With Nadal defying every odd possible, it was proved yet again that comebacks define an essence that is always better felt and lived than written about. Sitting on the edge of the seat, clenching the sofa armrest, eyes fixated on the screen, it is always an inexplicable feeling waiting for that gifted moment that would change it all. Playing the highlights on repeat, to relive those very sequences of absolute ecstasy, comebacks have forever flavoured sports. These maddening moments make for stories that come with the desired doses of sagacity and satisfaction, ageing better with time. t2 picks the most clinical of comebacks that spoke of resilience with a spark of magic.
Kapil Dev plays an innings of a lifetime to score 175 not out against Zimbabwe in the 1983 Cricket World Cup to pull India back from 17 for 5 and win the match.
1983 Zimbabwe vs India, Tunbridge Wells
17 for 5. Shockingly that is what India were at against Zimbabwe on June 18, 1983. Walking into the match after two consecutive losses, the nerves were jittery as the top order crumbled. It would be humiliation of the worst kind — if something unbelievable did not salvage the day. Sure enough, captain Kapil Dev walked on to the crease with an understated hope of stabilising the innings. What followed was almost unbelievable as Kapil walked back unbeaten with the highest ever individual score then, 175 off 138 balls. India beat Zimbabwe by 31 runs in a match which was not telecast but with all of the cricketing fraternity doffing their hats to the Haryana Hurricane.
Shane Warne watches as V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid play out a marathon partnership to turn the match from follow on to win in 2001 in Calcutta
2001 australia vs India, Eden Gardens
It was not the most hopeful of scenarios. The then best team in the world with a batting line-up that included Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh, and a bowling arsenal comprising Jason Gillespie, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, had already comfortably overwhelmed India in the first test of the series at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The cameras panned across the country and it was a buzzing Eden Gardens that braced itself for another clash which, frankly, did not promise a lot. Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. Despite Harbhajan Singh’s iconic hat-trick that saw him sending back Ponting, Gilly and Warne, the indefatigable Aussies put up a score of 445. India were bundled out in 60 overs for 171 and had to follow on.
What happened on the fourth day still finds itself as a part of the narrative of one of the most intense rivalries since the beginning of the century. Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman gifted cricket with a partnership of 376 runs that troubled an Australian team on a 16-match winning streak. The duo walked out with scores of 281 and 180 respectively, setting up a target of 384 for the Aussies as the Eden Gardens cheered louder than ever. The Aussies were halted and slammed at 212, as Harbhajan picked up another six wickets to add to the seven from the first innings. It redefined aggression from Sourav Ganguly’s men as they went on to win the series 2-1. Test cricket does not get more memorable than this. And the hallowed turf of Eden stands testimony.
Liverpool’s Jerzy Dudek faces Andrea Pirlo of AC Milan, a shot he blocked in the penalty shootout, to finally give Liverpool a 3-2 win in the UEFA Champions League Final in 2005 in Istanbul after the team was down 3-0; Edin Dzeko of Manchester City celebrates the second goal during the Barclays Premier League match with Queens Park Rangers to win from a goal down.
2005 AC Milan vs Liverpool, Istanbul
With Milan led by Paolo Maldini favoured to lift the UEFA Champions League in 2005, the score line already read 3-0 at the end of the first half. A battered Liverpool with falling hope walked into the second half and what followed was the most iconic of comebacks on a grand scale. Liverpool turned the score to 3-3, scoring all in a six-minute stretch, pushing the match into extra time and eventually, penalties. With Andriy Shevchenko’s shot saved by Dudek, a comeback of epic proportions saw Liverpool lift the trophy for the fifth time. For Pool fans back home, it was ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ all night, following the ‘Miracle of Istanbul’.
2012 Manchester City vs QPR, Etihad
It was down to the wire as the top two Manchester teams, City and United, walked into the final match day with a title at stake, while for QPR it was the ultimate battle for survival; only a win could save them from relegation. ManU faced Sunderland while City had its eyes on the cup. The matches kicked off simultaneously. City scored first, thanks to Pablo Zabaleta’s shot, but things unfurled in dramatic fashion in the second half where QPR took an unprecedented lead. The other game came to a close with Sir Alex Ferguson’s lads securing a win, only awaiting news from the other end.
As it stood, ManU were to be crowned Barclays Premier League champions again when referee Mike Dean added five minutes of stoppage time. It was sheer heartbreak for City fans as there were sights of tears being shed, beer glasses being hurled. However, City’s folklore was promised the immortal tale as substitute Edin Dzeko equalised from a delicate David Silva corner. The Etihad stadium went ballistic but greater glory awaited Sergio Aguero as he went past a scrambled QPR defense line to launch the ball into the goal a couple of minutes later at 93:20 minutes. The sight of a loose cannonball Aguero swirling his jersey to oblivion with Martin Tyler shouting his name and the fans crying their lungs out, it was certainly a moment that you’d drink in. Five minutes that changed the course of the club forever, City edged out QPR in possibly the greatest comeback in football history.
Sergi Roberto of Barcelona scores their sixth goal during the UEFA Champions League R16 second leg match with FC Barcelona at Camp Nou in 2017.
2017 FC Barcelona vs PSG, Camp Nou
For Barcelona fans across the world, it has not been the easiest of times and often drifting back to the golden days seem to be the only refuge. ‘La Remontada’ showed what a charged Camp Nou in its absolute prime was capable of. Paris St Germain had Barcelona packing in the first leg with a 4-0 victory with their advancement onto the next round almost guaranteed. But with an attendance of almost 100,000, Camp Nou had other things in mind. Three minutes into the match, Luis Suarez knocked one into the net and, soon, another goal followed. Riding on the soaring temper of a 3-0 lead, Barcelona’s hopes were soiled by a Cavani goal. Luis Enrique’s men needed three more goals to script a story for the ages. Neymar logged in a brace, making it 5-1 for the home team. It was almost over when Neymar lobbed in a ball on the 95th minute and Sergi Roberto slotted a sublime touch into the net as Camp Nou went berserk. The scoreboard read 6-1. Miracles were never new for Camp Nou, but this superseded everything remotely cinematic.
