Best Team Performances in Cricket World Cup Finals

In cricket, it was once said that individual brilliance may win matches but team efforts win tournaments.

This is true in a sport where bowling, batting and fielding play a crucial role in determining the final outcome.

A bowler’s five-wicket haul means little if his team cannot put enough runs on the board or chase totals.

Particularly in major international tournaments, the combined efforts of the entire XI are the true difference.

SportsBoom looks at the best performances by a team at the highest level - the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Ranking the Best Team Efforts in Cricket World Cups

A total of 13 Cricket World Cups have been played since the inaugural tournament in 1975, with the biggest names in the sport in action on the biggest stages in the world.

SportsBoom has considered the seven best collective efforts at the ICC’s flagship event, where the bowling attack and the batting line-up excelled under intense pressure.

West Indies, 1975: A Dominant All-Round Performance

Garfield Sobers receives a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 1975//Getty Images

The first men’s Cricket World Cup was a platform for the dominance of the West Indies to take centre stage against an equally dangerous Australia.

Amid the backdrop of the iconic Lord’s, the Windies posted an impressive 291/8 thanks to a Man of the Match 102 from 85 by captain Clive Lloyd.

The West Indies skipper did well to get his team runs on the board, with Gary Gilmour’s five-wicket haul keeping Australia in close contention.

Captain Ian Chappell and Alan Turner got the Aussies off to a good start, before a series of run-outs left them facing pressure to make up runs.

Australia’s Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson put on a memorable last-wicket stand before the West Indies sealed their 17-run World Cup victory.

India, 1983: A Resilient Fielding Outing

India batsman Yashpal Sharma holds the trophy with squad players//Getty Images

Few results exemplify the importance of good fielding as well as India’s 1983 World Cup victory, a historic result that saw the West Indies dethroned for the first time.

In the third successive final held at Lord’s in London, the Indian team mustered just 183 runs, with opening batter Kris Srikkanth the top scorer with only 38 runs.

The West Indies fancied their chances against a comparatively low score, with Andy Roberts the pick of the bowlers with three wickets for 32 runs in his 10 overs.

However, the Windies faced a resilient India in the field, with medium-pacer Mohinder Amarnath claiming three wickets to stop the opposition building momentum.

In what is considered one of the most iconic performances in World Cup history, not even Viv Richards’ 33 mattered as his team fell 43 runs short in the end.

Pakistan, 1992: Batting and Bowling Powerplay

Pakistan captain Imran Khan celebrates with team mates//Getty Images

Pakistan won the toss for the ‘92 Cricket World Cup final and elected to bat first, but clinical bowling by England’s Derek Pringle saw both openers dismissed cheaply.

The task of scoring runs then fell to the upper to mid order, with captain Imran Khan promoting himself to third on the batting list and scoring a crucial 72 from 110 balls.

The skipper was supported by Javed Miandad (58 runs) with Inzamam-ul-Haq (42 runs) and Wasim Akram (33) helping steer Pakistan to a respectable total of 249/6.

In reply, England lost opener Ian Botham for a duck, with swing wizard Wasim Akram and pace bowler Mushtaq Ahmed leaving the Three Lions unable to stay ahead.

The standout batsman was Neil Fairbrother with 62 from 70 but after he was dismissed, Pakistan made it simple to wrap up a 22-run win and the World Cup title.

Australia, 2003: Applying Scoreboard Pressure

The final wicket of Zaheer Khan of India, caught by Darren Lehmann//Getty Images

Putting 350-plus on the board is comparable to adding another player to a team, with India facing a mammoth total and crumbling under the pressure.

Australia openers Adam Gilchrist (57 from 48) and Matthew Hayden (38 from 39) set their team on a good start but the captain’s innings mattered most.

Ricky Ponting scored 140 from 121 as the Aussies cruised to 359/2, with only iconic spinner Harbhajan Singh the only highlight with his two wickets.

Despite an uber-talented line-up including eventual Man of the Series Sachin Tendulkar, India faced fast bowling icons Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee.

The highlight of the Indian batting innings was Virender Sehwag slogging his way to 82, with Australia wrapping up the comprehensive 125-run win.