7 Most dramatic incidents in Indian cricket

Cricket has been defined as a gentleman’s game since its inception. When the English aristocrats began playing the game in the early 17th century, they laid down a basic thumb rule that the game should be played in ‘a gentlemanly manner’. This would exclude all possible forms of disorderly conduct, such as sledging, cheating, ball tampering, body-targeted bowling or excessive appealing. However, with the turn of eras, the sport has, unfortunately, had to bear witness to several dramatic incidents globally, most of which have crossed the threshold of appropriateness.

Indian cricket is anything but alien to the word “controversy”. Be it the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot-fixing or the recent Kohli-Kumble debacle, the two time World Cup champions have had their own share of drama and chaos. Being a nation where cricket is played and watched with equal passion, where the positions of authority hold supreme power and look to exert their dominance, where cash influx is abundant and at time overpowering, things tend to go awry from time to time.

Let’s take a look at the most dramatic incidents in the history of Indian Cricket

1. 1996 World Cup semi-final at the Eden Gardens

In what is regarded as one of the darkest days in cricketing history, the semi-final match between India and Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup saw the spectators turn violent as the crowds threw empty plastic bottles and cans at the players and even set stands on fire. The match was played at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on March 13th, 1996.

Opting to field first, India were successful in restricting Sri Lanka at 251/8. A chase that had seemed to be a walk in the park for the Indian team initially turned into a nightmare as the hosts were reduced to 120 for 8, as seven wickets fell for just 22 runs.

The crowd was just restless and agitated at the pathetic show put up by their team and soon enough, they let their emotions be known vociferously. The spectators started throwing bottles, cans, plastic bags or whatever they could lay their hands on the playing field and even set some stands ablaze.

Eventually, the match was awarded to Sri Lanka by the match referee, Clive Lloyd and it became the first match in the history of international cricket where a team won the match due to crowd disturbance. The image of Vinod Kambli crying while leaving the field is till date, one of the most vivid and remembered pictures of the entire debacle.