<p>It was during the late 1990s and the early 2000s that the match-fixing scandal engulfed Indian cricket and the future looked bleak for a team that once aspired to become a superpower in world cricket. Like many comeback tales, however, the fortunes slowly began to change. The famous 2001 Test win over Australia at Eden Gardens scripted by the immortal partnership of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh's spin wizardry strengthened the belief that India was finally leaving the debacle behind.<br /><br />On the afternoon of July 13, 2002, that belief reached a crescendo, when India metamorphosed from being a pushover to a team feared and respected. The Lord's cricket ground, witness to so many gentleman's game chronicles, crowned a reborn formidable cricket force that was the India ODI team.<br /><br />It was the final of the NatWest Trophy and England elected to bat first after winning the toss. Chasing in a final has traditionally been considered a mammoth task, especially if the team batting first piles on a huge total. England, with these tactics in mind, tore apart the Indian bowling attack from the word go. Opener Marcus Trescothick and captain Nasser Hussain propelled England towards a huge score at breakneck speed, with both notching up centuries. Andrew Flintoff provided the final flourish as England's juggernaut ended at 325 for the loss of 5 wickets. India's bowling was so woeful that five out of the seven bowlers used conceded over 6 runs per over. Only the spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh managed to keep their economy under 5.5.<br /><br />The momentum was with England as any total above 300 in a final is a gruelling challenge, especially with the home ground advantage. Cometh the hour, cometh the players and India's batting rose to the occasion. The team decided to counter-attack from the first over, aiming to keep the required run rate at just above 6 runs an over. The opening combination of Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag gave India a perfect start. When Ganguly fell after scoring a whirlwind 60 off 43 balls, India at 106 for 1 had begun to give jitters to the opposition.<br /><br />Close finals make for gripping spectacles and this one was no exception. After Ganguly's departure, India lost a flurry of wickets and was soon reduced to 146 for 5. With the fall of Sachin Tendulkar, it seemed very much like India's quest for a victory in an ODI final at Lord's after 19 years would remain unfulfilled.<br /><br />Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif had other ideas. The two young Turks with backs against the wall decided to take the fight to the opposition. They batted with breathtaking audacity and fused a cavalier approach with the required caution in perfect harmony. Boundaries came easily, the strike was rotated freely and after a long partnership, India was staring at the possibility of an improbable victory.<br /><br />When Paul Collingwood got the wicket of Yuvraj in the 42nd over, India still needed 59 runs to win with the lower order exposed. The onus was on Kaif to guide India home and he crafted an expert finish with Harbhajan Singh for company. The latter was castled in the 48th over by Flintoff and two balls later, Kumble departed for a duck. The equation was: India needed 11 runs to win from 12 balls, England needed 2 wickets.<br /><br />Zaheer Khan walked out into the middle. He smartly opted to take singles, giving Kaif the strike. When the last ball of the 49th over went for a boundary, India's equation came down to two runs needed from six balls.<br /><br />Flintoff came to bowl the last over, Zaheer was on strike. The first two balls were dots and both teams found it difficult to keep nerves in check. The third ball was a full toss. Zaheer pushed it towards short cover and immediately set off for a single. The fielder fired at the wickets and missed. Both batsmen scampered back for a second.<br /><br />A jubilant Sourav Ganguly was on the Lord's balcony. In a stadium where spectators have to follow a strict dress code, the sanctity of the balcony is paramount and vigilantly guarded by the conservatives. On this hallowed balcony, Ganguly took off his jersey and swung it in the air. It was considered a preposterous act back then. For the India team, it was an iconic moment of defiance, marking the rise of the Men In Blue who learnt to snatch a piece of the pie and carve out a place for themselves among the elites. If the 2001 Eden Gardens win was a proclamation of the arrival of a new dominant force, the NatWest victory against England accelerated the rise.<br /><br />Eighteen years ago today, a fearless group of players conquered the Mecca of cricket.</p>
