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1998 – IND vs. AUS – Desert stormThe newspaper headline read Desert storm with a picture of a cricketer with a car. Oh! It was his birthday. That was the reason for a car. Many years later when Ten Sports showed the highlights, I discerned the true meaning of Desert Storm. Yes, Ten Sports. YouTube was still a distant thing. Add to that Tony Greig’s epic commentary, “In comes the throw”. In present, Sachin Tendulkar was still just a name.1999 – IND vs. PAK – Anil Kumble’s 10 wicketIndia Today covered visual representation of 10 dismissals by a single bowler in one of their editions. It was a big deal. Cricket became a fascination and Anil Kumble, the first favorite.Scorecard2000 – IND vs. PAKSaqlain Mushtaq ran off a bye. It was the last ball. Pakistan win. India lose. A 5-year kid just realized the significance of an India vs. Pakistan game.Scorecard2000 - IND vs. AUS - ICC knock out.I realized the magnitude of Sachin’s innings in this game a few years later. I remember this game more for Yuvraj Singh. A tall, stylish left-handed guy, batting for the 1st time just torn apart the lethal Australia bowling attack. When India fielded, this guy was diving around, took a brilliant catch of Ian Harvey and affected the run out of Mr. Finisher of that era, Michael Bevan. Okay, the one who fields well or an acrobatic becomes an automatic choice for the favorite cricketer. Yuvraj Singh became a favorite.Scorecard2000 - IND vs. ZIM – Zaheer Khan’s 4 sixesThe craze for cricket grew so much by this time that stomach pain to bunk school became a regular thing on match days. The day/night matches were sporadic and we did not have cable TV yet. So, newspapers were the only options to follow foreign tours. I still remember when India toured West Indies around that time, I had to wait for 2 days to know the scores. That’s why these matches were something I never wanted to miss. And Zimbabwe at that time was a world-class team. We were always reluctant in getting the wicket of Andy Flower cheaply. Coming back to this match, Sachin Tendulkar scored a hundred. But the highlight of that match was Zaheer Khan hitting 4 consecutive sixes to a dangerous looking Henry Olanga in the last over. Four consecutive sizes was a big thing at that time. Zaheer Khan became a favorite.Scorecard2001 – IND vs. AUS – The famous Kolkata test matchDoordarshan used to telecast only 2 hours of the test match with Hindi commentary during that time. One hour at the beginning of the day and then towards the end. The Hindi commentary duo of Manindar Singh and Arun Lal had no competition till Sehwag took over. “Cricket me run aur life me fun aate rehna chahiye Maninder” – Arun Lal. When I switched on the TV in the evening, Ricky Ponting was adjudged LBW. Then Adam Gilchrist got out of the very next ball. The umpires referred to the third umpire to verify the dismissal of Shane Warne. Okay, Harbhajan Singh got a hat-trick. It was a big deal. Harbhajan Singh became a favorite. The test match was still a long way to go. VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid batted for the entire day on the 4th day. They became favorite. India won the match from the position, let’s just say from where only one result was imminent and India’s win was not even in the dreams of the die-hard fans.Scorecard2002 – IND vs. ENG – The NatWest finalWe got the cable connection by this time. But the electricity was still a bone of contention in Patna. For the major part of the run chase, I was glued to the radio. Yes, what not for cricket? When Md. Kaif dived for the last run, he became a favorite. Also, he was an excellent fielder. So, an automatic choice. Sourav Ganguly was waving his jersey at the Lord’s balcony. He became a favorite too.Scorecard2003 - IND vs. ENG - World Cup matchI remember this game mainly for that awesome pull shot. Sachin Tendulkar unleashed a perfect pull shot and the ball vanished like a rocket onto the roof of the stands and out of the stadium. Amazing. Sachin Tendulkar became a favorite. Ashish Nehra also took 6 wickets in that game. A big deal but the number of his bad performances always outweigh his good ones. So, he was never a favorite!Scorecard2003 - IND vs. PAK - World Cup matchThe deserted Patna streets greeted this match. With the degradation of the other team across the border (barring the 2017 Champions Trophy final), nowadays these games are treated as ‘like any other game’. But in those days it was the quintessential cricketing metaphor. Chasing 270+ against the odds of Wasim, Waqar and Shoaib, it required an inhuman effort from someone who later on attained the Godly figure in the world of cricket. The little contribution from Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh should never be ignored in