A 7-0 scoreline in World Cups might suggest India have overwhelmingly dominated Pakistan in One-Day cricket. But this lop-sided head-to-head is misleading. There was a period when an India win against Pakistan was a once-in-a-blue-moon affair.
10 memorable clashes between the two nations…
LOW-SCORING CLASSIC
Rothman’s Cup, Sharjah (March 22, 1985): India were reigning world champions and had just beaten Pakistan in the Benson and Hedges final in Melbourne. Kapil Dev’s team was the favourite but it was Imran Khan’s 6/14 – one of the greatest spells in ODI – that helped Pakistan bowl out India for 125. On a difficult wicket, Kapil Dev, Sivaramakrishnan and Ravi Shastri struck back. But it was Sunil Gavaskar who took four catches in the slips as India bowled out Pakistan for 87.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 38 RUNS
MIANDAD’S STUFF OF LEGEND
Australasia Cup final, Sharjah (April 18, 1986): This was the game that sparked off Pakistan’s ODI domination over India for over a decade-and-half. Gavaskar’s 92 and Srikanth’s 75 helped India reach 245/7. Considered a good score those days, Pakistan had lost regular wickets and were on the verge of defeat, but Javed Miandad was determined to fight on. Having to defend 10 runs, Chetan Sharma bowled the fateful last over, and it boiled down to the last ball with Pakistan needing four. Miandad hit Chetan’s waist-high full-toss for six, a shot which has become stuff of cricketing folklore.
RESULT: PAKISTAN WON BY 1 WICKET
MALIK’S GARDEN OF EDEN
Bilateral series, 2nd ODI, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Feb 18, 1987): In the first-ever ODI at this iconic venue, more than 80,000 watched Srikkanth’s 123 help India reach 240. Pakistan needed about 50 runs in the last four overs. Salim Malik launched into Maninder Singh and Kapil Dev, taking them for 22 and 16 in consecutive overs. His 72* off 36 balls saw Pak win with three balls to spare.
RESULT: PAK WON BY 2 WKTS
TIE HIGH FOR INDIA
Bilateral Series, 3rd ODI, Lalbahadur Stadium, Hyderabad (March 20, 1987): India made 212/6 in 44 overs, Kapil Dev scoring 59. Fortunes swung wildly and Pak needed two off the last ball. Abdul Qadir was run out, Pak ended on 212/7 and the result was a tie. India were awarded the game by losing less wickets.
RESULT: MATCH TIED, INDIA DECL WINNERS
SACHIN PROVES ALLROUNDER
World Cup league stage, MCG, Australia (March 4, 1992): India had been losing too often to Pakistan in the four-year period leading up to this game. Yet, they came up with a fine team game, with Sachin Tendulkar top-scoring with 54 and taking 1-37 with his medium-pace to win the Man of the Match award. India won that game, beginning their World Cup domination over Pakistan, but the neighbours would win the World Cup.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 43 RUNS
JADEJA BLAST IN BANGALORE
World Cup quarterfinal, Chinnaswamy (March 9, 1996): This was one of the most high-voltage games the two nations ever played. Wasim Akram ruled himself out at the last moment. A late burst by Ajay Jadeja, who tore into the feared Waqar Younis, scoring 45 off 25 balls saw India reach 287/8. Pakistan were given a brilliant start by Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar. Venkatesh Prasad and Sohail had a famous bout of verbal volleys. After the pacer removed him in the 15th over, the score reading 113-2, Pakistan lost steam. Old India bete noire Miandad, in his last international match, couldn’t take his team home this time.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 39 RUNS
CHAUHAN BECOMES UNLIKELY HERO
Bilateral Series, Gaddafi Stadium, Karachi (Sept. 30, 1997): India hadn’t won an international match in Pakistan for 15 years. Chasing 265/4 in a game in which captain Sachin Tendulkar led a walkout because stones were thrown at his players, India were in trouble despite Ganguly’s 89. It came down to the last over, but wily offie Saqlain Mushtaq was bowling. Rajesh Chauhan became an unlikely hero, hitting Saqlain for six to give India a win.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 4 WKTS
AND NOW IT’S KANITKAR
Independence Cup 3rd final, Dhaka (Jan 18, 1998): In a high-scoring classic, India looked to chase 316 in 48 overs with Ganguly (124) and Robin Singh (82) providing the momentum. But India soon lost their way in fading light. It was down to Saqlain in the last over against rookie allrounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who unleashed a famous six that won India the Independence Cup.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 3 WKTS
PAK RISE FROM THE ASHES
Tri-series, Gabba, Brisbane (Jan 10, 2000): Their first meeting in the new millennium and 195 didn’t seem a defendable score for India. But pacers Srinath and Agarkar were superb and Pakistan were reduced to 153-8 in the 43rd over. Waqar Younis and Saqlain stepped up and snatched victory from India’s grasp off the last ball.
