Pakistan- India: cricket
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ICC on India- Pakistan matches
See graphic, 'India vs Pakistan in ICC events, 1992- June 2017'
India-Pakistan matches deliberately arranged: ICC
The Times of India, June 2, 2016
The International Cricket Council ( ICC ) has admitted that it deliberately tries to put India and Pakistan in the same group at world events as it is hugely important for the success of tournaments.
"No doubt we want to try to put India versus Pakistan in our event," ICC chief executive Dave Richardson was quoted as saying by 'The Telegraph'.
"It's hugely important from an ICC point of view. It's massive around the world and the fans have come to expect it as well. It's fantastic for the tournament because it gives it a massive kick."
Richardson, however, denied that the constant clash between the arch-rivals affects the fairness of ICC events. "What we try and do is make sure that when you add up the rankings of the different groups, they all add up to the same number of points. You can do that in a number of ways. So long as the pools are balanced, it's silly to avoid (the fixture) when you can fairly cater for it," he added.
The draw for the eight-team tournament was announced here on Wednesday. The Asian powerhouses will go head to head at Edgbaston, Birmingham, on June 4.
The 18-day tournament will run from June 1 to 18 and will also see matches played at the Cardiff Wales Stadium in Cardiff and The Oval in London.
A couple of days before the all-Asian clash, Australia and New Zealand will lock horns in a repeat of the World Cup 2015 final at Edgbaston.
The top eight sides as on September 30, 2015 have qualified for this tournament, with world champions Australia seeded number-one. They head Group A, which also includes fourth seeds New Zealand, sixth seeds England and seventh seeds Bangladesh, who will be returning to this competition for the first time since 2006.
Asia Cup
ODIs
Overall performance of the two countries teams
From: Nitin Naik, Sep 2, 2023: The Times of India
See graphic:
Asia Cup, india vs Pakistan, ODIs, as in 2023
2023
Nitin Naik, Sep 12, 2023: The Times of India
In the end the wait was worth it. India’s Super-4 clash of the Asia Cup against Pakistan had seen the controversial reserve day activated after heavy rain in Colombo meant only 24.1 overs of play being possible on Sunday. India had made 147/2 with KL Rahul and Virat Kohli batting on 17 and 8 respectively. Rain delayed play by over 100 minutes on Monday too. The hardworking ground staff at the Premadasa got the ground ready and despite grey clouds around, India’s innings got under way. KL Rahul announced his return with a classy unbeaten 111* (106 balls; 12x4, 2x6) and Virat Kohli 122* (94b; 9x4, 3x6) once again showed the beast mode he can get into when the team in front of him is Pakistan. Getting his fourth successive hundred at the Premadasa (emulating Hashim Amla’s four successive tons at Centurion) and dishing out a clinic in how to hustle between the wickets, he added 233 with Rahul to take India to 356/2. Pakistan’s chase got off to a rocky start. Jasprit Bumrah, bowling in an ODI for the first time since last September, tormented both Imam-ul-Haq and Babar Azam with penetrative channel bowling. He eventually dismissed lefthanded Imam caught by Shubman Gill at second slip. At the other end, Hardik Pandya produced a dream in-cutter to clean up Babar. At 44/2 in 11 overs, another sharp shower delayed play.
When play started, Shardul Thakur produced an unplayable leg-cutter that Mohammad Rizwan edged to Rahul. Then chinaman Kuldeep Yadav took over. Bowling with zip and a straighter run-up, he castled Fakhar Zaman for a laboured 50-ball 27. Salman Ali Agha was out LBW. Iftikhar Ahmed was caught and bowled. Shadab was caught in the deep and Faheem Ashraf was bowled. Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah did not come out to bat as Pakistan were bowled out for 128 in 32 overs.
India never let their arch-rivals get away and won by 228 runs. They take on Sri Lanka at the same venue today.
Pakistan, who were without the injured Rauf on Monday because scans showed inflammation of his oblique muscle, were hampered as Rahul and Kohli attacked the part-time off-spin of Iftikhar. Kohli, the fastest to 8000, 9000, 10000, 11000, 12000 ODI runs had 13K waiting for him. Babar chose to go on the defensive even though the impressive Naseem Shah was troubling both batters. With the field spread, Kohli chose to run the singles and twos and give the more attacking Rahul the strike. While he got to 50 in 55 balls, the change of gears happened after the 40th over.
