Top 5 Heartbreak Moments in Indian Cricketing History

Indian Cricket team is not a dream-team and comprises human beings who can never achieve perfection.

India has gone through its fair share of heartbreaks in the various matches that the team has played over the years. We take a look at 5 such moments which proved to be heartbreaking for the Indian cricket team as well as the fanatic followers of the game.

Javed Miandad's six against India: Sharjah Cup 1986

Perhaps the most famous six of all time, was the one hit by Javed Miandad off Chetan Sharma in the last ball of the final over at the Sharjah Cup in 1986.

In this India-Pakistan match, Miandad's six led the Pakistani team to a thrilling victory. Prior to Sharjah, Pakistan had lost six of their nine ODI matches against India.

Miandad's thundering six probably had a crushing effect on the Indian bowlers which is why India lost the next eight out of nine matches to Pakistan.

India vs Australia: World Cup 1987

The first match of the 1987 World Cup was totally heartbreaking for the followers of the Indian team. Riding on their '83 World Cup win, India came across as a confident team.

Australia posted a score of 270 for India to chase. Following an aggressive 70 and 73 by Srikkanth and Sidhu, India looked set for a win at 207-3.

Suddenly India's batting order collapsed like a house of cards and India was reduced to 256-8. The last over saw India needing just 2 runs to win with 1 wicket in hand. Maninder was bowled and India lost the match by 1 run.

India Vs Sri Lanka: World Cup Semi-final 1996

After putting up a score of 251, Sri Lanka sought to defend it under the captaincy of Sanath Jayasuriya.

Sachin, like usual, led the Indian team's attack before he was stumped at 65 from 88 balls. After his dismissal, India dramatically slumped to 120-8 owing to the brilliance of Jayasuriya.

It was then that the match turned controversial after the crowd vented their frustration by burning paper and throwing bottles and stones at the fielders. The match was called of by the match referee and was awarded to Sri Lanka by default.

India vs England: 1987 World Cup

Kapil Dev won the toss and decided to let England bat. However, he became clueless when Graham Gooch repeatedly smacked the spinners towards the boundary. England posted a competitive score of 254.

Sunil Gavaskar fell cheaply and a similar tale of collapse followed. Kapil Dev got out to what people still remember as a reckless shot after scoring a brisk 30 leaving India at 204-6. The last 4 wickets were wrapped up for just 19 runs which left the nation stunned.

India's dream of lifting a consecutive World Cup were crushed and so were a million hopes.

India vs Pakistan: Chennai Test 1999

This was one of the most heart-breaking moments for Sachin Tendulkar fans i.e cricket fans in general.

Sachin played brilliantly on a pitch that was not meant to favour the batsmen.Sachin was determined to steady the rocky Indian ship and steer them to victory against the Pakistani team.

He put up a brave score of 136 before falling prey to Saqlain Mushtaq. Moin Khan stated, in a press conference, that he had never seen shots like that in his career before.

India needed just 17 runs to win in 95 overs with 3 wickets remaining. India, however, lost 3 wickets for 4 runs in 4 overs and India lost the match by a 12 run victory.

Sachin, who was adjudged the Man of the Match, was so upset that he never turned up to collect the award. 

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Top 10 Hottest WAGs of Cricket

The World Cup finals are closing in on us and after all the spotlight on the players, we think we should give our salute to the wives and girlfriends who stood by their men throughout the tournament.

We, therefore, compile a list of who, we think, are the hottest WAGs of cricket. The list features WAGs of different countries landing a spot in the Top 10 based on their hotness and their popularity. These women don't just follow their husbands or boyfriends like a shadow but ascertain their individuality and come forth as equals to their famous partners and we laud them for this.

1. Jessica Taylor

Mrs. Kevin Pietersen, the ex Liberty X singer tops the list of the hottest WAGs in terms of hotness, style and popularity. She is a globe trotting WAG of one of the most stylish cricketer around the world. Read more about her in the article WAGs of England.

