It doesn’t matter if you missed out on most of the match being caught up with work as long as you get to witness the last over madness. Where’s the fun in watching a match where India effortlessly waltzes to victory? It’s those jittery slog overs that make you sit down till the end, eyes on the screen and ants in your pants. The last six balls – you either go down with bat shit crazy celebration or take a wise sigh and say “someone has to lose the game”. However, being the Indian cricket, there has been numerous occasions when our team has given us the chance to celebrate. Let’s take a moment to remember some of most thrilling last six balls that turned to India’s favor in recent years. Here we go. India Vs South Africa – Champions Trophy Semi-Final (2002) It was a big match against a big team and the Proteas looked relentless. India had put a humble 262 on the board and was defending the total with just two specialist fast bowlers. With Ashish Nehra injuring himself, captain Ganguly had only his wits to rely on. It was the out of the way strategies of Ganguly of making part-time spinners continue the attack against the formidable South African line-up that finally turned India’s hope. With Rahul Dravid for a wicket-keeper and only Virender Sehwag to rely on the last over, it was a miracle delivery that got Jacque Kallis, the danger man out. That one wicket in the last moment changed everything and soon the South Africans needed 11 of one delivery with Captain Dada almost already celebrating.

India Vs Pakistan – Independence Cup Final (1998)

It was 1998 and setting up a target of 314 was a big deal back then. Pakistan set a mammoth figure on the scoreboard for the Indians to chase and it all came down to the last over with India needing 9 runs. With Nayan Mongia run out in the last delivery of the penultimate over, it was all up to Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Javagal Srinath.

Srinath’s unorthodox shots made the tension even sharper as he ballooned a delivery high up over the mid-wicket – an easy catch but missed by three Pakistani fielders as nobody knew who was chasing. With 3 more runs to score from 2 balls, Kanitkar, finally hit Saqlain Mushtaq for a lofted boundary, driving India to a thrilling victory and immortalizing his name in Indian cricket forever.

India vs England – Natwest Trophy Final (2002)

The last six balls of the Natwest final between India and England at the mecca of cricket, Lords is one of the most iconic moments in cricketing history. The hosts set a magnanimous total of 324 for the Indians to chase and thanks to a blasting opening partnership between Sehwag and Ganguly, India got a good start. However, soon the middle order started to crumble and it looked as though the match has gone out of India’s hand until Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif took hold of the situation.

With the job far from done, it was again time for a nail-biting last over with Kaif and Zaheer Khan in the middle. As millions of Indian fans waited for that hard earned victory at Lords, Kaif finally took the winning run by throwing himself at the crease like a gazelle that got the world on its feet and Captain Ganguly his shirt off, swinging it in the air.