As Babar brought back Iftikhar for his second spell, Kohli flicked him for a six over mid-wicket and pulled him for a boundary. Prior to the game, the modern master was 98 runs shy of getting to 13000 ODI runs. Sachin Tendulkar was the fastest to get there in 321 innings. A pull off Shaheen Shah Afridi helped Kohli log a brace and get there 54 innings earlier. He is now just two tons behind Tendulkar’s 49 in ODIs.
Bitterness
Five famous spats
IT'S PERSONAL: FIVE INDIA-PAKISTAN SPATS | Jun 17 2017 |AFP
There is never a dull moment when India and Pakistan clash in cricket. Here are five of their most memorable spats
WHEN MIANDAD MIMICKED MORE
Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More angered Pakistan's mercurial Javed Miandad at the 1992 World Cup in Sydney with constant appeals for a dismissal. Miandad looked furious when More at one stage appealed for a run out, leaping up and down the pitch. Miandad turned towards More and the two exchanged sharp words. The next ball, More flipped the bails off when Miandad was clearly in. The Pakistani imitated More by jumping up and down in one of the most comical moments in international cricket. India won the group match, but Pakistan won the title.
PRASAD'S PERFECT SEND-OFF
In their 1996 World Cup quarter-final in Bangalore, Pakistan opener Aamer Sohail aggressively went after India's opening bowlers. He brought up his 50 at more than a run a ball and celebrated with a blistering four off Venkatesh Prasad. As the ball raced to the fence, Sohail mocked Prasad, pointing to the region with the bat as if to say, “Go fetch“. Sohail tried to repeat the slash off the next ball but was bowled. It was Prasad's turn to hit back, with the bowler appearing to mouth “Go home, you f****** b******.“ India won the match but went out to eventual winners Sri Lanka in the semi-final.
GAMBHIR, AFRIDI SLEDGEFEST
Pakistan's tour of India in 2007 is remembered for Indian opener Gautam Gambhir and Pakistan's Shahid Afridi nearly coming to blows during a One-day International in Kanpur. Gambhir hit Afridi for a four and a verbal joust followed. The next ball the players collided as Gambhir ran for a single. A heated argument ensued with the players hurling abuse at each other. Afridi recently recalled the spat. He said Gambhir was not the friendliest cricketer around and they wouldn't be sharing a coffee with anytime soon.
GAMBHIR'S DRINKS CLASH WITH AKMAL
Gambhir was in the thick of controversy again in 2010 when he clashed with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal during an Asia Cup game at Dambulla. Tempers boiled over after Akmal's confident appeal for caught behind was denied by the umpire. During the drinks break, the two were at each other's throats before captain MS Dhoni pulled aside Gambhir to calm things down.Later in a TV programme, Gambhir brushed aside the spat as a heat-of-the-moment thing and blamed the broadcaster for showing the row instead of advertisements during the break.
HARBHAJAN RUN-IN WITH AKHTAR
The bare-knuckle rivalry between India and Pakistan again came to the fore in the 2010 Asia Cup clash. Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh and Shoaib Akhtar exchanged abuse in Punjabi, a language they both speak, after the Indian hit the `Rawalpindi Express' for a massive six. Harbhajan had the last laugh when he hit the winning six with one ball to spare, triggering wild celebrations in the Indian dressing room. Harbhajan said the two were often rivals on the pitch, but friends off. “Shoaib once threatened me he would come to my room and beat me. I told him come, let's see who beats whom. I was really scared. He is a great hulk,“ the Indian said of their relationship last year.
ODIs
The best ten
From: [From the archives, Oct 14, 2023: The Times of India]
See graphic:
The perfect 10 iconic India-Pakistan ODIs
IANS | Feb 12, 2015 India vs Pakistan: World Cup history
The two neighbours have a rich history of fierce battles on the cricket ground and each encounter sees partisan feelings rise to a feverish pitch. While Pakistan enjoy a considerable advantage in the overall One-Day International (ODI) head-to-head count, claiming 72 of the 126 battles.
India possess a 5-0 scoreline in the World Cup matches.
