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Some cricket matches stay in the memory because of a spectacular century or a spell of unplayable bowling. Others are remembered because, even when one team appears to have done enough to win, the game somehow slips away. On October 9, 1987, India experienced the latter against Australia in the Reliance World Cup at Chepauk, Madras, now Chennai. Chasing 271, India were well placed at 207/3 and looked capable of getting over the line, but Australia's bowlers fought back at exactly the right time. India were eventually bowled out for 269 in 49.5 overs, losing by just one run in one of the most heartbreaking finishes in their World Cup history.

Geoff Marsh's Century Gives Australia a Strong Total

India captain Kapil Dev won the toss and elected to field, hoping his bowlers could restrict Australia to a manageable score. Australia, however, built their innings around a patient and crucial century from Geoff Marsh. Opening the batting, Marsh scored 110 from 141 balls, hitting seven fours and a six. David Boon gave him excellent support with 49 from 68 deliveries, and the pair helped Australia establish a solid platform after putting on 110 for the first wicket.

India did manage to take wickets as the innings progressed, with Dean Jones adding a brisk 39 from 35 balls and Allan Border contributing 16. But Australia kept finding ways to maintain their scoring rate. Steve Waugh remained unbeaten on 19, and despite losing six wickets, Australia finished their 50 overs at 270/6. It was a competitive total, but on a good batting surface, India would have believed the target of 271 was within reach.

Gavaskar and Srikkanth Give India a Flying Start

India began the chase with intent. Sunil Gavaskar, playing one of his final World Cup campaigns, scored 37 from just 32 balls, hitting six fours and a six. Kris Srikkanth also played a valuable innings, scoring 70 from 83 balls. Their partnership gave India the early momentum they needed, and when Gavaskar was dismissed at 69/1, the chase was still in good shape.

Srikkanth continued to anchor the innings while Navjot Sidhu joined him and played with confidence. Sidhu struck 73 from 79 balls, including four fours and five sixes, putting pressure back on the Australian attack. The two added an important partnership, and India reached 207/3 with the chase firmly alive. At that point, India needed 64 runs from the remaining overs, with seven wickets in hand. The target was there to be reached, and the home crowd had every reason to believe that India would complete the job.

Australia's Bowlers Refuse to Give Up

The turning point came when Australia found a way to break through India's middle order. Craig McDermott, who would finish with four wickets, became the central figure in the comeback. He dismissed Sidhu for 73, then removed Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohammad Azharuddin in quick succession. Suddenly, India were no longer cruising towards the target. The wickets brought Australia back into the contest and placed the responsibility on India's lower order to finish the chase.

Vengsarkar made 29, but his dismissal at 232 was followed by further trouble. Kapil Dev fell for six, and Ravi Shastri was dismissed for 12 after a brief attempt to keep the scoring moving. McDermott's spell was decisive, and Australia began to believe that a match which had seemed to be slipping away could still be won. India had gone from 207/3 to losing wickets at crucial moments, and the pressure of the chase was now firmly on the lower order.

India Need 41 Runs With Seven Wickets Left — But the Match Slips Away

India's position at 207/3 had looked strong, but the wickets that followed changed everything. The middle order had been expected to guide the team home after the solid contributions from Srikkanth and Sidhu. Instead, Australia kept striking, and India were left trying to recover while the target remained within reach. The key was not that India had needed an impossible number of runs, but that Australia had made every remaining run harder to score.

Kiran More stayed unbeaten on 12, but the support around him disappeared. Roger Binny was run out without scoring, Manoj Prabhakar was also run out, and Maninder Singh was dismissed by Steve Waugh for four. India were eventually all out for 269 after 49.5 overs, just two runs short of the target of 271 in the scorebook's final tally — a one-run defeat because Australia had scored 270. The match was over, and Australia had pulled off a remarkable victory after India had been in control for much of the chase.

Craig McDermott's Four Wickets Make the Difference

Geoff Marsh was named Player of the Match for his 110, but McDermott's bowling was crucial to the final result. He finished with 4/56 from his 10 overs, breaking the partnerships that had placed India in a winning position. Steve Waugh also played an important role, taking two wickets, including the final wicket of Maninder Singh. Australia's bowlers kept their composure as the pressure rose, and they were rewarded with a result that looked unlikely when India were 207/3.

For India, Sidhu's 73 and Srikkanth's 70 had put the team in a position from which they should have been able to win. But the late collapse proved costly. The match was a reminder of how quickly a World Cup chase can change when wickets fall in clusters, especially when the batting side is close enough to victory to feel the pressure of finishing the job.

A One-Run Defeat That Became World Cup History

The Australia-India match on October 9, 1987, remains a memorable example of a team refusing to surrender. Australia had posted 270/6, India had reached 207/3, and the chase appeared to be moving in the hosts' favour. Yet McDermott and the Australian attack turned the match around, leaving India all out for 269 in 49.5 overs. The one-run margin made the result especially painful for the Indian side and unforgettable for fans who witnessed it.

The game also featured some of the era's biggest names: Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Srikkanth, Sidhu and Shastri for India, and Marsh, Boon, Dean Jones, Border and Waugh for Australia. It was a World Cup contest full of experience and quality, but it was the late wickets that decided the outcome. Australia had found a way to win when India seemed close to victory, and that is why the match remains worth revisiting decades later.

On This Day: October 9, 1987

Australia scored 270/6, with Geoff Marsh making 110. India looked in control at 207/3, with Kris Srikkanth scoring 70 and Navjot Sidhu adding 73. Then Craig McDermott took four wickets, Australia's bowlers kept striking, and India were bowled out for 269 in 49.5 overs. Australia won by one run — a result that showed how a World Cup match can turn in a handful of overs, even when the chasing side appears to have the advantage.