5 Times Team India scripted memorable wins from the brink of defeat

There is something about comebacks. Whenever one feels that his side is down-and-out, something happens out of the extraordinary and one is left gobsmacked after witnessing it. The feeling of retaliation is enough for any individual to get hooked at the edge of his seat and making him forget everything around him.

One cannot afford to miss even a millisecond of his favourite team scripting an iconic comeback into the game. Any individual can feel numb, excited, gobsmacked, thrilled, emotional at the same time after witnessing such enthraling moments in the game. That’s just raw emotion and Indian fans went through it on Wednesday as Virat Kohli and Co. thumped New Zealand in a nail-biting thriller; which culminated with Rohit Sharma winning it for India with two consecutive sixes in the Super Over.

Hence, on this occasion, we walk down memory lane and relive some of the epic come-from-behind victories that Team India pulled off successfully.

Here’s the list of Five times Team India scripted memorable wins from the brink of defeat:

5. South Africa choke again in a low-scoring nerve-jangler

Occasion: 2nd ODI of the 5-match series, 2011; India won by 1 run

Low scoring nerve-jangler and an eventual South African collapse! Now, we have seen that on numerous occasions, haven’t we? Remember that 1999 tied World Cup semi-final against Australia where South Africa needed just a solitary run from the last four balls and they insinuated a choke at epic proportions? The Proteas did that again twelve years later in the second match of the 5-game series against the visiting Indians.

Batting first, India, despite a brilliant half-century from Yuvraj Singh [53 off 68 balls] were bowled out for 190 in 47.2 overs as Lunwabo Tsotsobe wrecked through their famed batting-unit, notching up figures of 4-22 in ten overs. Chasing 191, Graeme Smith held the fort with a brilliant 77 off 98 balls, and for the longest time, the result of the game looked like a foregone conclusion. Expect, it wasn’t.

Munaf Patel [4-29] claimed the all-important wicket of Graeme Smith for 77 but with South Africa needing just 39 runs to win and five wickets still in their bag, India needed one of the two things to happen: A brilliant game-changing spell from one of their bowlers or a South African choke. In the end, it was a bit of both as the Proteas, in what can only be termed as an incredible brain-fade, lost their last five wickets for a mere 37 runs, with Munaf Patel running through the tale to give India an unthinkable win.