RESULT: PAK WON BY 2 WKTS
TENDULKAR, FOREVER
2003 World Cup Group Stage, Centurion, Pretoria (March 1, 2003): After Saeed Anwar’s 101, India were set 274 for victory against a top-class Pakistan attack boasting Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. Sachin decided to take strike and launched an astonishing counterattack and his cut off Akhtar that went for a six over point remains iconic in ODIs history. Sachin’s 98 is regarded by many as the best ODI innings by the Little Master. Later, it was the calm of Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh that took India home.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 6 WKTS
10 memorable clashes between the two nations…
LOW-SCORING CLASSIC
Rothman’s Cup, Sharjah (March 22, 1985): India were reigning world champions and had just beaten Pakistan in the Benson and Hedges final in Melbourne. Kapil Dev’s team was the favourite but it was Imran Khan’s 6/14 – one of the greatest spells in ODI – that helped Pakistan bowl out India for 125. On a difficult wicket, Kapil Dev, Sivaramakrishnan and Ravi Shastri struck back. But it was Sunil Gavaskar who took four catches in the slips as India bowled out Pakistan for 87.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 38 RUNS
MIANDAD’S STUFF OF LEGEND
Australasia Cup final, Sharjah (April 18, 1986): This was the game that sparked off Pakistan’s ODI domination over India for over a decade-and-half. Gavaskar’s 92 and Srikanth’s 75 helped India reach 245/7. Considered a good score those days, Pakistan had lost regular wickets and were on the verge of defeat, but Javed Miandad was determined to fight on. Having to defend 10 runs, Chetan Sharma bowled the fateful last over, and it boiled down to the last ball with Pakistan needing four. Miandad hit Chetan’s waist-high full-toss for six, a shot which has become stuff of cricketing folklore.
RESULT: PAKISTAN WON BY 1 WICKET
MALIK’S GARDEN OF EDEN
Bilateral series, 2nd ODI, Eden Gardens, Kolkata (Feb 18, 1987): In the first-ever ODI at this iconic venue, more than 80,000 watched Srikkanth’s 123 help India reach 240. Pakistan needed about 50 runs in the last four overs. Salim Malik launched into Maninder Singh and Kapil Dev, taking them for 22 and 16 in consecutive overs. His 72* off 36 balls saw Pak win with three balls to spare.
RESULT: PAK WON BY 2 WKTS
TIE HIGH FOR INDIA
Bilateral Series, 3rd ODI, Lalbahadur Stadium, Hyderabad (March 20, 1987): India made 212/6 in 44 overs, Kapil Dev scoring 59. Fortunes swung wildly and Pak needed two off the last ball. Abdul Qadir was run out, Pak ended on 212/7 and the result was a tie. India were awarded the game by losing less wickets.
RESULT: MATCH TIED, INDIA DECL WINNERS
SACHIN PROVES ALLROUNDER
World Cup league stage, MCG, Australia (March 4, 1992): India had been losing too often to Pakistan in the four-year period leading up to this game. Yet, they came up with a fine team game, with Sachin Tendulkar top-scoring with 54 and taking 1-37 with his medium-pace to win the Man of the Match award. India won that game, beginning their World Cup domination over Pakistan, but the neighbours would win the World Cup.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 43 RUNS
JADEJA BLAST IN BANGALORE
World Cup quarterfinal, Chinnaswamy (March 9, 1996): This was one of the most high-voltage games the two nations ever played. Wasim Akram ruled himself out at the last moment. A late burst by Ajay Jadeja, who tore into the feared Waqar Younis, scoring 45 off 25 balls saw India reach 287/8. Pakistan were given a brilliant start by Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar. Venkatesh Prasad and Sohail had a famous bout of verbal volleys. After the pacer removed him in the 15th over, the score reading 113-2, Pakistan lost steam. Old India bete noire Miandad, in his last international match, couldn’t take his team home this time.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 39 RUNS
CHAUHAN BECOMES UNLIKELY HERO
Bilateral Series, Gaddafi Stadium, Karachi (Sept. 30, 1997): India hadn’t won an international match in Pakistan for 15 years. Chasing 265/4 in a game in which captain Sachin Tendulkar led a walkout because stones were thrown at his players, India were in trouble despite Ganguly’s 89. It came down to the last over, but wily offie Saqlain Mushtaq was bowling. Rajesh Chauhan became an unlikely hero, hitting Saqlain for six to give India a win.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 4 WKTS
AND NOW IT’S KANITKAR
Independence Cup 3rd final, Dhaka (Jan 18, 1998): In a high-scoring classic, India looked to chase 316 in 48 overs with Ganguly (124) and Robin Singh (82) providing the momentum. But India soon lost their way in fading light. It was down to Saqlain in the last over against rookie allrounder Hrishikesh Kanitkar, who unleashed a famous six that won India the Independence Cup.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 3 WKTS
PAK RISE FROM THE ASHES
Tri-series, Gabba, Brisbane (Jan 10, 2000): Their first meeting in the new millennium and 195 didn’t seem a defendable score for India. But pacers Srinath and Agarkar were superb and Pakistan were reduced to 153-8 in the 43rd over. Waqar Younis and Saqlain stepped up and snatched victory from India’s grasp off the last ball.
RESULT: PAK WON BY 2 WKTS
TENDULKAR, FOREVER
2003 World Cup Group Stage, Centurion, Pretoria (March 1, 2003): After Saeed Anwar’s 101, India were set 274 for victory against a top-class Pakistan attack boasting Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar. Sachin decided to take strike and launched an astonishing counterattack and his cut off Akhtar that went for a six over point remains iconic in ODIs history. Sachin’s 98 is regarded by many as the best ODI innings by the Little Master. Later, it was the calm of Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh that took India home.
RESULT: INDIA WON BY 6 WKTS