1978-2018, Aug
Landmark matches
Gaurav Gupta, September 19, 2018: The Times of India
From: Gaurav Gupta, September 19, 2018: The Times of India
How the two teams compared on the eve of their Asia Cup clash in Sept 2018.
From: September 19, 2018: The Times of India
The Ashes has its own charm but nothing matches the high-octane thrill of an India-Pak contest. It’s a tough ask to pick out the five best India-Pak ODI thrillers, but TOI gives it a try…
MIANDAD SEALS IT WITH A SIX (APR 18, 1986)
The Australia-Asia Cup final in Sharjah. Riding on openers Gavaskar (92) and Srikkanth (75), India finished at 245/7. The Pakistan chase seemed to have derailed at 110/4 before Javed Miandad played the innings of his life. When Chetan Sharma ran in to bowl the last over, Pakistan needed 11, with the last pair at the crease. India squandered the opportunity when Azharuddin went for a direct hit and missed the stumps, instead of throwing the ball to Sharma, which could have run out Tauseef Ahmed. That left Miandad on strike for the last ball, with four runs to go. Sharma bowled a full toss and the Pakistan great smashed it long over the midwicket boundary for probably the most famous six in limited-overs cricket. Miandad’s unbeaten 116 is among the top ODI knocks of all time, and the psychological scars of that defeat tormented India for many years thereafter.
ANOTHER SHARJAH SHOOTOUT (MAR 22, 1985)
Imran Khan started off by trapping Ravi Shastri LBW for a duck off the first ball before finishing with an astonishing 6/14 in 10 overs. Only Azharuddin, who top-scored with 47, and skipper Kapil Dev (30) were able to stand up to Imran’s might. India were skittled out for 125 by the 43rd over. At 34/1, Pakistan seemed to be coasting to the low target before Kapil (3-17) inspired an India fightback. Spinners L Sivaramakrishnan and Ravi Shastri then took two wickets each, and Gavaskar’s four catches in the slips were equally vital. Miandad was out for a duck as Pakistan collapsed for 87 by the 33rd over.
SALIM MALIK SPECIAL (FEB 18, 1987)
Powered by Srikanth’s 103-ball 123 and Azharuddin’s 49, India made 238/6 at the Eden Gardens. Pakistan enjoyed a 106-run start through openers Rameez Raza and Younis Ahmed, before a superb spell by Shastri (4-38) pegged them back. When skipper Imran was castled by his opposite number Kapil, the visitors, at 174/6, seemed out of it. Then came the young Saleem Malik. In three overs, in which he carved Maninder Singh for 19, Kapil Dev for 16, and Madan Lal for 13 runs, Malik changed the course of the game, blasting an unbeaten 72 off 36 coming in at No. 8. He single-handedly fashioned Pakistan’s two-wicket win.
JADEJA’S SPECIAL MOMENT (MAR 9, 1996)
The massively hyped World Cup quarterfinal saw Pak skipper Wasim Akram controversially ruled out on match eve. Sidhu slammed 93, but the man who pushed India’s score to 287/8 was Ajay Jadeja, who smashed 40 runs (18 & 22) off two overs from Waqar Younis. With make-shift skipper Aamer Sohail and skipper Saeed Anwar firing away, Pakistan were off to a brilliant start, before Sohail riled up an otherwise calm Venkatesh Prasad. The Indian medium-pacer went on to castle the Pakistan left-hander with a matchturning beauty. Pakistan eventually finished at 248/9.
KANITKAR’S HEROICS (APR 18, 1998)
On a Dhaka belter, Pakistan, riding on hundreds from Saeed Anwar (140) and Ijaz Ahmed (117), made 314/5. A quickfire start by Tendulkar (41 off 26 balls) and Ganguly, who made a brilliant 124, and then an 82-run knock by Robin Singh kept India in the game. In the end, the little-known Hrishikesh Kanitkar smashed a penultimate-ball four in fading light as India pulled off the then-biggest ODI chase.
1978-2018
Shashank Shekhar, June 15, 2019: The Times of India
From: Shashank Shekhar, June 16, 2019: The Times of India
Pakistan exercised dominance over India in One-day cricket in early years. The famous last-ball six Javed Miandad hit off Chetan Sharma to win the Sharjah Cup for Pakistan in 1986 gave the team a psychological edge over India. The ascendancy continued for more than a decade before India turned the tide in the Sahara Cup in Toronto in 1997 with a 4-1 series win.
