1996: a partisan crowd, a balmy night, and a crunch semi-final that started so well for the home side … but ended in rage, rumpus and riots. No, it wasn't Euro '96 at Wembley but World Cup '96 at Eden Gardens, Calcutta. Javagal Srinath set the Indians going with an extraordinary first over, in which Sri Lanka's pinch-hitting pair of Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana both sliced catches to third man. Sri Lanka were 1 for 2.

But Aravinda de Silva dampened the din with a fearless and ferocious counter-attack. He blasted 14 fours in his brilliant 66, made from only 47 balls. Roshan Mahanama (58) and Arjuna Ranatunga (35) then steadied the ship as Sri Lanka sailed past the early storm to finish on 251 for 8.

India started confidently, and were cruising on 98 for 1, with Sachin Tendulkar on 65. But then Tendulkar overbalanced and was stumped, India pressed the self-destruct button – and so did most of the crowd.

A monumental collapse of seven wickets for 22 runs was too much for the home supporters, and the threat of violence that had hung over the World Cup finally became real. Sri Lanka had reached their first World Cup final, but in a manner that nobody could have predicted ...

Almanack report
Scorecard

Freddie Auld is on the staff of Wisden.com.

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