The Best moments of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015..::..

Best moments of ICC Cricket World Cup 

2015...::..!

The World Cup 2015 has been a tremendous success and has featured some of the most scintillating cricket we have ever witnessed. A few performances however stand out from the rest and will be cherished by the neutral audience for some time to come. As we bid adieu to this edition of the World Cup waiting for the winners to lift the trophy, let's take a look at some of the best moments from the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

1. India And South Africa Going Down Valiantly In the Semi-Finals

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Grown men crying on the field, hopes dashed and a golden chance squandered. These were the scenes when India and South Africa lost their semi-final bouts against Australia and New Zealand respectively. Dhoni, who is generally quite calm and composed couldn't stop himself, moisture brimming in his eyes, the poor guy had been on national duty since 6 months and it all ended in heartbreak. Such was the spirit with which India and South Africa played that they won many a hearts even though they lost to better teams on the day, and left with a promise to come back stronger.

2. Virat Kohli's Century Against Pakistan

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No Indian had scored a century against Pakistan in the World Cup in 11 editions earlier. But Virat Kohli changed that when India met Pakistan in Adelaide and defeated them for 6 straight times in the World Cup. It was a sublime century by India's best batsman and also one for the history books.

3. Mitchell Starc's Sensational Bowling Against New Zealand

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Mitchell Starc will remember this World Cup till eternity because it has been solely due to his performance that Australia has reached the final. He has a bountiful kitty of 20 wickets at an average of 10 in this World Cup and if the trend continues, he may lead Australia to its fifth World Cup win in 12 editions. His spell against India in the semis and New Zealand in the group stages is one of the top moments in this World Cup.

4. Indian Bowlers Turn Up The Heat

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Mohammed Shami, UmeshYadav and Mohit Sharma woke up from deep slumber to kickstart India's World Cup campaign. They were stunning in the run-up for their deliveries and the aggression in their bowling was refreshing. Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav in particular bowled consistently above 145 Kmph to produce some of the better spells anyone has seen from Indian seamers. However, they failed in the Semis but that does not take away all good that they produced leading up to that moment. 

5. Double Hundreds By Gayle And Guptill

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This World Cup will be remembered for not one but two World Cup double hundreds. Chris Gayle and Martin Guptill were welcome additions to what was an Indian's only club prior to their feat. Gayle stripped the ball naked with his hard hitting score of 215 and Guptill became the first international batsman to score a double hundred in the knockout game scoring 237 against West Indies.

6. 10 Wins A Row For India And Dhoni In World Cups

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Dhoni is probably the best Indian captain of all times and the record speaks for itself. He led India to ten consecutive wins in the World Cup and dragged the team to the semifinals when there were very low expectations of crossing the group stage. His trophy cabinet is star studded with Champions Trophy, World Cup Trophy, and T20 Trophy. And it will take a fair bit of work for the next captain to break his captaincy records.

7. 4 Hundreds In A Row By Kumar Sangakkara

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Sangakkara retired from international cricket after the loss against South Africa in the Quarter-finals and surely it was heartbreak. But he did go on a high! Scoring four centuries in a row in the World Cup is no easy task. He will be remembered for this streak for a long time to come. Legend. Salute!

8. Afghanistan Winning Their First World Cup Game

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Afghanistan is not a great team but they surely played like one to beat Scotland and register their first World Cup win. The image of Samiullah Shenwari flying past the batsmen to win it for Afghanistan would be one of the most powerful images in the history of World Cup.

9. The Big Upsets - Ireland Beat West Indies/Bangladesh Knocks England Out Of The Cup

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Ireland beat West Indies and England once again failed to turn up at the biggest stage and crashed out of the world cup after losing to minnows Bangladesh. It was one of those moments which would shine through the mist of all that's important and Bangladesh would have been proud to make it to the Quarters of such a big tournament.

10. Shikhar Dhawan's Comeback Against South Africa

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Shikhar Dhawan was in the firing line for not scoring outside Asia. And then he made one of the most famous comebacks in the World Cup, scoring a blistering 137 against South Africa and winning the important game almost single-handedly. It will be remembered as one of those moments in a big game where 'Gabbar' made his mark.