Between 1978 and 1997, the two countries played 52 ODIs and Pakistan won 33 of them. It was the era of stalwarts like Imran Khan, Miandad, Wasim Akram, Abdul Qadir, Rameez Raja, Saleem Malik who were not only very capable cricketers but also relished a fight against India. Later, stars like Inzamam, Waqar Younis, Saeed Anwar and Moin Khan kept the flag flying high.
However, the tide began changing in the late-1990s with the growth of a new generation of Indian stars who did not carry any baggage of the past, which reflected the rise of India as a global power. Superstars like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag and Anil Kumble were the faces of this change. On the administrative and corporate front too, Indian cricket became bigger. It became more savvy and professional at various levels while in Pakistan, it went the other way.
The advent of players like MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh gave India a winning mentality and the team began winning those close games it would lose earlier. The current bunch, led by Virat Kohli, has continued the good work, making sure the Men in Blue continue to enjoy the upper hand.
The emergence of world class pace bowlers has also helped India maintain the edge. In earlier times, India were a poor match for Pakistan’s pace riches. Often, they were smoked out by Pakistan’s fast men. It’s no longer the case with India boasting of a formidable pace arsenal of its own.
Since 2006, the two teams have contested 30 ODIs and India have bagged 19, a win percentage of 63.33 percent. The overall win ratio still favours Pakistan – 73 wins out of a total of 131. But slowly, India have managed to narrow the gap. And the way it is going, they will continue to remain ahead unless there is fundamental change in the way Pakistan play and run their cricket.
T20 World Cup
2007-2022: 6-1
June 9, 2024: The Times of India
From: June 9, 2024: The Times of India
2007: Durban | A thriller that nobody has forgotten. Both teams were tied at 141 at the end of the group game. But in the ‘bowling’ Super Over, India triumphed. Pakistan opted for pacers who failed to hit the mark. India’s spinners struck the bull’s eye. Robin Uthappa doffing his cap to the crowd after striking the stumps is one of the most memorable images of the inaugural T20 World Cup.
Scores: India 141-9 (20 overs). Pakistan 141-7 (20 overs)
2007: Johannesburg | Gautam Gambhir scored a responsible 75 off 58 balls and Rohit Sharma smashed 30 off 16, which remains his most valuable innings in a big T20 knockout game. When bowling, India seemed to have the game under control, before Misbah intervened. He was on the verge of taking Pakistan home in the final when an overambitious stroke off Joginder Sharma proved to be his undoing. S Sreesanth taking the catch and throwing the ball in the air – the moment still produces goosebumps. Irfan Pathan (3/16) got Man of the Match (MoM).
Scores: India: 157/5 (20 overs). Pakistan 152 (19.3 overs)
2012: Colombo | The match where Virat Kohli took charge, not only with the bat but with the ball. He clean bowled Pakistan captain Mohd Hafiz. And then he decimated the opposition with an outstanding and unbeaten 78 off 61 deliveries. L Balaji took 3/22 but there was no doubt who would be the MoM.
Scores: Pakistan 128 (19.4 overs). India: 129/2 (17 overs)
2014: Mirpur | On a spinning track, India got the better of its traditional rival. Pakistan’s batting failed to fire. Amit Mishra (2/22) received MoM. In reply, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 36 off 32 and Suresh Raina’s undefeated 35 off 28 balls ensured a hasslefree win for India.
Scores: Pakistan 130/7 (20 overs). India 131/3 (18.2 overs)
2016: Kolkata | Rain shortened the game to 18 overs a side. But winning the toss gave India a distinct advantage. The bowling was steady and Pakistan was let down by its batters again. Virat Kohli delivered a superbly controlled unbeaten 55 off 37 balls (strike rate: 149) to anchor India home.
Scores: Pakistan 118/5 (18 overs. India 119/4 (15.5 overs)
2021: Dubai | The law of averages finally caught up with India. After losing 12 successive matches in ODI and T20 World Cups, Pakistan came up with a tablethumping win. India’s batting was timid and the bowling below average.
