"Gavaskar recalled that it was a match that India had to win to enter the semi-final" --
HUH? Was/Is Gavaskar out of his mind? Even if India had lost that game, they would have entered the Semi-final. In fact the Next game against Australia in which Yashpal Sharma scored 80 odd runs (if I remember correctly) was the crucial match ...
Had India lost the Zimbabwe match .. India would have ended with 12 points instead of 16 .. but Australia would still have been at 8 !!
But well .. this is not to take the credit away from Kapil - It is one of the greatest innings, if not the greatest ever, as mentioned by Gavaskar!
RE:Huh?
by Rakesh Mote on Jun 04, 2008 08:39 AM Permalink
I think you are out of mind. You can say now that it was OK if india had lost the ZIM match. Just for your info, on the same day (18 June) match between AUS & WI was on.. so points you are projecting now were not available during ZIM IND encounter. AUS lost and IND won on same day !! So while playing the match it was like do or die situation. Gavaskar was right in calling the innings the greatest OK? Also, in the next match Y Sharam scored 40 not 80 as you wrote but he was the highest scorer !!!
RE:Huh?
by J Nandi on Jun 04, 2008 08:52 AM Permalink
Technically you are right ! But eventually that became a inconsequential match. Even had India lost to Zimbabwe we would have entered that semis, all other results remaining same. Granted, this was known only after the Aus-WI match and not during when Kapil was batting.
RE:Huh?
by Ramandeep Judge on Jun 04, 2008 09:08 AM Permalink
What technically!!!! It was do or die for India. I rembember, hearing on radio. And when they were 17 for 5 our hearts saNK. U and this guy Nandi has no idea whatsoever. Tournament aise nahin chalte.
RE:Huh?
by Bhardwaj Velamakanni on Jun 04, 2008 11:39 AM Permalink
When somebody calls it a "Must win" or "Do or Die" it means that "If you lose You are out!" .. Aus Vs WI match might be on that day .. but India still had a chance to enter the Semis even after the loss ... in other words ZIMBABWE MATCH WAS NOT THE DECIDING FACTOR .. but it was the match against the Australia ...
IMAGINE THE SCENARIO .. IF INDIA HAD LOST TO AUSTRALIA EVEN AFTER THEY HAVE BEATEN ZIMBABWE .. Both the teams would have been at 12 and Aus would have entered the Semis by virtue of a better run rate ...
So, once again, the MUST WIN match was agaisnt AUS not agaisnt ZIM
RE:Huh?
by J Nandi on Jun 04, 2008 08:39 AM Permalink
You are absolutely right ! This match was an inconsequential one, the next against Autralia was the decider. But we Indians romanticise everything. So, when Kapil played that heroic knock of 175 n.o. from being down 17 for 5, we had to glorify it by making it (and incorrectly so) a do or die match, which it was not. That said, Gavaskar is right in saying that was the best one day innnings ever played, though due to the BBC crew strike we do not have a footage of that.
RE:Huh?
by Maheswari on Jun 04, 2008 01:14 PM Permalink
Dont underestimate. If we have lost the match with Zimbabwe, there is no question of match with Australia arose Mr.Bhardwas Velamkanni
RE:Huh?
by Bhardwaj Velamakanni on Jun 05, 2008 08:41 AM Permalink
What do you mean? That was a Round Robin thing - Not a knock out ... India would have played Australia in any case!
RE:Huh?
by Bhardwaj Velamakanni on Jun 04, 2008 11:48 AM Permalink
Yes I do agree about that innings .. I swtiched the radio off when the score was 3 down for 5 .. with Gavaskar and Srikkanth gone for Ducks and Amarnath for 5. When I switched it on again it was 5 down ... I joked with my Dad about Kapil hitting a Century and winning the match for India and he said he would give me 100 bucks if that happened .. hehe .. he still owes me that 100 though :)