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Australia lift 5th World Cup, give fairytale sendoff to Clarke

Melbourne: Australia today clinched the coveted ICC Cricket World Cup for the fifth time, thrashing New Zealand by seven wickets to provide a perfect farewell gift to skipper Michael Clarke, who played a key role with a 74-run knock in his final ODI appearance.

After the bowlers produced a clinical performance skittling out New Zealand for 183, the stage was set for the Australian captain, who used the platform to the fullest with a stylish 72-ball innings as the hosts regained the trophy winning the match in 33.1 overs -- ending an eight-year wait.

The moment Steve Smith (56) hit the winning runs, the entire Australian team was out in the ground delirious in joy celebrating the very special achievement.

All performers yearn for a stage as grand as the World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Clarke got his walking out as a hero with the entire MCG giving him a standing ovation once he was dismissed after getting his team to the doorstep of victory.

It was a touching sight to find all his teammates standing at the boundary line to greet him.

Clarke added 112 runs in the company of his deputy Smith (56) and it looked as if the skipper was passing on the team's baton to his heir apparent.

Having announced his retirement from ODIs a day before the finals, it was a free-spirited Clarke in action.

The drives flowed from his bat, the footwork was as immaculate as ever and so was the manner in which he charged out to the spinners. Each and every shot was greeted with thunderous applause by the capacity crowd.

There were 10 fours and two sixes in his final ODI innings. Clarke had the Herculean job of checking his emotions and carrying on with the business of guiding his team to victory after losing openers Aaron Finch (0) and David Warner (45). And the skipper was up for it with.

Earlier, a collective display of disciplined bowling from the Australian bowlers helped them restrict a nervous New Zealand to a paltry 183 in 45 overs after Brendon McCullum opted to bat.

A mid-innings collapse which saw New Zealand lose their last seven wickets for only 33 runs in 10 overs effectively ended their hopes of putting up a respectable total despite semi-final hero Grant Elliott's gutsy innings of 83 off 82 balls.

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Why Kohli Doesn't Deserve The Blame For India's Defeat

Virat Kohli has an average of 63 while chasing a score and had averaged above 50 in theWorld Cup when he faltered in the Semi-Final against Australia. Call it expectation or just pure impatience, all of our Indian media and fans jumped up in despair when Kohli departed and all kinds of abuses were thrown at him, his family and his girlfriend, Anushka Sharma. What we forgot in that moment of heat is that it's just a game, and we lost because we didn't perform well as a team. It was not because of an individual's performance or because of losing the toss at the start and surely it wasn't because of Anushka Sharma in the stands. We played badly and the better team won.

Kohli doesn't deserve to be blamed for India's loss in the Semi-Finals against Australia and here's why:

1. One Failure Is Not A Testament Of His Career

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A single failure does not define a sportsperson because even Michael Jordan missed more than 9000 shots in his career. It's the consistency which matters. Nobody would have been more distraught than Kohli himself after playing that shot, we all know how angry he feels when he throws his wicket away. It must have been gut-wrenching for him to leave the team in that massive chase, but this failure will not define him.

2. Because We Failed Collectively As A Team

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Kohli didn't score. Fine. If that was his mistake then so was Suresh Raina's, Ravindra Jadeja' s and every other player's who could not get us over the line. We were beaten, not as individuals but as a team and in all departments of the game. In a defeat at this big stage it is the collective responsibility of the team. It would have been nice if India won because of Kohli's individual blitzkrieg, but it wasn't meant to be. So let's just leave it at that.

3. We Are Humans And All Of Us Make Mistakes

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All of us make mistakes, and that's how we learn. And believe it or not I feel like punching the person who tells me how to do my job and even more so those people who do not have a clue about what I do. So, for the umpteenth time...just leave the boy to the capable hands of international coaches. They know better than us.

4. He Is A Proven Winner

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Virat Kohli is a proven winner. He has an average of 63 while chasing a target which is enough to justify that he likes to prove his worth while chasing down big runs. It just didn't come off in the Semis. And moreover, the IPL is next. He will continue to entertain us and for that we must be grateful to this player and not diss him every time

5. He Is Our Best Chance At The Next World Cup In 2019

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Virat has been a part of this team for a long time. He was there when we won the World Cup last time and the Champions Trophy thereafter. He knows the importance of big tournaments and how to approach big games. He will be a core member of the squad in the next World Cup and maybe even the Captain. He has a lot to offer to the Indian team in the foreseeable future and who knows he might even win us the next World Cup!