Scores: India 151/7 (20 overs). Pakistan 152/0 (17.5 overs)
2022: Melbourne | It was the edgiest of encounters. But thanks to an unbeaten 82 by Virat Kohli, India prevailed.
R Ashwin keeping his cool to let go a wide was both nerveless and breathless.
Scores: Pakistan 159/8 (20 overs). India 160/6 (20 overs)
Statistics: Rajesh Kumar
Top five most memorable matches, 2007-2022
June 9, 2024: The Times of India
India and Pakistan, cricket's fiercest rivals, are set to clash for the 13th time in T20 cricket at the Twenty20 World Cup in New York on Sunday. Political tensions mean the two teams only meet in international tournaments, their last encounter being at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Melbourne, where India emerged victorious.
With India leading the head-to-head T20 tally with nine wins to Pakistan's three, the upcoming match promises high drama and intense competition.
Here’s a look back at five of their most memorable T20 encounters:
2007: T20 World Cup Group Match
The first T20 encounter between India and Pakistan in Durban ended dramatically in a tie, leading to a bowl-out. Pakistan, having elected to field, restricted India to 141/9. With scores level at the end of Pakistan’s reply, India skipper MS Dhoni used non-specialists for the bowl-out, a decision that paid off as Virender Sehwag, Robin Uthappa, and Harbhajan Singh all hit the stumps, while Pakistan’s bowlers missed. It remains the only World Cup match decided by a bowl-out, now replaced by the super over.
2007: T20 World Cup Final
In the inaugural T20 World Cup, India and Pakistan faced off again, this time in the final in Johannesburg. Chasing 158, Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq kept hopes alive with a gritty performance. However, needing 13 runs in the final over against Joginder Sharma, Misbah’s scoop shot landed in S Sreesanth’s hands, giving India a thrilling five-run victory and their first T20 World Cup title.
2021: T20 World Cup Group Match
In Dubai, India entered the 2021 T20 World Cup group match as favorites, but Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi had other plans. Shaheen’s 3-31, including the dismissal of opener Rohit Sharma for a first-ball duck, disrupted India’s top-order. Virat Kohli’s 57 offered some resistance, but Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan (79) and Babar Azam (68) chased down the target with ease, securing a historic 10-wicket win, their first World Cup victory over India.
2022: Asia Cup Super Four
In the 2022 Asia Cup Super Four clash in Dubai, Pakistan sought revenge after losing to India in the group stage. Virat Kohli’s 60 helped India post 181/7, but disciplined bowling by Pakistan’s Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan kept the total in check. Nawaz’s quickfire 42 off 20 balls guided Pakistan to a thrilling five-wicket win with one ball to spare.
2022: T20 World Cup Group Stage
Their most recent T20 encounter took place at the packed Melbourne Cricket Ground in the 2022 T20 World Cup. Pakistan posted 159/8 and had India struggling at 31/4. However, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 82 off 53 balls, including a crucial 113-run stand with Hardik Pandya, turned the game around. Needing 31 off the last 12 balls, Kohli’s two sixes off Haris Rauf in the penultimate over set up a four-wicket victory for India on the final ball.
As the cricketing giants prepare to face off in New York, fans can expect another chapter of high-octane drama and fierce competition in the storied rivalry between India and Pakistan.
(With inputs from AFP)
World Cup
1992-2015
From: June 16, 2019: The Times of India
From: June 16, 2019: The Times of India
See graphics:
Pakistan vs. India at the World Cup: 1992-1996
Pakistan vs. India at the World Cup: 2003 -2015
The best Indian, Pakistani players, 1992-2015
From: June 16, 2019: The Times of India
See graphic, 'Vivek Krishnan, The Times of India’s list of the XI best Indian and Pakistani players in the World Cup, 1992-2015 '
Most memorable matches: 1985-2011
The Times of India, Jun 04 2017 As the arch-rivals clash in the Champions Trophy today, Avijit Ghosh looks back at five encounters that became part of cricketing folklore
IMRAN VS INDIA Mar 22, 1985 | Sharjah
Imran Khan is unplayable.When the paceman is finished, his figures read 102-14-6. All out for 125, India too look like they're finished in the Rothman's Cup final.But these are Kapil's Devils 2.0. Playing with a spirit best explained in Bob Dylan's line -when you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose -India send Pakistan packing for 87. One of the finest fightbacks ever.
