The 13th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is in full swing.
Hosts India will open their campaign against five-time winners Australia today, Sunday October 08, in what is set to be a blockbuster clash.
With the game set to take place in Chennai, chasing could prove to be tricky if its a spin-friendly surface.
Over the years, Team India have encountered plenty of such tricky run-chases in the World Cup.
Ahead of India's World Cup 2023 campaign opener, here's a look at their 5 memorable run-chases in previous editions:
1987 World Cup: Gavaskar's 85-ball ton helps India obliterate New Zealand
The 1987 World Cup proved to be the last hurrah for legendary Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar, but not before he showcased a different facet of his talent to the hilt against New Zealand in Nagpur.
Requiring 222 to win, India needed to win the game as early as possible to ensure that they played their semi-final on home soil. And, Gavaskar decided to take it upon himself to steer his side past the finishing line with 100+ balls to spare.
12 years after his infamous blockathon at the inaugural World Cup, the legendary opener threw caution to the wind and unleashed dazzling strokeplay to leave the onlookers in awe, and the Kiwis, in absolute shock.
Cut, Pull? Check. Disdainful straight drives? Check. Slog across the line? Check. Gavaskar's innings had it all.
The veteran batsman smashed 10 fours and 3 sixes in what was his maiden and only ODI to lead India to a comprehensive 9-wicket win.
Also Read: Rejuvenated Virat Kohli Ready To Dazzle At The World Cup
1983 World Cup semi-final: Sandeep Patil's blitz knocks hosts England out
The 1983 World Cup saw India scale everyone's expectations, including their own, to snatch the World Cup from the defending champions, West Indies.
However, before that, the Kapil Dev-led unit gatecrashed host England's party by handing them a comprehensive thrashing in the semi-final.
On a sticky Old Trafford wicket, Indian medium pacers, especially Roger Binny (2/43 in 12) and Mohinder Amarnath (2/27 in 12) proved to be tough to handle for the English batsmen as they huffed and puffed their way to 213 in 60 overs.
India's response was led by the duo of Amarnath (46 off 92) and Yashpal Sharma (61* off 115), who stitched a patient 92-run stand after their side had lost both openers at the score of 50.
The game hung in the balance when Amarnath was run-out for 46, but a breathtaking cameo from Sandeep Patil ensured that India ran away as comfortable victors.
Patil smashed 8 fours in his 32-ball 51*, and it was his knock that proved to be the difference between both sides as India earned the ticket to their maiden World Cup final.
Also Read: Chasing Glory: India's Remarkable Journey in World Cups
2003 World Cup - Sachin Tendulkar's mayhem leaves Pakistan in a tizzy
The legendary Sachin Tendulkar always used to raise his game in high-pressure fixtures, but not even his most ardent fans could have envisaged what was about to hit them when the "God of Cricket" marked his guard against Wasim Akram in the 2003 World Cup India vs Pakistan fixture.
Having been set a target of 273, India needed their talismanic player to lead the charge from the top, and that is exactly what Tendulkar did that afternoon in Centurion.
His upper-cut against Shoaib Akhtar is now a part of folklore, but his drives, flicks and back foot punches were equally breathtaking.
It was a brutal display of batsmanship from Sachin; one that left the famed Pakistani attack shell-shocked, and even though they did strike back, the side-effect of the onslaught always lingered in their heads.
Waqar Younis gave Pakistan a sniff by dismissing Virender Sehwag and Sourav Ganguly in successive deliveries, but Tendulkar, despite back spasms, kept marching on.
He got valuable support from Mohammad Kaif, and together, they stitched 102 runs for the 3rd wicket before the latter was dismissed for 35 by Shahid Afridi.
Sachin badly struggled with cramps during the 2nd phase of his innings, and was eventually undone by a searing short delivery from Akhtar for a 75-ball 98.
However, India still needed another 96 runs to win the match when Sachin was dismissed, and with the Pakistanis being extremely efficient with the old ball, the game still hung in the balance.
But, as they had done on several occasions in the past, Rahul Dravid (44* off 76) and Yuvraj Singh (50* off 53) took the run-chase by the scruff of its neck, and ensured that Sachin's majestic display did not go in vain as the Men in Blue romped home in the 46th over to extend their World Cup streak to 4-0 against their arch-rivals.
2011 World Cup Q/F: Red-hot Yuvi & Ice-cold Raina end Australia's WC streak
24 March 2011 would forever remain a red-letter day in Indian cricket history as it was on this very day that the Men in Blue exorcised the pain of 2003 World Cup final by beating reigning champions Australia in the quarter-finals at the Motera in Ahmedabad.
The victory was set-up by Zaheer Khan, who delivered a memorable spell of reverse-swing bowling, which ensured that Australia only managed 260 despite a majestic century from Ricky Ponting.
But, 260 was still a lot of runs to get on a red-soil turner, and India needed someone from the top-order to bat through.
Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar led the way with a steady half-century, but once he was dismissed by Shaun Tait, India endured a middle-order meltdown, which reduced them to 187/5.
Enter Yuvraj Singh, who was in sensational form during that World Cup, and Suresh Raina, who ensured that the hosts lived to fight another day as they ate into the Australian target with precision.
Yuvi (57*) unleashed his trademark on-drives and square-drives, while Raina (34*) continued to pluck away with his lofted on-drives and inside-out shots.
Yuvraj fittingly hit the winning runs via a majestic cover-drive off Brett Lee and let out a cheer so loud that it just summed up the mood of a billion Indians perfectly.
2011 World Cup Final: Gambhir & Dhoni end a nation's 28-year-long wait
Chasing 275 to win the World Cup final, the Indians got off to the worst possible start that they could have imagined as the duo of Virender Sehwag and Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar departed to the pavilion amid pin-drop silence with just 31 runs on the board.
In walked a 22-year-old Virat Kohli, during the course of his 49-ball 35, not only steadied the ship with the resolute Gautam Gambhir, but also gave us fans a sneak peak of what would eventually ensue over the next 10 years.
Kohli and Gambhir batted with incredible maturity as they ticked the scoreboard along consistently by running hard between the wickets, while at the same time, dealing with the bad deliveries with gusto.
Kohli was eventually dismissed for 35 thanks to a stunning one-handed catch from T Dilshan. The game was precariously placed at 114/3, and it is at this moment that captain MS Dhoni decided to promote himself ahead of an in-form Yuvraj Singh.
Dhoni had endured a poor World Cup campaign thus far, and so, promoting himself in such a high-pressure game was a huge call from him.
After a nervy start, the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman settled into a rhythm, and along with Gambhir, started to milk singles and doubles.
Gambhir, meanwhile, was his gutsy and skillful best, as he dived like his life depended on that single run, and stroked the ball as if he were an artist.
However, a rare lapse in concentration meant that he was clean-bowled by Thisara Perera for 97.
However, the damage had already been done, and, Dhoni, along with Yuvraj, ensured that the nation's 28-year-long wait was finally over as the former "finished off in style" with a thunderous six over long-on.
Featured Image Credit: ICC
