No more collapse this time please

'Invincible' will take on ultimate Challenger in 2023 World Cup Semifinal at Mumbai and die hard fans of Indian Cricket will also have a testing time. I have been following Indian Cricket from age 7 and i have faint memories of 1992 World cup when star studded Indian team failed to qualify for Semi Final.

We started really well in 1996 but comprehensively defeated by Sri Lanka first in league match that also destroyed the career of Manoj Prabhakar. We recovered and destroyed Pakistan in superb Quarter Final at Bangalore. The first of the series of collapses that Indian team faced in almost every world cup started in 1996 Semi Final. We collapsed from 98/1 to 120/8 throwing our chances in Bay of Bengal. 

Second collapse occurred in Do or Die match against Australia in 1999 World Cup. Chasing 283 our top order (Sachin, Ganguly, Dravid and Azhar) collapsed and we lost 4 wickets at the score of 17 runs. We collapsed for the third time in another Do or Die match this time against Sri Lanka in 2007 World Cup. We were 98/3 and within few overs we lost three major wickets we were down to 112/6 and lost the match.

We were miraculously saved by Gautam Gambhir in 2011 World Cup Final against Sri Lanka. Chasing 275 we lost Sachin (18 runs) and Sehwag (0 run) too early. It was mainly because of Gambhir and later super knock by Dhoni that we won the Cup.

Our Invincible team was awesome in 2015 World cup but another collapse hit us in the most crucial Semi Final against Australia. From 76/0 we collapsed to 108/4 throwing our chances in Pacific. This was our fourth collapse.

And no one can forget the last World Cup collapse in Semi Final against New Zealand. Chasing 240 our top order completely collapsed and one time we were 5/3 and later 92/6. This was for the first time we fought back and i can never forget the greatest counter attack inning played by Sir Ravindra Jadeja ably supported by Dhoni. Run out of Dhoni caused all of us to cry. This was our only match since 1996 that we fought back though lost it in the end but it was a match to remember.

These five setbacks caused us so much pain that it makes us very worried about tomorrows match. We have a very good team. Our batting, bowling and fielding are clicking well and there is no chink in our armor. We need to win big this time to bury all the past ghosts in a big hole. Let the game begin....