13th July 2002 – It was not the regular day like other in the Indian Cricket History. It was the day to be remembered for the coming decades or centuries. The NatWest Final 2002 was the trendsetter in the Indian Cricket History. It was the statement from the underdog team that – Team India Era has Begun. Two underdogs players went onto becoming the superstars after.
Be that as it may, the way two rookies clinched the victory from the jaws of defeat was top-notch at the times when team India was mostly depending on the players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag. England Skipper after winning the toss decided to bat first with no surprise in the blockbuster match of the tournament.
Teams played in NatWest Final 2002
England
Marcus Trescothick, Nick Knight, Nasser Hussain, Andrew Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, Paul Collingwood, Ronnie Irani, Alec Stewart, Alex Tudor, Darren Gough, Ashley Giles
India
Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Dinesh Mongia, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra
England Innings
Not a good start from the England Openers
The England openers Marcus Trescothick and Nick knight were in the confident mood to get a good start but their opener Nick knight went back to Pavilion at the score of 42/1 while gave his wicket to Zaheer khan.
A destructive knock from Trescothick
Marcus Trescothick that six over the mid-wicket area off Zaheer khan over was the early signs of setting the momentum of the big score while put on 185 runs stand for the Second wicket with Nasser Hussain in which the Indian Captain Sourav Ganguly tried more than six bowlers including him with no help. Marcus Trescothick was in no mood to provide any resistance to team India bowlers while Nasser Hussain had started slowly to adapt himself into the situation. Just after his century Trescothick departs on the ball of Anil Kumble ball while trying to sweep at the score of 115.
With Trescothick wicket, Andrew Flintoff joined Nasser Hussain and he cleared his intentions with Six off Harbhajan Singh over. Andrew Flintoff scored 40 runs off 32 balls before getting clean bowled on Zaheer khan ball.
In the meantime, Nasser Hussain smashed the first century of his career after 72nd inning, and he delighted in by removing his helmet and crushing it again and again on the no.3 engraved on the back of his shirt. The feelings were focused on the savants, an impressive parcel of whom was questioning his impulses to play at that particular number 3 position.
Unexpectedly from Nassir Hussain, this was an emotional moment on the cricket ground, nobody in stands or the fans the world expected this sort of moment in the ground. As Nassir Hussain departs at the score 115 and the next Michael Vaughan departs on his first ball as both were back to the pavilion. At last, it was left for the lower-order batsman to take the scoreboard to 325 runs in their allotted 50 overs in their first inning.
Indian Innings
Aggressive start from the Indian openers
The aggressive and stylish Indian openers came out with the demeanour of somebody with no fear to lose, tossing alert to the breezes from the first ball. Sourav Ganguly without wasting much of the time ventured out of his crease to England bowlers who were reliably bowling at a serious pace of 147 kmph, and smashed a few of top-notch shots through the offside, the best six was over the covers to Andrew Flintoff over. The Indian Captain reached his 50 runs mark in just 35 balls, effectively outscoring his more opening partner Virender Sehwag. While, India team scored 100 runs in just 80 balls, in which an Irani over which went across for 16 runs including some shots over the boundary line.
Just a moments after things worked out according to England team plans when Sourav Ganguly endeavoured an over the line snick to a ball that wasn’t exactly short enough, and was clean bowled by Alex Tudor. This set off a breakdown – the furious Virender Sehwag endeavoured a late cut off Ashley Giles over and was clean bowled, the same mindset with Dinesh Mongia came and was caught down the leg side off Ronnie Irani over, and the wall Rahul Dravid was another one who was caught at short mid-wicket off a Ronnie Irani over.
Finally, the most dependable player Sachin Tendulkar was clean bowled by Ashley Giles, endeavouring a unique slog sweep, the scoreboard was 146/5- India team had lost the entirety of its prime batsman, and still required 180 runs in 26 overs, at a Required run rate per over of almost 7.9, which was viewed as for all intents and purposes not possible in those early years of 2002.
Evolution of overnight heroes of NatWest Final 2002
Yuvraj and Kaif wrote the script for the coming generation to live on
The overnight heroes Mohammed Kaif and Yuvraj Singh met up into a great extent of new roles both were struggling in those years, and that day, had about a large portion of an innings to bat out. The two players seemed to savour this chance and therefore began perhaps the greatest partnerships in the Indian Cricket history, which saw some top-notch striking of the middle order player, especially from Yuvraj Singh, and quick running between the wickets. Both of them added 121 run partnership for the 6th wicket in the quick times while keeping up the run rate, however, let England progressively jumpy as they edged in on an unrealistic triumph.
After the two players arrived at their 50 runs, Yuvraj Singh fine inning reached a fairly manageable end, after top-edged on Collingwood ball to Alex Tudor at the short fine leg area. With Yuvraj Singh wicket Harbhajan Singh came to the field and put on 50 run partnership with Kaif and team India still needed 59 runs off 50 deliveries. Flamboyant Kaif and young chap Harbhajan Singh as they took the score over 300, not long after which the Required run rate (RPO) move down to 6.
Exactly when India was looking easily to drift to victory, Andrew Flintoff dismissed Harbhajan Singh with the team India score on 314 and dismissed Kumble soon without the addition of runs on the scoreboard to turn the game in England favour one more time. Team India still required 12 runs to win off last two overs, however, team India score was 314/8. At that point, the commentator Ravi Shastri would state, every one of the three results was conceivable in this match.
Triumph is made sure about
The crucial 49th over of the match was bowled by England pacer Darren Gough, and the over was going good but twist came again as it edged boundary to the third man by Mohammad Kaif off the crucial delivery of the overturned the game solidly in the direction of India one more time. As the equation came down to team India required just 2 runs off the final over, however, Kaif was at the opposite end. The first two balls by Andrew Flintoff were missed by Zaheer khan and the very next ball of the over saw Zaheer Khan hit the ball into the cover’s area and the batsmen hurried off for a run. The bashful at the stumps missed and both ran on the miss-hit to the wickets, which took team India over the final line.
Both the players jumped into the mid-air to praise the fantastic triumph, yet the most “unforgettable” picture of the game was Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly taking off and spinning his t-shirt uncontrollably, in an undeniable reaction to Andrew Flintoff taking his shirt off in the wake of overcoming team India at the Wankhade stadium a scarcely any months sooner. The masters at Lord’s may have disapproved of the loutish showcase of feeling, however, it stays a striking picture of animosity which Sourav Ganguly implanted into a young side, changed the body language of Indian cricket and huge numbers of whom became whizzes over the years.
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