On 13 July 2002, India recorded one of the most famous victories in their ODI cricket history. The Men in Blue chased down a massive target of 325 runs to pull off a narrow two-wicket victory in the NatWest series final. The series will forever be remembered for the then-Indian captain Sourav Ganguly’s iconic shirtless celebration at the Lord’s balcony.
England captain Nasser Hussain, who won the toss and opted to bat first, led the team from the front. He stitched a 185-run partnership with Marcus Trescothick for the second wicket. Centuries from opener Trescothick (109 off 100) and Hussain (115 off 128) helped them cross the 300-run mark. Andrew Flintoff’s 32-ball 40 was also crucial.
Left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan was the pick of the bowlers for India as he took three wickets at an economy rate of 6.20. Ashish Nehra and Anil Kumble took one wicket each. The Indian openers got off to a terrific start in response. Virender Sehwag (45 off 49) and captain Ganguly (60 off 43) added 106 runs to lay a solid platform.
The English bowlers managed to put them in the driver’s seat with five wickets at regular intervals. With Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid falling cheaply, the Indian camp darkened and the pressure mounted on the lower order. However, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif brought India back into the game with a match-winning partnership for the sixth wicket.
Yuvraj was dismissed in the 42nd over after scoring 69 off 63. But Kaif hung on at one end with tailenders to take India home. For his belligerent 87* off 75, Kaif won the Player of the Match. Zaheer Khan, who hit the winning run, remained unbeaten on four runs. Andrew Flintoff, Ronnie Irani and Ashley Giles grabbed two wickets each for the hosts. Meanwhile, Marcus Trescothick was adjudged Player of the Series for his consistent performance.
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