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14 Cricket World Cup Teams Described In Witty One Liners

  

With the Cricket World Cup fever at its peak and India in the Semi-Finals, here are all the countries described in witty one-liners.

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This post is inspired by this quora thread.

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ऑस्‍ट्रेलिया के ये पांच खिलाड़ी कल भारत को पहुंचा सकते हैं फाइनल में

  

अब तक के परफॉर्मेंस के आधार पर इस वर्ल्‍ड कप में ऑस्ट्रेलिया के माइकल क्लार्क, एरॉन फिंच, जेम्स फल्कनर, मिचेल जॉनसन, शेन वाटसन, न्यूजीलैंड के ल्यूक रोंची, रोच टेलर, भारत के अजिंक्य रहाणे, रवींद्र जडेजा, साउथस अफ्रीका के डेल स्टेन और पाकिस्तान के शाहिद आफरीदी सबसे खराब खेले हैं। (बेस्ट-11 प्लेयर्स)

इसलिए भारी हैं इंडियंस : टॉप-10 में नहीं है कोई कंगारू
बैटिंग में निश्चय ही भारत ऑस्ट्रेलिया पर भारी है। टूर्नामेंट के टॉप बल्लेबाजों की बात करें तो 10वें नंबर तक भी कोई ऑस्ट्रेलियाई नहीं है। वहीं, टीम इंडिया के ओपनर शिखर धवन 6वें नंबर पर हैं, जबकि विराट कोहली 13वें नंबर पर। ऑस्ट्रेलिया के विस्फोटक बल्लेबाज ग्लेन मैक्सवेल कुल 301 रनों के साथ 15वें पायदान पर हैं।

बॉलिंग में भी हम कम नहीं
वर्ल्ड कप शुरू होने से पहले टीम इंडिया की बॉलिंग को कमजोर माना जा रहा था, लेकिन अब स्थिति बिल्कुल उलट है। मोहम्मद शमी भारतीय बॉलर्स में टॉप पर हैं। क्वार्टर फाइनल में बांग्लादेश के खिलाफ 2 विकेट लेकर वो इस टूर्नामेंट के नंबर वन बॉलर भी बन गए थे। इस वक्त मिचेल स्टार्क 18 विकेट के साथ वर्ल्ड कप के नंबर दो बॉलर हैं और शमी (17) उनसे मात्र एक विकेट ही पीछे हैं।

कप्तानी में भी भारी हैं धोनी
टीम इंडिया के कैप्टन कूल धोनी ने इस वर्ल्ड कप में जीत के नए रिकॉर्ड बनाए हैं। पिछले करीब 8 सालों से टीम इंडिया की कमान संभाल रहे धोनी ने जीत का शतक पूरा किया और वो सबसे सफल भारतीय कप्तान बने। वर्ल्ड कप में लगातार 11 जीतों का रिकॉर्ड बनाया। वहीं, ऑस्ट्रेलियाई कप्तान माइकल क्लार्क अनुभव और रिकॉर्ड, दोनों में ही धोनी से पीछे हैं।

1. ऑस्ट्रेलियाई कप्तान माइकल क्लार्क

माइकल क्लार्क उन चुनिंदा खिलाड़ियों में शामिल हैं, जिन्होंने वनडे करियर में 44 से अधिक की एवरेज से रन बनाए हैं। वनडे करियर के लिहाज से चार साल के अंतर पर आयोजित होने वाले वर्ल्ड कप में वे पूरी तरह फ्लॉप रहे। उन्होंने पांच मैचों की चार पारियों में सिर्फ 135 रन बनाए। इस दौरान उनका बेस्ट स्कोर 68 रन रहा। टूर्नामेंट उनके घरेलू मैदान पर हो रहा है, सो उनसे वनडे करियर से भी बेहतर करने की उम्मीद थी, लेकिन वे खरा नहीं उतरे। पाकिस्तान के खिलाफ वहाब रियाज के सामने तो वे बूरी तरह असहाय रहे और सिर्फ 8 रन बनाकर आउट हुए।

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India vs Australia: Clarke wary of formidable Indian bowling in semi-final

   

Sydney: Australian skipper Michael Clarke on Wednesday said he is wary of the Indian bowling line-up, but insisted they are confident in successfully countering whatever the opposition hurls at them in Thursday's crunch semi-final contest.

