Venue/Occasion: Harare/ 2011 bilateral series

Format: ODI

scoreboard: Zimbabwe- 250 for 7; Bangladesh – 245 all out

Match result: Zimbabwe won by 5 runs

Bangladesh were tottering at 185/5 needing 251 to win when Mushfiqur Rahim led the charge and pulled up his team to 229/5 in only 4 overs. But a dramatic comeback by Zimbabwe, who kept chipping away with wickets towards the end, meant Bangladesh had to lose the match by 5 runs.

9.

Venue/Occasion: Chennai/ 2011 ICC World Cup Group fixture

Format: ODI

scoreboard: England – 171 all out; South Africa – 165 all out

Match result: England won by 6 runs

A spin-friendly track at Chepauk witnessed a heroic comeback by the English as they reduced the Proteas from 124/3 to 165 all out after being shut out for 171. The match upheld the old saying: “Expect the unexpected”.

8.

Venue/Occasion: Barbados/ 2011 bilateral series

Format: ODI

scoreboard: West Indies – 171 all out; Pakistan – 177 for 7

Match result: Pakistan won by 3 wickets

West Indies were doing very well at one stage defending a paltry 171, when they had Pakistan down at 148 for 7. Just when it looked like the game had swung decisively in favour of the Caribbeans, came a match-winning cameo partnership between Misbah and Wahab Riaz, which took Pakistan home.

7.

Venue/Occasion: Antigua/ 2011 bilateral series

Format: ODI

scoreboard: West Indies – 225 for 8; India – 228 for 7

Match result: India won by 3 wickets

India were struggling at 180 for 7 after the dismissal of Harbhajan Singh, but what followed was great aggressive batting by Praveen Kumar and equally great composure shown by Rohit Sharma. India finally won by a margin of 3 wickets.

6.

Venue/Occasion: Adelaide/ 2010-11 bilateral seriesFormat: T20scoreboard: Australia – 157 for 4; England – 158 for 9Match result: England won by one wicket

A classic T20 match having all the ingredients with a nail-biting finish that saw England on top. While Shane Watson emerged as the hero for Australia, England rode on the determination of Eoin Morgan before Chris Woakes finished it off.

5.

Venue/Occasion: Cuttack/ 2011 bilateral series

Format: ODI

scoreboard: West Indies – 211 for 9; India – 213 for 9

Match result: India won by one wicket

After a wonderful Test match at the Wankhede, which came as a moralistic victory for the Caribbeans, the ODI series started on a perfect note as the Indians rode on Rohit Sharma’s batting to win the match by one wicket.

4.

Venue/Occasion: Bulawayo/ 2011 bilateral series

Format: ODI

scoreboard: New Zealand – 328 for 5; Zimbabwe – 329 for 9 in 49.5 overs

Match result: Zimbabwe won by 1 wicket

What made the match exciting is the selfless spirit of Malcolm Waller who sacrificed his century as he opted to go for the one safe run that Zimbabwe needed to finish a famous win. This is what you call “Sportsman’s Spirit”!

3.

Venue/Occasion: Johannesburg/ 2010-11 bilateral series

Format: ODI

scoreboard: India – 190; South Africa – 189

Match result: India won by one run

Zaheer Khan and Munaf Patel emerged as the heroes after the Indian batsmen disappointed while notching up a below par 190.

2.

Venue/Occasion: Mumbai/ 2011 bilateral series

Format: Test

scoreboard: West Indies – 590 and 134; India – 482 and 242 for 9

Match result: Drawn

Last Test match. Last day. Last over. Last ball. Ravichandran Ashwin managed to level the scores but was run out while attempting the winning the run. It was a fitting climax to a brilliant series of competitive cricket.

1.

Venue/Occasion: Bangalore/ 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Group fixture

Format: ODI

scoreboard: India – 338 all out; England – 338 for 8

Match result: Tied

A brilliant match and what can be a better stage than the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup! It was a topsy-turvy ride in this amazing match and the fans on a Sunday afternoon in Bangalore were treated to an extravaganza. India had put on 338 on the board and the Master Blaster fired off a fine century. Captain Andrew Strauss led England from the front before an inspirational second-spell by Zaheer Khan brought India back into the match. At the end, a tie was a fair result.

2011 had lots to offer. Let us hope 2012 brings another great year of cricket.

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