1999 and 2019: Tale of two semifinals and two run outs — Allan Donald’s and MS Dhoni’s | Cricket-world-cup News

As India face New Zealand and South Africa take on old nemesis Australia in the World Cup semifinals, here’s a rewind to two iconic moments when these two match-ups took place at the same stage of the tournament. Both of them feature run-outs – one an inch or less and the other almost the length of the pitch, finally snuffing out all hope when a different result seemed on the cards. Both were the defining images of the contests, closing out one era and heralding a new one. They will be at the back of the minds of players and fans when they step out with a spot in the final at stake.
Match situation: It was a two-day ODI to decide a spot in the final. New Zealand won the toss and huffed and puffed their way to 239/8 after resuming their innings at 211/5 in 46.1 overs on the reserve day, with Ross Taylor (74) and skipper Kane Williamson (67) being the main contributors. In response, “45 minutes of bad cricket”, as Virat Kohli put it, had India gasping at 92/6 with less than 20 overs left before Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni got together to reignite Indian hopes. Jadeja (77 off 59 balls) was dismissed with 32 needed in 13 balls, but the faithful believed that Dhoni could still do it. He turned the clock back with an upper-cut off Lockie Ferguson for six, two balls before the match-deciding intervention….
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What happened: With 25 needed off 10 balls, Ferguson went wide on the crease and dug one in towards Dhoni’s ribs. The ball struck him on his already-damaged finger and he was forced to take one hand off the bat.
The ball trickled towards the edge of the 30-yard circle and Dhoni, whose speed between the wickets had not diminished, sensed an opportunity for a brace to keep the strike. He would have been successful too, but for a rocket direct hit from Martin Guptill, who had hared in from boundary, which found the ex-India captain short the barest of margins. The task was too much for the Indian tail-enders as India went down 18 runs.

What they said: “Players cried like kids. MS Dhoni was crying like a child. Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant had tears in their eyes,” – Sanjay Bangar, India’s batting coach
“It was a game of margins and MS was run-out. 45 minutes of bad cricket puts you out of the tournament. New Zealand were braver in crunch situations and they deserve it.”
Virat Kohli
“I think I might have been at mid-off, that’s usually where I stand. It was clearly quite a pivotal point in the match. Unbelievable run-out from Martin Guptill for a direct hit from that dance. It clearly was a big wicket which certainly gave us a much better chance to get across the line.”
MS Dhoni run out in the 2019 semifinal against New Zealand. (File)
Kane Williamson
“Colin de Grandhomme was there (at the stumps) but it had to be a direct hit, so if it had been taken he would have been safe,” – Martin Guptill
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Aftermath: The defeat prolonged India’s barren run at major ICC tournaments, that dates back to 2013. It was the last international game Dhoni played, ending one of the most successful careers in Indian cricket. The two teams faced off in the World Test Championship final, also in England, two years later with the Black Caps coming out on top again. The failure to land ICC silverware was one box that remained unticked when Kohli stepped down from captaincy.
As far as New Zealand are concerned, they played their part in another epic final a few days later, pipped England on the basis of boundary count. But for a nation that small, making it to the business end of big tournaments is a commendable feat in itself.
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1999 World Cup semifinal: Australia v South Africa, Birmingham
Words like ‘dramatic’, nail-biter’, ‘humdinger’ can’t even begin to describe what this match was. The tension and plot-tws at various points of the game would have made Alfred Hitchcock proud. And at some point, it ceased to be merely a sporting contest, almost developing a will and a mind of its own.
Match situation: South Africa won the toss and when Australia were 68/4 after 17 overs, they would have felt the choice was vindicated. Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan then put on 90 runs, taking more than 22 overs. But all Australia could manage was 213, with Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald taking nine wickets between them.
When the chase began, Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten started with such authority that a quick finish seemed on the cards.
Then Shane Warne happened. In what seems like a blur, South Africa fell from 48/0 to 61/4, but in reality, it took nine overs. The leg-break to castle Gibbs is one to die for.
The chaotic run-out of Allan Donald in the 1999 semi-final between South Africa and Australia. (File)
Jonty Rhodes and Jacques Kallis arrested the slide, but it took them into the final 10 overs with around 70 to get. But as wickets kept falling, South Africa’s man of the tournament, Lance Klusener, was left with No.11 Donald with 16 to get in 8 balls, 9 off the final over.
Klusener hit Damien Fleming for two brutal boundaries to tie the scores. Donald was almost run out backing up at the non-striker’s end when Darren Lehmann missed with an underarm throw.
What happened: With one run needed off three balls, Klusener dug out a yorker to mid-on and took off for what could have been the winning run. But Donald, probably spooked what had happened the ball before, turned back to see where the ball was. the time he looked at his partner, Klusener was almost beside him. In panic, Donald dropped his bat and made a futile run towards the other end. But long before that, Mark Waugh at mid-on had under-armed the ball to Fleming, who in turn, gently rolled the ball to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchr to take off the bails, triggering wild celebrations among the Aussies – who reached the final as they finished higher on the Super Six points table – and despair and ghost faces among the South Africans.
What they said: “I looked up at Lance, saw him rushing to my end, and so I started to run as well. My legs felt like jelly, as if I wasn’t making any headway at all down to the other end. I tried to get my legs moving properly. It was a dreamlike sequence, almost in slow motion.”
Allan Donald
“The scene in our dressing-room resembled that of a refuge in the midst of a natural disaster. Of course, this disaster did not suffer any human tragedy, but cricketing standards, it measured 10.6 on the Richter scale.”
Bob Woolmer, South Africa coach
“It was quite chilling to see a man so shell-shocked that he kept opening his mouth without words coming out.”
Shane Warne on Hansie Cronje, South Africa skipper
“I am upset with myself that I had done all the hard work and then I didn’t do the easy part. That’s the regret.”
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“A single, solitary run for a place in the World Cup final. A place where South Africa had never been before. And that, almost certainly, was the problem… The South Africans were good, but against us, well, we felt they just wanted it too badly.”
Steve Waugh
Aftermath: Australia went on to thrash Pakan in the final, winning four World Cups in five attempts. South Africa have not reached a World Cup final till date, and were thrashed the Aussies when they faced off in the 2007 semifinal.
Cronje was found guilty of match-fixing a year later and died in an air tragedy a couple of years later. Woolmer died during the 2007 World Cup while he was Pakan coach.