11 movies Hollywood would wish they had made this world cup season
The Cricket World Cup is the highest event in the international cricket calendar that comes once every four years. This year, 14 teams are playing 49 matches across 44 days, and is viewed by an estimated one billion people. Every encounter is a story worth telling. Every contest is packed with action, high drama, and unexpected twists and turns.
As the plot thickens, and the tournament reaches its climax, we present our choice of 11 theatrical matches. Grab a comfortable seat, get yourself a bottomless bucket of popcorn to munch through all the thrilling moments. Enjoy the show!
Genre: Adventure
Starring: Brendon McCullum
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: The New Zealand captain set the cup on fire with a breezy 65 of just 49 balls in the team’s opening fixture against Sri Lanka. The match-winning knock included 23 runs off a single Malinga over.
Genre: Drama
Starring: Virat Kholi, Suresh Raina, Shikar Dhawan, Mohammed Shami
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: India continued its winning streak in its world cup clashes against arch rival Pakistan. In one of the many all-round performances by team India, Virat Kholi imitated Afridi’s pose after getting him caught out. According to First Post, a record 288 million tuned in to watch the defending champions comfortably win.
Genre: Tragedy
Starring: Weather
Rating: 4*s
Synopsis: Incessant rains left the Aussie fans, who were all set to celebrate, a bit under the weather. While the home side’s opening fixture against Bangladesh proved to be a dampener, the visitors easily picked up 1 point in a match they never played.
Genre: Action
Starring: Shikhar Dhawan
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: After a forgettable test series, and an equally nondescript one-day tri-series in Australia, Shikhar Dhawan finally found his touch. He pulled, he hooked and he went after the bowlers to make his comeback. And in the process, set up the two biggest matches for India’s victory in the first week at the world cup.
Genre: Comedy
Starring: Hamid Hassan
Rating: 4*s
Synopsis: Afghanistan’s 6’5’’ right-arm fast bowler Hamid Hassan found a novel way to make the headlines. Picking up Kumar Sangakkara’s wicket in their match against Sri Lanka, Hassan couldn’t hide his happiness. He literally somersaulted his way into the pages of the US daily, the Wall Street Journal, with his antics.
Genre: Historical
Starring: Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: Zimbabwe’s morale took a royal beating on a day of cricketing history. A swashbuckling double-century by Chris Gayle, with 10 fours and 16 sixes. West Indies’ highest total in ODI history. A double hundred and a hundred scored in the same innings. The highest partnership for any wicket.
Genre: Action
Starring: Tim Southee
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: New Zealand’s fast bowler Tim Southee picked up 7 for 33 — the best by a New Zealander in limited-overs internationals. Southee’s career best also revealed just how inadequate England’s batting could be against a quality attack. They were bowled out for 123, and stood bereft of form or confidence.
Genre: Thriller
Starring: Samiullah Shenwari, Javed Ahmadi, Shapoor Zadran
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: A magnificently compelling contest. An epic innings by Samiullah Shenwari. And a finish filled with tension and drama. All the key ingredients of a thriller were present as Afghanistan recorded their first ever world cup win, beating Scotland. From 97 for 7 to needing 19 off 19 balls, the team inched their way to the moment of glory with the help of Shapoor and Hassan.
Genre: Horror
Starring: AB de Villiers, Rilee Rossouw, Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: South Africa seems to be haunting West Indies with their plethora of records. A mind-boggling 162* off 66 balls at the SCG made AB de Villiers the holder of the fastest fifty, hundred and 150 in ODI – all against West Indies. Scoring 261 runs in the last 20 overs? Another world cup record. An astonishing total of 408? The highest team score on Australian soil.
Genre: Thriller
Starring: Trent Boult, Kane Williamson, Brendon McCullum
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: This was a contest between the two hosts billed to be the world cup favourites. And what a thriller it turned out to be. Some sensational bowling by Trent Boult, Daniel Vettori, and Time Southee had Australia shot out in 32.2 overs. Then McCullum went ballistic with all guns blazing, picking boundaries and sixes. Finally, in a stomach-knotting moment, the calmest batsman in the world, Kane Williamson, blasted one of the fastest bowlers in the world for a straight six to seal a one-wicket victory.
Genre: War
Starring: Kumar Sangakkara, Lahiru Thirimanna, Tilakaratne Dilshan
Rating: 5*s
Synopsis: A majestic hundred by Kumar Sangakkara and an equally mighty century by Lahiru Thirimanne made a chase of 310 seem like a walk in the park. With piercing drives and dismissive pulls, the pair not only mounted some noteworthy milestones, but also shredded England’s attack. Sangakkara’s fastest ODI hundred in 70 balls. Thirimanne’s fourth century. A stand of 212 for the second wicket in 28.2 overs. A roaring victory for Sri Lanka. And the world cup’s sixth successful 300+ chase.