MIANDAD'S MOMENT Apr 18, 1986 | Sharjah
To this day, the moment remains vivid. Chetan Sharma runs up to bowl the game's last delivery to Javed Miandad. The intended yorker morphs into a full toss. The bat comes down in a flurry of motion. The ball disappears out of sight. Bat raised, Miandad runs in ecstasy. Pakistani supporters invade the ground. And a twisted knife enters the heart of Indian fans and stays there a long time.
JADEJA'S DAY OUT Mar 9, 1996 | Bangalore
Pakistan have the more rounded team. They are cockier too. India, despite home advantage and a decent start, seem to lack the firepower to hustle them in the slog overs.Then, out of nowhere, comes Ajay Jadeja with his turbo charge. His flaying of Waqar Younis has India in delight. In all, Jadeja played 196 ODIS, but for many Indians that 45 off 25 balls is his entire career.
SACHIN BLASTS `EM Mar 1, 2003 | Centurion
Sachin Tendulkar may have smashed a hundred tons 51 in Tests and 49 in ODIs. But for many cricket lovers, the knock where he finished two runs short is the unforgettable one. Chasing Pakistan's 273 and facing their fearsome pace trio Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoiab Akhtar the masterblaster booms like cannons in Tchaikovsky's 1812.An upper cut for six is the piece de resistance. By the time he is gone, 98 off 75 balls, Pakistan is brutalised, broken. An Indian victory is still almost 100 runs away, but they are too deflated and demoralised to notice it.
SEHWAG'S JOYRIDE Mar 30, 2011 | Mohali
Dropped four times by butter-fingered Pakistanis, Tendulkar scores 85 and claims man of the match later. But Viru's mauling of Pakistan's frontline paceman Umar Gul is the World Cup semi-final's iconic moment. Sehwag flicks, cuts and drives, smashing five fours in the game's third over. The 20-run over establishes India's psychological dominance. The visitors never recover.b
1999: Chepauk, Chennai
Anand Vasu/ Would Chepauk stadium be charged with sedition today?/ Nov 2, 2021
It is not clear whether the Indian Penal Code has any provisions to book an entire stadium full of cricket fans for sedition. But,
going by recent evidence, this might have happened way back in 1999 when India played Pakistan at the MA Chidambaram
Stadium in Chepauk, Chennai.
When the fourth day of the Test began, India were 40 for 2, chasing an unlikely 271 for victory. Sadagoppan Ramesh and VVS Laxman, opening at the time, were both gone. Not long after, Rahul Dravid was snuffed out by Wasim Akram. Then came Sachin Tendulkar, and he was not in a mood to go.
At the time we did not know that he was suffering from debilitating back spasms. He certainly did not show it when he was at the crease, commandeering the game and shepherding the chase.
The bowling he was up against was only Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq, with Shahid Afridi and Nadeem Khan, the left-arm spinner as back up.
India, realistically, should not have had any chance in that chase, but Tendulkar breathed life into a game where the opposition was breathing fire. Tight as anything when it came to technique, masterful when it came to picking the ball to attack, patient in defence and perfect in pacing his innings, this was Tendulkar at his best.
Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly came and went, but it was Nayan Mongia who allowed the faithful a realistic glimpse of something good happening. Remember, those were the days when no win against Pakistan came easily.
The two Ws were fearsome executioners and when they had time on their hands they could tease and torment before terminating a batsman. But Tendulkar was playing a different game. He was not contemplating a draw and he knew this was in his hands to win.
Mongia, who had been running a high fever, took a saline drip, a tablet and an injection, and was batting with a sweater in sweltering Chennai heat.
When Pakistan took the new ball, with 95 still needed, Tendulkar's back had all but seized. The consensus was to try and make the most of this passage.
Tendulkar doing Tendulkar things, Mongia taking a few chances.
Runs were added, the target came within touching distance when Mongia chanced his arm one time too many and the resultant swirling edge was caught by Waqar off Wasim.
At this point 53 runs were still needed.
By this point Tendulkar had run out of meaningful support and his body had given up. Tendulkar tried to launch a Saqlain doosra over mid-off, was beaten by the extra bounce and Akram settled under the skier.
