How Chris Cairns upstaged Sourav Ganguly in Kenya – memories of the last India-NZ Champions Trophy final

How Chris Cairns upstaged Sourav Ganguly in Kenya – memories of the last India-NZ Champions Trophy final (AFP Photo)

New Zealand thought their chance to win a global trophy had come and gone with the World Cup co-hosted with Australia in 1992. Led by the innovative captaincy of Martin Crowe, New Zealand stormed through the league phase and were red-hot favourites to win the semi-final until a young Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javed Miandad, the wily old fox, pulled the rug from under their feet in a dramatic run chase. A frustrated Crowe, who had pulled his hamstring during a magnificent 83-ball 91, could only watch on from the pavilion.

By the time the next World Cup came around, on the subcontinent, Crowe had retired and New Zealand didn’t get past the last eight. There were sporadic good results, but with no Richard Hadlee to take the new ball and no Crowe to hold the batting together, the late 1990s were a tough time.

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In 1999, they did reach the World Cup semi-final again, beating India in the Super Sixes along the way, but when the teams met again in Nairobi a year later in the final of the ICC Knockout (as the Champions Trophy was known then), Sourav Ganguly’s team were clear favourites. India had beaten Australia, the world champions, in the quarterfinal and then seen off South Africa, the other great team of that era, in the semi-final. With Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar both in vintage form, few expected the Black Caps to take home the trophy.

Having chased 253 to beat Pakistan in the other semi-final, Stephen Fleming sent India in to bat at the Nairobi Gymkhana. The move appeared to have backfired when Ganguly and Tendulkar stitched together another century partnership. But though Ganguly finished with 117, India’s eventual total of 264/6 was at least 20 short of what they would have hoped to get from 202/1 in the 39th over.

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With Venkatesh Prasad bowling a superb new-ball spell, however, India quickly wrested back the initiative. Each time New Zealand threatened a partnership, India found a breakthrough, and at 132/5, it seemed that their long major-trophy drought would be over.

The two Chrises, Cairns and Harris, had other ideas though. Cairns had made his international debut in 1989 and played some matches in the 1992 World Cup, but it had taken him a while to unleash his true potential. At one stage, New Zealand needed 70 from the last 10 overs, but two Harris fours off Zaheer Khan eased some pressure.

Still, 30 off 20 balls in those days was a big ask. But Cairns struck a six off Anil Kumble that was so big the ball was found in the outside car park. And though Harris fell with 11 needed, Cairns would not be denied. Both his century and victory were clinched when he disdainfully slotted away a filthy full toss. The bowler? Ajit Agarkar, currently India’s chairman of selectors.