this game. They made sure people no longer switch off their TV sets after the dismissal of Sachin Tendulkar and further stamped that the NatWest final one year back was not a fluke. And the Indian cricket made a step forward from a one-man army to the world-class team.Scorecard2003 - IND vs. AUS - World Cup FinalOh boy! The first heartbreak. The severity with which Ricky Ponting thrashed those balls into the parks outside the Wanderers made me believe that he had rather spring in his bats. And as they say, the first heartbreaks are always difficult to deal with but they make you a stronger person. So, a defeat against Australia in 2015 World Cup Semi-Finals was nothing in front of this aghast. (No, both were equally distressL. But you need a way to fool your heart!). The moist Sachin Tendulkar’s eyes while receiving the Golden bat (Man of the tournament). He can no longer be just a name. Sachin Tendulkar became an emotion.Scorecard2003 - IND vs. AUS - Adelaide testWhoever said that History repeats itself? One more proof for him in his kitty. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, again batted like they were only meant to obliterate the Aussie bowling attack. This was the time when bringing radio to school to listen to the commentary was becoming common. When Rahul Dravid scored the last winning shot, respect for him went up a notch higher. People often make comments that for the major part of his career, he played under the shadow of Sachin Tendulkar which I find absurd. If India was winning abroad during that phase, the contribution from Rahul Dravid was right at the top.Scorecard2004 - IND vs. AUS - Sydney testEver looked for a motivational video to improve & increase concentration? You no longer need to look beyond this test match. More than 200 runs scored without a cover drive which is like a bread and butter shot for any batsman. If Rahul Dravid was a copybook example of that phase, then Sachin Tendulkar was the personification of a genius. And both can surely co-exist in any list of world greats.Scorecard2004 - IND vs. PAK - Multan testOn one hand, we were getting acquainted with the term nervous 90s but on the other, there was this similar looking guy who was hitting a six to reach a triple century. Virender Sehwag became a favorite. Rahul Dravid declared the innings when Sachin was batting on 194. That’s the topic of discussion for some other day. The fact that Sachin bowled Moin Khan between his legs of the last ball of the day made up for everything.Scorecard2004 - IND vs. AUS - Mumbai testThe match got over inside 3 days. Australia failed to chase 100 odd runs. Ever tried to defeat opponents with a superstition? The volume of my TV set was 18 during the entire chase!Scorecard2007 - IND vs. Bangladesh – World CupThis was unexpected.Scorecard2007 - IND vs. ENG - T20 World CupAndrew Flintoff had not learnt from his previous mistake. Well, England suffered again! This time at the hands of Yuvraj Singh.Scorecard2007 - IND vs. AUS - T20 World Cup Semi-FinalYuvraj Singh was batting on some other level during that period.Scorecard2007 - IND vs. PAK - T20 World Cup FinalIt was raining heavily that day. There was no electricity. The SMS CRI to 56676 was not responding. There was a monthly test next day in my school. They all can wait. Desperate times desperate measures. One society was getting electricity from the generators. Luckily my uncle lived there. When Sreesanth took the last catch we all had a sigh of relief. Gautam Gambhir became a favorite and MS Dhoni, the magician.Scorecard2008 - IND vs. AUS - Sydney testIf we can have a face to things not going your way, this is it. As many as all the decisions going against India, mired in catching controversy and what not. If only on the scale of one to this Sydney test match, with this match be the most frustrated one, how frustrated can one be?Scorecard2008 - IND vs. AUS – Perth testAnd the mother of all comebacks! It was one of the rarest occasion where a sub-continent team won on the bounciest pitch of that time.Scorecard2008 - IND vs. AUS - CB Series FinalsAn Indian cricket team winning on Australian soil. Things were changing. And they were changing for good.Scorecard 1Scorecard 22009 - IND vs. AUS - Sachin's 175Chasing 350+ and one man who was batting with a vengeance. He had a point to prove. Maybe the wounds of 2003 were still fresh. Till the time he was batting victory was evident. When he got out we couldn’t chase 18 runs from 17 balls. One could only imagine the kind of pain the 90s supporters went through.Scorecard2010 – IND vs. SA – Sachin’s ODI 200It was only felicitous that Sachin Tendulkar became the 1st batsman to score the 1st double century in one day cricket.Scorecard2010 - IND vs. AUS - Mohali testChasing 200+ runs in the 4th innings, India were 120 