Australia’s second title
Australia beat Pakistan by eight wickets at Lord’s on 20 June 1999 to win the men’s Cricket World Cup for the second time. Pakistan were dismissed for 132 in 39 overs; Australia reached 133 for two in 20.1 overs.
Bowling set the tone. Shane Warne took four wickets for 33 runs, Glenn McGrath returned two for 13 and Tom Moody took two for 17. Adam Gilchrist then made 54 from 36 balls as Australia completed the chase.
The semi-final that stayed with cricket
Three days earlier at Edgbaston, Australia and South Africa had both finished on 213. A last-wicket run-out left the semi-final tied. Australia advanced because they had finished above South Africa in the Super Six table.
That distinction matters in the record book: the semi-final was a tie, not a one-run or one-wicket victory. The final, by contrast, was a decisive Australian win.
The standout performances
Sourav Ganguly’s 183 against Sri Lanka at Taunton was one of the tournament’s defining innings. Rahul Dravid made 145 in the same match, and the pair added 318 for India’s second wicket.
Warne and New Zealand’s Geoff Allott shared the tournament’s leading wicket-taker position with 20 wickets each. Their contrasting styles — leg-spin and left-arm pace — underline how differently bowlers can shape a World Cup.