5 battles happening in the month of March and a mathematical pattern has emerged with this being the 5th in a row happening in dates of 20's (23rd, 22nd, 24th, 26th and 27th). And to just make the whole equation all the more juicy, whenever these 2 sides have clashed each other in a head to head slugfest, the winner has gone on to eventually lift the title ;)

It just doesn't get any bigger than this and it's one prediction I just want to sit on the fence and seriously want to refrain from making. Fingers tightly crossed!

Chepauk 2001 - A great Missed Opportunity!

This day 13 years ago on 22nd March 2001 happened to be a Thursday and an unforgettable day in my life. It was the 5th and last day of the final test in the series between India and Australia and all roads pointed to an epic final day finish at Chepauk. The series was locked horns at 1 apiece in the series dubbed as "The Final Frontier" and it all came boiling down to that final day's play which would decide the outcome of one of the greatest test series ever played on Indian soil.

India was on top going into Day 5 but there was a certain Steve Waugh still there at the crease seeing through Day 4. The Aussies were 100 odd ahead with 7 down and everyone knew that if Waugh was castled early on Day 5, the game was there to be taken for India.

A bunch of us from Class X A - PS Senior Sec School had cut school the previous day and gone to witness the penultimate day's action and with the way match was placed and history beckoning, all of us again wanted to bunk and watch the final days play too. But then we got calls from fellow classmates on the 4th day evening saying the situation was serious in school and they were collecting fines and another day of absence will result in parents being called and given a severe warning. It was a big decision to take whether to go to Chepauk and watch history being created or go to school like typical chamathu P.S pasanga and avoid the consequences.

We came to school on the 5th day morning but our minds were still not in place and constantly deviating. It was '0' period and the teacher had still not come, we suddenly gathered courage and decided 'Let hell break loose' we will end up going for the match. And then we made our way till the P.S back gate to leave when it suddenly dawned upon us as to what will happen if someone complained that we all came to class and left for the match. There were always some Naradars :O.
I even now vividly remember the discussion we had in Gate 2 (Back Gate) and after speaking for couple of minutes we all disappointingly but unanimously decided to get back to class. In fact even after getting back to class, the teacher had still not come and there were semblances of hope once again to go back but it was too late.

And then History happened...
Waugh was dismissed early on Day 5 and India quickly wrapped up the tail requiring just 155 to win. Then there was a mini stutter as you always expect with India as they started losing quick wickets. Laxman however was again standing between the Aussies ticking along and taking India to safety. As I was about to leave school for the day, I heard in the transistor (no cell phones back then) that Laxman was caught brilliantly by Mark Waugh with India still needing 20 to win. And then just as I reached home, I entered with the news that Sameer Dighe and the series superstar Harbhajan Singh had taken India to victory and I was just in time to witness the presentation ceremony.

Chepauk was buzzing with excitement and there were scenes of euphoria all round. India had staged a remarkable comeback which all started on Day 4 of the Eden Gardens test which culminated and reached the pinnacle on Day 5 at the M.A Chidambaram Stadium. India had won perhaps the greatest test series ever played in its cricketing history.

Looking back now, there is still a tinge of disappointment and resentment. In hindsight wondering how amazing it would have been had we got the courage on that eventful day to go ahead with our plan and be part of the Chepauk crowd who got to witness history. It would have made the memories fonder and also contributed to a much better and more daring story. 

In the end, a small chickening act put paid hopes of creating our own slice of cricketing history. Just only wish there is a time machine to go back in history and re-write the past :)