for 8 down. This was the time when bringing mobile phones to school was becoming the new swag. I was in the school because I was one day short to complete my 75% attendance mark in my 12th class! None of my friends came. But one of them made sure I was getting the update after every over. How often had India fallen to the master class of VVS Laxman in the 4th innings? And how rarely one had seen him abusing someone on the cricket field? Both the things happened on that day.Scorecard2011 - IND vs. AUS – World Cup QuarterfinalFinally, we had the antidote of 2003 world cup final. India transcended the hurdle of mighty Australia in the world cup. The celebration from Yuvraj Singh exhibited what this win meant for him, for us.Scorecard2011 - IND vs. PAK – World Cup Semi-FinalNa Ishq me na Pyaar me jo maza Pakistan ki haar me. Jokes apart it was the precursor to the final. For the first time, I had wished against the century of Sachin Tendulkar. India had already not won 2 games in the tournament when he had scored centuries. Everything ended well.Scorecard2011 - IND vs. SL – World Cup Final“When I die, the last thing I want to see is the SIX that Dhoni hit in the 2011 World Cup Final” – Sunil Gavaskar. What else can anyone add to this?MS Dhoni - The man who defied technique, made his own and transcended greatness in the process.Scorecard2012 - IND vs. SL - Kohli's decisive momentA target of 300+ in less than 40 overs to stay alive in the tri-series tournament. An internal exam in the 2nd semester. When I came out India only needed 10 of those runs with more than 70-80 balls left. Thus, started the beginning of the making of chasing master. Virat Kohli became a favorite.Scorecard2011 - IND vs. PAK – Kohli’s 183This match turned out to be last ODI game for Sachin Tendulkar. Virat Kohli scored 183 in this game and became the next captain. Thus, following the footsteps of Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni.Scorecard2013 - IND vs. ENG - Champions Trophy FinalMS Dhoni handed the ball to an expensive Ishant Sharma. Unsurprisingly the match tilted towards India.Scorecard2013 - IND vs. AUS - 350+ chasesOf all the gifts that MS Dhoni has bestowed upon Indian cricket, making Rohit Sharma bat at the top of the order could easily be the most pleasing one. This series was just the beginning. Rohit Sharma became a favorite. Add to that, Virat Kohli’s consistency in this series. He made the 350+ target seemed miniature.Scorecard 1Scorecard 2Scorecard 32014 - IND vs. SL - T20 World Cup FinalA struggling Yuvraj Singh against Lasith Malinga. A sight which was too hard to digest. If someone had followed his batting during that tournament, there was a feeling that this was coming. India lost the World Cup but Virat Kohli won the Man of the tournament award. The second instance of Sachin Tendulkar passing the baton to Virat Kohli. The first one being the straight drive which Kohli hit after the dismissal of Sachin in his last test innings.Scorecard2014 - IND vs. SL - Rohit's 264Rohit Sharma made me miss my farewell. After this breathtaking inning of his, whenever he scores a hundred, there is always a feeling somewhere that a double century is always on the card.Scorecard2015 - IND vs. AUS - World Cup Semi-FinalOh no! Again India had let Australia score more than 300 runs in a knockout game. One of the first instances of India’s new top order failing in a crucial game. The over dependency on the top three. Will there be more of such instances? Only time will tell.Scorecard2016 - IND vs. Bangladesh T20 World CupIf one still doubts the fitness of MS Dhoni, better look at that run out of the last ball. If ever MS Dhoni is going to be dropped from the team then it won’t be because of his fitness level. Cheeteh ki chal, baaz ki nazar aur MS dhoni ki raftaar par kabhi sandeh nai karte.Scorecard2016 - IND vs. WI - T20 World Cup Semi-FinalWhatever happened after the dismissal of Chris Gayle was unexpected. Virat Kohli again won the Man of the tournament for the 2nd consecutive time.Scorecard2017 - IND vs. PAK Champions Trophy FinalThe 2nd instance of India’s new top order failing in a crucial game. But you know you have become a stronger person. Or this is a way you have discovered to fool your heart.ScorecardSome special mentions· 2004 - IND vs. PAK series· 2004 - IND vs. PAK - MS Dhoni’s 148· 2005 - IND vs. PAK ODI Series - Yuvraj – Dhoni partnerships· 2005 - IND vs. SL - MS Dhoni 183*· 2009 - IND vs. SL – Sehwag – Yuvraj 221 runs partnership· 2011 - IND vs. ENG - Rahul Dravid's T20 debut & farewell· 2013 - IND vs. AUS Test series – 4-0 in India’s favour· 2013 - IND vs. WI - Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement series· Ravi Shastri’s commentary on numerous special momentsScorecard - cricinfo.comImages - google.comVideo - youtube.com