2. Lee Furlong

She would definitely be the most famous of all WAGs. Wife of Shane Watson, she is a Fox Sports presenter and is admired for her individual work. Find out more about her in WAGs of Australia.

3. Sue Erasmus

Sue Erasmus is the better half of J.P. Duminy. A model by profession, she is also a media favourite due to her willingness to interact with the media and fans. Read more on her in the article WAGs of South Africa.

4. Morgan Deane

She is the newest girlfriend of South African captain Graham Smith. She is also one of the accused in South Africa's early exit from the World Cup owing to distraction. She features in WAGs of South Africaalong side Sue Erasmus.

5. Jessica Bratich

Mitchell Johnson's karate kid has been branded the hottest WAG more than once not just in Australia but in other parts of the world too. She also heats up our article on WAGs of Team Australia with her presence.

6. Aanchal Kumar

Our homegrown supermodel oozes hotness on the ramp and we're sure she also sets Yuvi's heart on fire with those killer looks and amazing sense of style. Aanchal also features in the WAGs of Indian Cricketers.

7. Rachael Flintoff

She is a self-made woman and does not rely on her husband's fame and stardom as a means. In fact, she is a successful businesswoman herself and stands proud of what she has made of her life and her relationship with Freddie. Read more on her in Cricket WAGs England.

8. Sakshi Rawat

Mrs. Dhoni already an intern at the Taj Hotel Kolkata when she met our dashing captain M.S. Dhoni. The very young WAG must have a really strong head above her shoulders to be a part of Dhoni's life who carries the dreams of a billion people at each game. She forms an important part of the WAGs of Indian Cricketersand is also extremely popular amongst the masses.

9. Christina Sirisena

Wife of Sri Lankan vice-captain, Mahela Jayawardene, she is the lone Sri Lankan WAG to make it into the list amongst other international WAGs. She is graceful in her demeanour and matches up to the others. Watch other WAGs of the Sri Lankan domain in WAGs of Team Sri Lanka.

10. Amy Hussey

Mike Hussey didn't care to think about the importance of the game of cricket when his lay in the hospital bed following complications in her pregnancy. This incident resonates the fact that nothing comes in the way of family and true love: not even the big fat game of cricket. Check her out along with the others inWAGs of Team Australia. links:(MensXP.com)

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Sachin Tendulkar – The Master who was Born to Bat

There are two kinds of batsmen in the world. One, Sachin Tendulkar. Two, all other batsmen. - Andy Flower

If one were to ask what is Indian Cricket Team’s most prized possession, the answer would be unanimous – Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. But he is not just Indian team’s most prized possession. He’s also Cricket's most prized possession.

The man has been playing astounding cricket for the last two decades and is still nothing short of a blitzkrieg! He refuses to age or get less aggressive with time. Still a bowler’s worst nightmare (bowlers like Shane Warne and Glen McGrath stand in testimony to this); Sachin is also known for his sportsmanship and gentlemanliness.

He has emerged as a source of inspiration to crores of Indians exhorting them to rise above mediocrity and can single-handedly elevate the mood of the nation.

Can Sachin Tendulkar Walk on Water?

Not difficult to make his fans believe that Sachin can walk on water who might also probably believe that he has X-Ray vision and can stop trains. The man has been elevated to a Godly status in India and his worshippers can be found almost everywhere.

Born in Mumbai to Ramesh Tendulkar, a novelist and Rajni Tendulkar, who worked in the insurance sector Tendulkar was soon identified as a cricket prodigy. It didn’t take him much time to embark on his cricketing journey and he became a mentee of Ramakant Achrekar in his early years. There’s an interesting incident from his kid-years: When he was young, Tendulkar would practice for hours on end in the nets. If he became exhausted, Achrekar would put a one-Rupee-coin on the top of the stumps, and the bowler who dismissed Tendulkar would get the coin. If Tendulkar passed the whole session without getting dismissed, the coach would give him the coin. Young Sachin got thirteen Re 1 coins from his coach and he considers them his most prized possession.

