Indian cricket has seen many unforgettable moments through years. Moments which define Indian cricket, moments which hold a special place in every Indian cricket fan’s heart. One such incident happened exactly fifteen years ago on this day in 2002 NatWest Series, where former Indian captain, Sourav Ganguly‘s wild shirtless celebration at the Lord’s balcony and brilliant knock of Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh made the match a memorable one.
In that match, England batting first gave Indian boys a challenging target of 325 runs. Captain Nasser Hussain (115), and Marcus Trescothick (109) didn’t stop against India’s bowling. Later, Andrew Flintoff’s 40 off 32 added a finishing touch to England’s innings.
India while chasing the target had a strong start with Virender Sehwag (45) and Sourav Ganguly (60) adding 106 runs to the opening partnership. But later wickets fell like dominos and in a while, India were 146/5 in 24 overs. England at that point was hoping for an easy victory but then, Yuvraj and Mohammad Kaif came to bat and played the most memorable innings of their life. While Yuvraj fell for 69 off 63 balls, Kaif went on until the end, resulting in India winning the match.
Later, Ganguly’s wild shirtless celebration was something that will be remembered for ages.