#OnThisDay in 2002 - Sourav Ganguly's India took over Lord's in thrilling tri-series final against England
Indian cricket has had several landmark wins over the years and amongst them, you can categorically mention some of those as path-breaking wins for the sheer impact they had on the country's cricketing heritage. On 13th July 2002, the world witnessed one such victory, a historic one at that at the iconic Lord's in England.
The Home of Cricket as its fondly called had already been a place of folklore for Indians with the unforgettable 1983 ODI World Cup glory but this win had a different dimension to it. For a young side that was blooming under the passionate leadership of Sourav Ganguly, Test success had come at a moderate level with the unprecedented home series win against Australia being the pick of the lot, alongside a drawn return series Down Under and in England. However, in ODIs, the team was a bit of a hit and miss in terms of their success rate.
Building to the 2003 World Cup meant that the side was transitioning for the greater goal and the 2002 NatWest tri-series in England that featured Sri Lanka as the third team was ideal preparation. Having made it to the final, it was a golden opportunity for Ganguly's men to get their hands on silverware, even if England weren't as formidable as they are these days. Nasser Hussain's side meant business on the big day and posted a huge total of 325 with the skipper leading from the front with a century, as did Marcus Trescothick.
A target of 326 in 2002 is arguably as big as a 375-plus of 400-plus target in today's era. India, though, began well with Virender Sehwag batting with his trademark daredevil approach. On a good batting pitch with short boundaries and fast outfield, Sehwag along with fellow opener Ganguly maximised the powerplay with exciting strokeplay. However, once the partnership was broken, England started to claw their way back into the game.
Sachin Tendulkar, who was batting at no.4 during the tournament as part of the team management's plan for the 2003 World Cup, also fell cheaply with India slipping from 106-0 in the 15th over to 146-5 by the 24th over. Ashley Giles and Ronnie Irani were the men who led England's fightback with pace-off-the-ball working a treat for the home side.
When Yuvraj Singh and Mohammed Kaif got together, India still needed 180 more runs to win from 26 overs. Call it the brashness of youth or just two men playing with a nothing-to-lose attitude, the pair started ticking from the word go. There wasn't any attempt to overhit the ball, rather it was more about going with the flow and in no time, the 50-run stand came up.
After playing within himself initially, Yuvraj shifted to his attacking mood and started to take England's bowlers apart with some clean striking. Kaif too joined in and soon, the English players realised that a game that they thought was long gone is alive and kicking. The fast bowlers copped the most stick, with Irani proving costly towards the fag end of his spell along with Darren Gough and Alex Tudor.
At 267-5 in the 42nd over, fortunes had swung drastically with India firmly on track. That's when Yuvraj holed out in the deep against the run of play. India still needed 59 more to win with Kaif still going at a good clip. Harbhajan Singh then combined for a pivotal 47-run partnership that brought India right to the brink of history. However, his eagerness to play big shots cost him and Anil Kumble perished cheaply as the game swung one more time. It was drama, it was box office, it was cricket at its mighty best!
Eventually, Kaif held his nerve as did Zaheer Khan at the other end to see India through with three balls to spare. Chasing a 320-plus score in ODIs is no mean feat, to do it in a final is even better and achieving it outside the sub-continent as an Asian side is what made this win sensational.
Ganguly added more gloss to the win with this highly debated shirtless celebration from the Lord's balcony as soon as the winning runs wer hit. It was his signature method of response to Andrew Flintoff's similar act at the Wankhede Stadium when England had levelled the series in the previous bilateral series between the two sides.
The victory instilled momentum and confidence into the Indian side that went on to reach the final of the 2003 ODI World Cup before being stopped by the unstoppable Australian side led by Ricky Ponting. Nevertheless, it was a great phase for India's ODI side and the NatWest title remains a defining moment in their history.
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