<p>It was during the late 1990s and the early 2000s that the match-fixing scandal engulfed Indian cricket and the future looked bleak for a team that once aspired to become a superpower in world cricket. Like many comeback tales, however, the fortunes slowly began to change. The famous 2001 Test win over Australia at Eden Gardens scripted by the immortal partnership of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid and Harbhajan Singh's spin wizardry strengthened the belief that India was finally leaving the debacle behind.<br /><br />On the afternoon of July 13, 2002, that belief reached a crescendo, when India metamorphosed from being a pushover to a team feared and respected. The Lord's cricket ground, witness to so many gentleman's game chronicles, crowned a reborn formidable cricket force that was the India ODI team.<br /><br />It was the final of the NatWest Trophy and England elected to bat first after winning the toss. Chasing in a final has traditionally been considered a mammoth task, especially if the team batting first piles on a huge total. England, with these tactics in mind, tore apart the Indian bowling attack from the word go. Opener Marcus Trescothick and captain Nasser Hussain propelled England towards a huge score at breakneck speed, with both notching up centuries. Andrew Flintoff provided the final flourish as England's juggernaut ended at 325 for the loss of 5 wickets. India's bowling was so woeful that five out of the seven bowlers used conceded over 6 runs per over. Only the spin duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh managed to keep their economy under 5.5.<br /><br />The momentum was with England as any total above 300 in a final is a gruelling challenge, especially with the home ground advantage. Cometh the hour, cometh the players and India's batting rose to the occasion. The team decided to counter-attack from the first over, aiming to keep the required run rate at just above 6 runs an over. The opening combination of Sourav Ganguly and Virender Sehwag gave India a perfect start. When Ganguly fell after scoring a whirlwind 60 off 43 balls, India at 106 for 1 had begun to give jitters to the opposition.<br /><br />Close finals make for gripping spectacles and this one was no exception. After Ganguly's departure, India lost a flurry of wickets and was soon reduced to 146 for 5. With the fall of Sachin Tendulkar, it seemed very much like India's quest for a victory in an ODI final at Lord's after 19 years would remain unfulfilled.<br /><br />Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif had other ideas. The two young Turks with backs against the wall decided to take the fight to the opposition. They batted with breathtaking audacity and fused a cavalier approach with the required caution in perfect harmony. Boundaries came easily, the strike was rotated freely and after a long partnership, India was staring at the possibility of an improbable victory.<br /><br />When Paul Collingwood got the wicket of Yuvraj in the 42nd over, India still needed 59 runs to win with the lower order exposed. The onus was on Kaif to guide India home and he crafted an expert finish with Harbhajan Singh for company. The latter was castled in the 48th over by Flintoff and two balls later, Kumble departed for a duck. The equation was: India needed 11 runs to win from 12 balls, England needed 2 wickets.<br /><br />Zaheer Khan walked out into the middle. He smartly opted to take singles, giving Kaif the strike. When the last ball of the 49th over went for a boundary, India's equation came down to two runs needed from six balls.<br /><br />Flintoff came to bowl the last over, Zaheer was on strike. The first two balls were dots and both teams found it difficult to keep nerves in check. The third ball was a full toss. Zaheer pushed it towards short cover and immediately set off for a single. The fielder fired at the wickets and missed. Both batsmen scampered back for a second.<br /><br />A jubilant Sourav Ganguly was on the Lord's balcony. In a stadium where spectators have to follow a strict dress code, the sanctity of the balcony is paramount and vigilantly guarded by the conservatives. On this hallowed balcony, Ganguly took off his jersey and swung it in the air. It was considered a preposterous act back then. For the India team, it was an iconic moment of defiance, marking the rise of the Men In Blue who learnt to snatch a piece of the pie and carve out a place for themselves among the elites. If the 2001 Eden Gardens win was a proclamation of the arrival of a new dominant force, the NatWest victory against England accelerated the rise.<br /><br />Eighteen years ago today, a fearless group of players conquered the Mecca of cricket.</p>
