Watching a game of cricket in a jam-packed stadium is a dream of every cricket fan. The atmosphere of a stadium makes a match even more enjoyable with the crowd giving reactions to all the moments on the field. However, the reaction of fans to a particular game isn’t always merry.
The crowd can even go wild with anger when their favourite team doesn’t perform well. There have been several instances on a cricket field where the players had to face the fury of the crowd. Let’s take a look at five of those moments:
1. India vs Sri Lanka 1996 World Cup Semi-Final at Kolkata
India vs Sri Lanka 1996 WC Semi-Final (Source: Twitter)
The stage was all set for India to enter their second world cup final after their victory in 1983. India needed to chase down 252 against Sri Lanka in the first semi-final. They got off to a great start with Sachin Tendulkar looking in good touch at the score of 98/1. However, Tendulkar’s dismissal sparked a dramatic collapse that saw India reeling at 120/8 in no time.
The Kolkata crowd got furious with India’s batting effort in the all-important game. They began throwing bottles in the ground and even set a particular section in the stands on fire. Seeing the situation getting out of hand, match referee Clive Lloyd awarded the game to Sri Lanka and they further went on to lift the World Cup. The memories of the 1996 WC semi-final are still fresh in the players’ minds with many calling it the most outrageous behaviour by any crowd ever.
