World Cup (cricket): 2003
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2003
Venue: South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya.
Participating teams: fourteen (as below):
Full Members: Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, Zimbabwe.
Associate Members: Canada, Kenya, Namibia, the Netherlands.
Winners: Australia, which defeated India in the finals.
India vs Pakistan
IANS | Feb 12, 2015 India vs Pakistan: World Cup history <>Mail Today Bureau March 30, 2011 | India vs Pakistan world cup semi finals: Rivalry over the years <>The Times of India Feb 14 2015 A FABLED RIVALRY
MARCH 1,2003
(League Tie)
Supersport Park, Centurion.
India (276/4), Pakistan (273/7), India won by 6 wickets
India's biggest win over Pakistan in the World Cup.
For the first time, Pakistan batted first and opener Saeed Anwar struck a century. Pakistan raced away to a competitive 273 as they realised 78 in the last 10 overs. Even batting first couldn't reverse the tide for Pakistan despite their posting a strong total of 273. Opener Anwar, always a threat to India, hit a fine century (101)
But Anwar he was eclipsed by graceful hitting from Tendulkar (98/ 75-balls) who, together with fellow opener Virender Sehwag (21), launched a stunning attack on the famed pace trio of Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis.
Sachin and Sehwag raced to 53 in 5.4 overs and the former then added 102 with Mohd Kaif for the third wicket. Rahul Dravid (44; 76b) and Yuvraj Singh (50; 53b) completed the formalities with a 99-run stand for the unbroken fifth wicket.
Dravid (44*) and Yuvraj Singh (50*) also played crucial knocks to seal victory with 26 balls to spare.
Tendulkar took the match away from Pakistan with a brilliant 98, which had a memorable six over point off Akhtar
Brief scores:
Pakistan 273/7 (S Anwar 101, Y Khan 32, R Latif 29no; Z Khan 2/46, A Nehra 2/74)
India 276/4 in 45.4 overs (S Tendulkar 98, M Kaif 35, R Dravid 44 no, Y Singh 50 no; W Younis 2/71).
Ricky Ponting
Ayaz Memon India Today February 5, 2015 | World Cup highlights: When the greats got going
140 runs
121 balls
Fours-4
Sixes- 8
In the early part of the first decade of the new millennium, the enduring debate in cricket was who was the greater batsman between Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. By the time the 2003 World Cup Johannesburg final was completed, Ricky Ponting couldn't be left out of this discussion.
His 140 against India in the final was a tour de force which brought out the best aspects of his attacking batsmanship that was to subjugate into surrender attacks all over the world for the next few years, and in both formats.
Main strike bowler Zaheer Khan lost his nerve and was severely punished by Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden, who put on 105. Harbhajan's double strike got rid off both openers, but this only roused Ponting into top gear.
For the next couple of hours, India's hapless fielders were only playing 'fetch-the-ball' as a belligerent Ponting delivered pulls, hooks, drives that seared the turf, or cleared the boundary. By the time the 50th over was bowled, the fate of the final was not an issue any more.
Sachin Tendulkar
Ayaz Memon India Today February 5, 2015 | World Cup highlights: When the greats got going
98 runs
75 balls.
Fours-12
Sixes-1
The story goes that when Shoaib Akhtar was needling Virender Sehwag to play a big stroke against him, the dashing opener said, "Your dad's at the other end, let him come on strike and he'll show you how to bat." The story's probably apocryphal, but it nevertheless captures the mood and tenor of that match, now considered a classic in ODI history.
Pakistan had set India a stiff target of 274 to win. Words can't capture Tendulkar's batting that day; seeing was believing. From the first ball he faced, Tendulkar showed he was in stellar command, outscoring even Sehwag. His 98 effectively quashed Pakistan's hopes of a win. The legend of Sachin Tendulkar had acquired another glorious chapter.
Fascinating facts about World Cups
Author: MS Ramakrishnan, Bangalore, Thu, Jan 22 2015 CricBuzz 1 <>CricBuzz 2 <>CricBuzz 3 <>CricBuzz 4 <>CricBuzz 5
2003: Cricket experiences 100mph for the first time Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar bowled cricket's first recorded 100 mph delivery against England's Nick Knight in the 2003 World Cup.
2003: McGrath turns into Nostradamus When Indian captain Sourav Ganguly called the right side of the coin during the toss in the 2003 World Cup final and said that his side would bowl first, Australian pacer Glenn McGrath made cheeky comment in the dressing room saying, "Well, that's the first mistake."
2003: Tendulkar's clever strategy During the 2003 World Cup, ever since India changed their opening partnership after their group game against Australia, Virender Sehwag took strike for three successive matches. However, when India took on arch-rivals Pakistan, Sachin Tendulkar thought Wasim Akram would have too many tricks up his sleeve for young Sehwag and told him that he will take strike. Eventually, Tendulkar hit a couple of lovely boundaries in the very first over to set the tone for a convincing Indian victory.
Refusing To Go To Zimbabwe
The Times of India Feb 14 2015 Controversies Which Rocked WC
Nasser Hussain's England sacrificed a place in the second phase of the 2003 edition by refusing to go to Zimbabwe, citing moral scruples due to the political situation. No amount of appealing by ICC and even ECB could convince the team.
Black Armbands
The Times of India Feb 14 2015 Controversies Which Rocked WC
Two of Zimbabwe's best, Henry Olonga and Andy Flower made a public statement about the “death of democracy“ under Robert Mugabe's rule in their country by wearing black armbands in the game against Namibia in 2003. Both had to leave the country in a few days.
See also
World Cup (cricket): history <>World Cup (cricket): 1975 <>World Cup (cricket): 1979 <>World Cup (cricket): 1983 <>World Cup (cricket): 1987 <>World Cup (cricket): 1992 <>World Cup (cricket): 1996 <>World Cup (cricket): 1999 <>World Cup (cricket): 2003 <>World Cup (cricket): 2007 <>World Cup (cricket): 2011 <>World Cup (cricket): 2015