Speaking at the pre-match media conference, Clarke said: "I think the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in general is a really good wicket. I think it's normally even for both batting and bowling. As always I think spin will play a part, but it's generally as good a place to bat as anywhere in the world."

"So I'm confident this game will be no different. It will be a challenge. India have a very good bowling line-up. A good mixture of spin and fast bowling. We've obviously had success with that attack through this tournament.

"So the batters are as well prepared as we can be for what we're going to face, and now we have to go out and execute," he said.

The 33-year-old skipper felt experience in such big games will count on Thursday but also highlighted the importance of youth a squad needs to win big tournaments.

"I think experience in big games makes a difference, yeah. I think in any sport the best balanced team has a mixture of that. It has the experience, but it also has the youth as well, and I'm really confident that our squad has that.

"I think every single one of those players in there has been a part of some big tournaments through their career. You have some older players that have played in World Cups and had success in World Cups, and you've got some youngsters with unbelievable talent, no fear at all, and look forward to what is thrown at them tomorrow in a semi-final of the World Cup," he added.

Clarke also said it would be a very special contest since late batsman Phillip Hughes was struck by a fatal bouncer on this very ground but the hosts have to be at the top of their game to outdo the Indians.

"It is going to be a very special game, there is no doubt about it. We love playing at the Sydney Cricket Ground, as do India. It has extra special meaning because of what's happened in the past few months," the right-handed batsman said.

"But World Cup semi-final, you don't need more motivation. We want to have success. Every time we walk on the field we want to win as an Australian cricketer. Tomorrow will be no different, but we're going to have to be at our best to beat India," he signed off.

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World Cup 2015: New Zealand beats WIndies by 143 runs to reach semis

  

Wellington, New Zealand: Martin Guptill created another World Cuphistory with an innings of 237 not out in a total of 393-6 which led unbeaten New Zealand to a 143-run win over the West Indies in Saturday's lop-sided quarterfinal.

Guptill's innings, compiled from 163 balls and including 11 sixes and 24 fours, was the highest by an individual in a World Cup match, beating Chris Gayle's 215 against Zimbabwe on Feb. 24, and the second-highest in all one-day internationals after Rohit Sharma's 264.

It was the highest total and first double century by a New Zealander in ODIs, beating his own record of 189 and made Guptill the first New Zealander to score centuries in consecutive World Cup innings.

New Zealand will play South Africa in the semifinals.

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12 Reasons Why India Wants Pakistan To Win The Quarterfinal Match Against Australia

India has won their quarterfinal match against Bangladesh and will probably be meeting Australia in the world cup semi-finals. However, Indian fans would pray that Pakistan is able to spring a surprise in the quarter-finals and meet India in the semis. You ask why? Maybe because of the fact that Pakistan has never beaten India in a World Cup game, but on the other hand, Australia looks stable as ever. And if Pakistan can do our work for us then why bother? After all, enemy of our enemy is a friend, right?

So, let's take a look at reasons as to why Indian fans want Pakistan to win the quarter-final match against Australia.

1. Because then once again we can kick some serious ass of our beloved neighbors in the semi-finals.

2. The patriotic feeling of the national anthem sung by scores of Indian fans will be an amazing experience in the semi-finals.

3. Ramiz Raja's squeaky voice in the commentary box after losing to India will be a real treat.

4. Because we love to see Boom Boom Afridi go Poof Poof Afridi.

5. It will be difficult for India to win against Australia in Australia.

6. It would be a virtual final ticket for India and a record 7th win over Pakistan.

7. The look on the Mauka-Mauka guy will be totally worth it.

8. No matter how well they play in the quarters, Pakistan will always find a way to self-destruct against India, which is a delightful sight.

9. The sight of Kohli scoring a century in the semifinals against Pakistan will be the first time a player has scored two centuries in a single world cup.

10. Winning the world cup after beating Pakistan in the semis will be a cherry on the cake.

11. Because we can't wait for Pakistan players' reactions on camera after another loss against India.

12. And we might even see Shoaib Akhtar's rant after another imminent loss in the semis.

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