Semi Finals again

Its the World Cup semi-final time again.. for some reason the semi finals have almost always been more thrilling affairs than the finals.. over the years WC semi finals have seen some of the most unforgettable matches.

I have vague memories of India losing the 1987 Reliance cup semis to England, when Sunny Gavaskar, who played so well against New Zealand, got out early. However, I distinctly remember the 1992 WC semis despite India not being a part of it. I remember this new team playing so well through out the tournament and some dreaded rule getting the better of them in the Semis.. at one moment it was 22 to get off 13 balls, at the other it was 22 off 1! I dont remember the other Semis though but it is the '92 finals that I still remember, where I had supported Pakistan and won a bet of Rs 2 with my Grandpa.

The next 4 years saw me become a blind Indian cricket fan, like any Indian kid of that age. I had witnessed the wonder kid Sachin Tendulkar develop into the Superstar. I cherished Indian wins on flat Indian tracks and condoned their impotency abroad. Before the 1996 World Cup, while experts talked about South Africa and Australia being the strongest contenders, I was silently confident about India's chances. So the league game loss to Australia at Wankhede was itself a heartbreak, let alone the semi finals.

The semi finals against Sri Lanka is firmly etched into my memory. India's nemisis from Kotla, Jayasuriya out in the 1st over, Aravinda D'silva exuding class at every shot, Roshan Mahanama dehydrating, Sachin and Manjrekar making the chase look easy, Sachin getting stumped around his stumps by D'Silva, devils emerging suddenly from the Eden Gardens pitch, India's meek surrender and Vinod Kambli leaving the field in tears. The other semis I remember too. West Indies were cruising along. Then suddenly that magician Warne does one of his most famous acts, mesmerizing the West Indies.

1999 semis again had no India, owing to that despicable performance at Leister. But the semis were memorable nonetheless. Requiring 9 runs off the last over, Klusener slammed 2 boundaries off Fleming though extra cover. Needing 1 run off 3 balls, Alan Donald gettng stranded in the middle of the wicket must be one of the most haunting glimpses of One Day Cricket. In the other semis, Pakistan, the best team in the tournament by a margin eased past New Zealand, only to flatter to deceive in the finals

Well. 2003 was one edition where there weren't many surprises in the semis. Let us hope that the Semis this time live up to their reputation.