Australia and India have been involved in several matches — Tests and one-dayers — that were too close to call. Here are two of the most memorable World Cup exchanges.
Chennai, 1987
Geoff Marsh's ton anchored Australia's innings, but the key moment was a seemingly innocuous one. A Dean Jones loft off Maninder Singh cleared Ravi Shastri on the rope. The fielder signalled four and Dickie Bird, the umpire, accepted it. But once the innings was over, Alan Crompton, the Australia manager, took up the issue. After consultations involving Bird and Kapil Dev, the four was changed to six, and Australia's total became 270.
India were cruising at 207 for two with 15 overs remaining, but cutters and slower balls from Steve Waugh and Simon O'Donnell and the pace and variety of Craig McDermott chipped away at the middle order. It was down to Maninder to win the game for India, but Waugh had the last word as Australia sneaked home by a run.
Brisbane, 1992
Jones's 90 was the fulcrum of Australia's batting effort before Waugh dismissed Kapil just as India's chase found momentum. They had lost three overs to rain, but the rain-rule had seen the target reduce by just two. But Mohammad Azharuddin's 93 and a 47 from Sanjay Manjrekar left them needing 20 from the final two overs.
That became 13 from six, with Kiran More finding the rope off the first two balls of Tom Moody's final over. Moody castled him next ball and Allan Border ran out Manoj Prabhakar off the fifth. With four needed off the final ball. Javagal Srinath went for the heave across the line. Waugh got under it and dropped it but threw it to David Boon, doubling as wicketkeeper. Venkatapathy Raju, going for a third run, was just short. As were India, by a run.
