It is the day of the final. For each player featuring in it, this promises to be an intoxicating experience. Some may be suffering from an innate fear laced with hesitant optimism while others, more mentally strong, might be sensing victory. But the matter will have been settled by late night. The cup will have landed into a group of hands, theirs to cherish, theirs to hold aloft and theirs to kiss and tell everyone: ‘We rule the world!’

For fans of the losing side, there will be heartbreak. For those of the winners’ unbridled ecstasy. Yet posterity will eventually shrink the moment for them and especially for the neutrals it will eventually rest as just another moment of triumph or failure. For the historians there will be the sombre work of recording the happenings, and for the writer and ardent observer there will be those few moments that made the final moments of thrall; episodes that made the heart pump.

Yes, each final has those memorable moments, exciting episodes or turning points. And here are some that stood out from each of the previous 10 finals of the cricket World Cup.

Lord’s, 1975

On a sunny, summer day in London, the first ever World Cup comes to a climax. Clive Lloyd, the West Indian captain, has struck a landmark hundred off 82 balls while, at the cusp of noon, Roy Fredricks has hooked Dennis Lillee for six but trods on his wicket in the process. Gary Gilmour has taken five West Indian wickets and Viv Richards has run out three top Australian batsmen.

Now the final moments are being played out and an absolute mess takes place in the centre.

Jeff Thomson is caught at cover and the crowd, including a majority of West Indian immigrants, run to the centre from all sides assuming West Indies’ victory. But it was a no-ball, and both Thomson and Lillee, the last pair, keep running between the wickets as Fredricks throws to run out the batsmen. The batsmen scramble a single and the overthrow gets lost in the surging crowd. The batsmen keep running. Eventually sense prevails, the crowd is dispersed and Thomson ironically is run out soon after as Australia lose by only 17 runs with eight balls left.

A devastating spell of fast bowling, the wizardry of a spinner, or a relentless counterattack of a batsman ... with the big game today, relive the moments that swung World Cup finals

Lord’s, 1979

West Indies, the supremos of the 1970s, are all set to cap off the decade with their second World Cup conquest. They have looked unbeatable and opposite them is the England side with more hope than optimism. Yet they have West Indies at 99-4. Viv Richards is there and he is joined by Collis King, a young entrant. The partnership tears apart a threatening English attack. It is the highlight of the day. Though Richards stays till the end to record a classic century, it is King’s 86 off 67 balls in 77 minutes with 10 fours and three sixes that has the audience in awe. He has added 139 in 21 overs with Richards and has turned the game around beyond England’s reach.

Lord’s, 1983

It is the third successive appearance by the West Indies in the final, once again the outstanding favourites. They have opposite them India, the surprise challengers, who are nevertheless bowled out for 183. They start the chase well, and at 57-2, Viv Richards seems to have them cornered. Until out of sheer arrogance he pulls high to deep midwicket in pursuit of his eighth boundary only to land it in Kapil Dev’s hands as he runs back. The Indian seamers chip away and possibly the greatest moment of the day comes when Mohinder Amarnath traps last man, Holding, in front. Instantly, he races forward for the dressing room in absolute bliss as two of his mates gather and pluck out the stumps. It remained the greatest moment in Indian cricket history for the next 28 years.

England’s captain Mike Gatting heads back to the pavilion during the 1987 final

Eden Gardens, 1987

Every final has its turning point, whether it comes early or late in the game. England have recovered from early wickets to reach 135-3 chasing Australia’s 253; they have 19 overs left. In a desperate move Allan Border brings himself on; facing him is his English counterpart, Mike Gatting, on 41. First ball and he makes an abominable decision to reverse sweep a ball pitched on leg stump. The ball takes the edge of his bat, hits Gatting’s shoulders, and pops up for the wicketkeeper. England lose their way and fall short by seven runs, their charge reversed by their very own captain.