Tendulkar started to make his presence felt as he touched teenage. He was being talked about in the Mumbai cricketing circles. Many started predicting that the boy would be the next big thing in cricket. There’s a legend which goes around that Sachin would make bowlers shed tears while he played for his school, as he would refuse to get out.

The world came to know about Sachin in 1989 when a 16-year old ‘genius-in-making’ put on his batting gloves for his first international test match.

Despite a humble start in his first two series (against Pakistan and New Zealand respectively) he hit first test ton against England in 1990 (119 not out) and then there was no looking back. The little genius now has a plethora of records in his kitty; some are the ones which other players can only dream of achieving.

Sachin, Lord Rama of the world of Cricket.

As Lord Rama is to his devotees, Sachin is so to his fans. He’s taken to be an embodiment of righteousness in cricket. Known for his high personal integrity and honesty, every time he ‘walks’, it becomes ‘A Walk to Remember’.

Even though it took him 70 ODIs to get his first century in the limited-overs edition of the game, Sachin is just a hundred short from making a ‘century of the centuries’ in the International cricket (tests and ODIs combined). Sachin’s most memorable ODI inning (which is also the most memorable inning in the history of ODI cricket) came against South Africa.

The master scored an unbeaten 200 on 147 off 147 balls and Indian went on to maul the Proteas by 153 runs. Sachin’s greatness touched new heights and so did his humility.

One can safely assume that Sachin is the greatest batsmen to have ever walked on this planet.

Over the course of time it has been Tendulkar's rare combination of mastery and bravado that has enchanted aficionados and crowds alike. One of the most striking aspects of the master is his hunger for more. He has achieved numerous milestones in his journey but every time he makes a record he starts focusing on reaching the next level.

The master batsman has had his share of rough form. Several injuries have dotted his career line. Critics committed the misdemeanour of wiritng him off. But he remained undeterred. Like a true gentleman he let his action speak louder than his words. The way he regains his form has gagged the critics on several occasions. One can only marvel how he continues to march on against all odds.

Critics and media have tried hard to find skeletons in his cupboard only to fail miserably. Tendulkar is a man of impeccable integrity and would always be one. Few can match his off-the-field stature, let alone his on-the-field stature. A mere request from him on Twitter could generate Rs 1 crore for the ‘Crusade Against Cancer’ foundation he is associated with. For his fans (the number runs into millions and they don’t give a damn about the critics and the media), he’s a demi-god, a colossal figure capable of pulling of miracles.

Sachin is known to live a cagey life due to the cult following he has attained. He is known to put on disguises to move about on streets, drive his cars in the dead of the night for the fear of a crowd following him like mad and take his family to Iceland for holidaying. As Peter Roebuck observes, “The runs, the majesty, the thrills, do not capture his achievement. Reflect upon his circumstances and then marvel at his feat. He is a person whose entire adult life has been lived in the eye of a storm."

There’s something singularly special in the master blaster. Beneath the helmet, under the disorderly curly hair, inside the skull, there’s something beyond our interpretation. There’s something which enables him to rise and shine above others and reach those territories of the sport that, forget us, even those fortunate enough to play on the same pitch as him cannot even fathom. The man is the embodiment of endurance and true grit.

We fail to fully decipher his recipe for success. We can’t figure out how a 37-year old cricketer stays at the top of the game for 20 years and continues to be a bowler's worst nightmare. All we know that he is a man who pulls off a jaw-dropping feat every now and then.

The entire country is all set for the March 30th’s big game. Cricket mania is touching new crescendo and jingoism is acquiring new definitions. Our hopes are pinned on Sachin and we pray that he smashes his hundredth ton against Pakistan and leads Team India to a victory, thereby landing it a spot in the finals. 1.2 billion people have one dream: India winning the World Cup with Sachin in the team.

The team at MensXP extends its heartiest wishes to Sachin and Team India. It’s time to “De Ghuma Ke!!!” 

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