Cricket History and Tournaments

India won the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007, defeating Pakistan by 5 runs in the final held in Johannesburg. This victory was particularly significant as India had not originally prioritized T20 cricket but adapted quickly to the format under captain MS Dhoni.

The South African national cricket team is nicknamed the Proteas, named after South Africa's national flower, the King Protea. This naming convention follows the tradition of national cricket teams having distinctive nicknames. Australians are called the 'Baggy Greens,' West Indies are the 'Windies,' and Zimbabweans are the 'Chevrons' (not listed among options).

“To play against” means “to play opposite to” which is conveyed in the given sentence. Hence, (1) is the correct answer.

The ICC Cricket World Cup is the premier international championship of cricket, held every four years among top nations. It carries more prestige than regional tournaments (Asia Cup) or domestic competitions (Duleep Trophy, Agha Khan Cup which is actually a hockey tournament).

The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. It is one of cricket's oldest and most celebrated rivalries, dating back to 1882. India, South Africa, and New Zealand are not involved in this particular tournament.

Chaminda Vaas is a Sri Lankan cricketer - a left-arm fast-medium bowler who was a key part of Sri Lanka's bowling attack. He never played for India, Australia, or Bangladesh (note the typo in option D).

Andrew Strauss is an English cricketer who captained England and played as an opening batsman. He never represented Australia, South Africa, or Zimbabwe at international level. Born in South Africa, he chose to play for England.

Yuvraj Singh scored his first ODI century against Bangladesh in 2000 at Dhaka. This was a significant milestone in his cricket career. The correct answer is A (Bangladesh). Options B (Sri Lanka), C (Australia), and D (New Zealand) are incorrect for his first century.

New Zealand won the 2000 ICC Knock Out Trophy (now Champions Trophy) final, defeating India by 4 wickets in Nairobi. This was New Zealand's first major ICC tournament victory. The correct answer is B (New Zealand). Options A (India - the runner-up), C (Pakistan), and D (Australia) are incorrect.

Sachin Tendulkar made his ODI debut against Pakistan on December 18, 1989, at Gujranwala. He scored 0 runs in that match but went on to become one of the greatest ODI batsmen in cricket history.

Kapil Dev played his final One Day International match against Sri Lanka in 1994 during the Singer World Series at Colombo. This marked the end of his illustrious ODI career spanning 16 years.

India won the Titan Cup in 1996, defeating Australia in the final. The tournament featured India, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, with India emerging victorious under captain Sachin Tendulkar.

India has been involved in three tied One Day International matches - two against Zimbabwe (1999 and 2010) and one against West Indies (2011). The question uses 'Both 1 and 2' to indicate Zimbabwe and West Indies.

Sunil Gavaskar scored his first One Day International century against New Zealand in the 1981-82 series. He scored 116 runs at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai, marking his entry into the ODI century club.

The West Indies won the first Cricket World Cup in 1975, defeating Australia by 17 runs in the final at Lord's, London. The West Indies team, led by Clive Lloyd, dominated the inaugural tournament and went on to win the next World Cup in 1979 as well, establishing their cricket supremacy in that era.