Wasim Akram overjoyed at taking Lamb's wicket during the 1992 final

MCG, 1992

As the night draws to a close, England have seen an opening in their attempt to overhaul the target of 250 set by Pakistan. Following their captain’s demise to make it 69-4, Allan Lamb and Fairbrother have lifted them to 141 at a good run rate. It is then that Imran, a firm believer in taking wickets to stymie the run rate, calls on Wasim Akram. On cue, he bowls Lamb with a screamer that hurtles toward middle but curves at the last minute to take off. Next ball he cuts one in from outside off at ballistic speed to bowl Lewis off the inside edge and England have got the stuffing taken out of them. They never recover.

Shane Warne drops Ranatunga off his own bowling during the 1996 final

Gaddafi Stadium, 1996

Sri Lanka are in their very first final, graduating with geometric progression from their previous World Cup achievements. They have a grip on the final first by tying down Australia to 241 and then moving up from 23-2 to 148 before the third wicket falls, that of Gurusinha.

But Aravinda de Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga take them forward calmly keeping the run rate in check though the Australian attack threatens to break through at any time.

Then it happens. With skipper Ranatunga still settling in, Shane Warne drops him off his own bowling. That is the point where the game turns irrevocably. Aravinda cruises to a century, which is the highlight of the match, and helps ensure a Sri Lankan triumph.

Lord’s, 1999

It is the most one-sided final in the history of the World Cup and clearly the shortest (was over in 59.2 overs) with Pakistan being bowled out for 132 in 39 overs. The excitement is provided mainly by the Australian fielding. The crowd is treated to one of the finest slip catches ever seen after Pakistan have moved to 21 from four overs. Then Mark Waugh at second slip flies to his right, towards where wide third slip would have been, and clasps an edge from Wajahatullah Wasti while still parallel to the ground. It is described as the catch of the tournament.

The Wanderers, 2003

India makes the mistake of asking Australia to bat first and what follows is absolute annihilation of the Indian bowling. Such is the start that at 125-2 in the 20th over, the Indians had actually slowed things down a bit. But no further wickets fall as Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn provide nonstop excitement to a full house at Johannesburg’s magnificent stadium. Martyn finishes on 88 not out while Ponting’s unbeaten 140 has come off 121 balls; amazingly it includes only four fours but eight sixes. It takes Australia to 359-2, a score that India can only dream of overtaking.

Kensington Oval, 2007

It has been a bland tournament but there is hope in the final as Sri Lanka seem best positioned to take on the rampaging Australians in what is their fourth consecutive appearance in a World Cup final, one that is shortened to 38 overs each side due to morning rain.

But Adam Gilchrist takes it all in his stride in a blitz that takes everyone’s breath away. In just over two hours batting he smashes 149 in 104 balls with 13 fours and eight sixes. He later reveals that he had stuffed a squash ball in his batting glove to better grip the bat. There is some further excitement for a short while as Sanath Jayasuriya and Kumar Sangakkara bring up the 100 in the 16th over with 51 coming from overs 12 to 16. But once these two depart Sri Lanka loses momentum and the excitement evaporates.

MS Dhoni hits the match-winning six in the 2011 final

Wankhede Stadium, 2011

For the first time since the 1979 edition, a country is playing a final on its own ground. Sri Lanka was joint-host in 1996 but played the final at Lahore. India are the favourites but Sri Lanka set up a challenging target of 275. Mahela Jayewardene provides the initial excitement with an undefeated 103 but then the Indian batsmen make their way forward steadily.

When their third wicket falls at 114 everyone is surprised to see MS Dhoni walk out ahead of Yuvraj who has been in the form of his life in the tournament. The Indian captain, with no notable score in the tournament till then, nevertheless builds up the excitement and the defining moment comes in the 49th over when in a fairytale finish, the ball lifts over long on, Dhoni twirling his bat in the follow through, causing definitely the greatest exciting moment of the final as he finishes on 91.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 29th, 2015

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