CLR

Pakistan and England met in the Colosseum of Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of 90000 spectators. Pakistan started slowly and found themselves in trouble at 24/2 losing Aamir Sohail and Rameez Raza . Captain Imran and Javed Miandad two veterans steadied the ship and with the help of late onslaught from young Inzamam Ul Haq and Wasim Akram Pakistan reached 249 end of their alloted 50 overs. Calamity struck for England very early in their reply losing Ian Botham for a duck off Wasim Akram. With only 69 on the board they lost 4 wickets with Gooch , Hick and Alec Stewart back in the pavilion. It was then Neil Fairbrother and experienced Allan Lamb stitched together a partnership. Both of them batted sensibly tried to get England back in the contest. Imran Khan being Imran Khan could sense the moment . 71 runs were added and Pakistan badly needed a breakthrough. He brought back his trump card Wasim Akram for the 35th over. Then came the moment. First Wasim Akram bowling from the round the wicket to Allan Lamb and the ball started to come into Lamb with the angle and then suddenly like a magician doing its wizardry ball straightened from around middle stump . Lamb who seemed to have covered his stumps squared up and ball hit the top of the off stumps . Lamb looked bemused whereas Wasim Akram ran towards wicket keeper Moeen Khan seemingly jubilant. Commentators Richie Benaud and Tony Cozier sensed that with Lamb back in the hut England hopes might have dashed as well but they were full of those all rounders. Next came very talented Chris Lewis yet to showcase the world his talent . But he was up against a rampaging Wasim Akram. Next ball round the wicket ball pitched just outside off stump a dipping inswinger defeated Lewis defence to crash on to the timber . Two balls, two magical deliveries from a magician with the ball in a world cup final Wasim Akram bowled himself to greatness that night at MCG. Wasim Akram ended with figures of 3/49 in 10 overs but those two balls to dismiss Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis went into the folklore. Wasim Akram created one of the most iconic moments of World Cup history.

One of my favourite Shane Warne memory comes from the memorable semifinal against South Africa at Edgbaston in 1999 World Cup. Chasing 213 South Africa started really well as Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten took them to 48/0. That's when Steve Waugh turned to his go to man in a crisis. Shane Warne who never believed that a game is lost turned things around . He first got Gibbs with a beautiful flighted leg spinner pitching just outside the leg stump and then spun sharply to hit the top of off stump . Bamboozled Gibbs had absolutely no clue what had struck him . That drift and turn was magical. Soon he got Gary Kirsten who tried to sweep a leg spinner got bowled . Then came Hansi Cronje who just like Gibbs dismissal got into a tangle trying to negotiate the in drift of the Warne delivery edged it to the first slip into the hands of Warne's best mate Mark Waugh. 48/0 soon became 53/3. Then once again at another crucial juncture of the match Warne fooled a well set Jacques Kallis into a drive getting him caught by Steve Waugh at the cover. His spell read 10-4-29-4 in a World Cup semifinal earning him the Man of the match just like he did 3 years earlier in Mohali against West Indies in the 1996 World Cup semifinal with a spell of 36/4 . Shane Warne created magic when it seemed everything was lost . In the end a tied Semifinal put Aussies into the final . The match arguably one of the greatest if not the greatest ever ODI in the history of the game and Wizard Warnie had his masterclass written on it.

Not often do Australia find themselves in a do or die situation in World Cup group stages . But that exactly happened when Australia lost to New Zealand and Pakistan in back to back matches . They had a must win game against West Indies at Old Trafford. That's when the great Glenn McGrath got into his act. He first got Sherwin Campbell in typical Glenn McGrath style. A back of length ball in the off stump corridor moved away a bit to take the edge which was caught by Mark Waugh in the second slip. Next ball little fuller in length straightening a bit caught Jimmy Adams on the move . He was on a hat-trick against Brian Lara. Few moments later that magical ball came against Lara. Again a good length ball pitched in the middle stump moved away from Lara only slightly to open him like can of beans to hit the top of off stump. It was indeed magical to get a top batsman out . Later on McGrath dismissed Marvyn Dillon and Courtney Walsh to finish with figures of 5/14 and bowled out West Indies for a paltry 111.