From there on four runs were added as India were bowled out, handing Pakistan victory by 12 runs. This should have been the end of it, but it was only the beginning.
None in that crowd left, because they had been treated to a superior game of cricket, taut as a guitar string, and though the result was against them, there was an outpouring of gratitude.
When the Chennai faithful stood up as one to cheer the Pakistan team, they were simultaneously giving thanks to Tendulkar for making the game a modern classic.
When the Chennai crowd got behind Tendulkar, emerging from the dressing-room masking copious tears and back pain no human should endure, they gave thanks to Pakistan, for their part in producing a game for the ages.
This, I can say, with some conviction, as I was in the stands, and had been, in the days leading to this crescendo.
On a previous day, my brother and I had to spend an hour in the lead up to the start of play trying to find someone to swap trousers with. He was wearing black trousers and the authorities thought they might be used as a makeshift flag, waving black to show some form of dissent.
Fortunately those were the days of phone booths, or Public Call Offices, and we found someone to help out. Little did we know back then, that it was not dissent that would get you in trouble, but cheering Pakistan on.
My brother and I shared a bedroom, and on the wall were posters of our heroes. Prime among mine were Imran Khan, the inspirational captain and “oh-so-sexy man” who led Pakistan to victory and glory in the 1992 World Cup, and Akram, among the greatest, most skilful and destructive fast bowlers of all time.
When we rose up as one that day to cheer Pakistan on their victory in that match, it was just the thing to do. It had nothing to do with country or religion or posing or making a point. That’s just how we did things in the stands in Chennai.
We thought nothing more of it and moved on.
Today, my young friends in Chennai and beyond in India may think twice about celebrating a Pakistan win.
Between that 1999 Test match and now I’ve been fortunate to cover multiple India-Pakistan matches across geographies.
2004 Pak tour
Anand Vasu/ Would Chepauk stadium be charged with sedition today?/ Nov 2, 2021
The one
that sticks in the mind, however, happened at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar in 2004.
This was at the height of Atal Behari Vajpayee and Parvez Musharraf harnessing cricket diplomacy and us travellers were already swamped by the concept of mehmaan nawaazi by the time we got there.
How I wish India today had a statesman like #Vajpayee ji. He green-signaled Indian cricket team's 2004 Pak tour with his message: cricket team's 2004 Pak tour with his message:
Khel hi nahi, Dil bhi jeetiye -Win not only the contest, but hearts too!
In the open-air press enclosure there were clear strains of hostility, but, in the North West Frontier Province it wasn’t always clear if the locals were more distrustful of Pakistanis from other parts of the country or India.
While it wasn’t as simple as the enemy of my enemy being a default friend, it was clear that no-one was pre-approved. The match itself was a carnival: India set Pakistan 245 which included a huge six from the hugely popular L Balaji at No 10, but was chased down reasonably comfortably after Yasir Hameed made 98 and Abdul Razzaq finished the game off with 52.
That was perhaps the last time India and Pakistan played each other with any sense of dignity in a bilateral series.
2007
World Twenty20 final
HIGHLIGHTS
India defended a total of 157 against Pakistan in the final
With 6 required to win, Misbah paddled Joginder Sharma only to miscue the shot and find Sreesanth at short fine leg
The win marked the emrgence of MS Dhoni as India's quintessential leader
ICC Champions Trophy final at Edgbaston will be the first between India and Pakistan since 2008, and the first time the two storied rivals will clash at the summit of an ICC-organised ODI event. Prior to this, the only times they have met in an ICC final was the 2007 World Twenty20, when MS Dhoni's fledgling team won an epic in Johannesburg.
Ahead of Sunday's blockbuster, TOI Sports recaps some India v Pakistan classics. In our fourth instalment, we look back at September 24, 2007 when India edged a T20 nail-biter.
The inaugural ICC World Twenty20 changed the landscape of T20 cricket with India going from outsiders - they barely had a domestic T20 setup owing to the BCCI's apathy towards the format - to lifting the title at a packed Wanderers after beating arch-rivals Pakistan by five runs in an epic final. Gautam Gambhir was the star with the bat for India, hitting 75 off 54 balls to get the total to 157/5 against a spirited Pakistan performance in the field, but Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 16-ball 30 proved a crucial cameo.
RP Singh struck early with the wickets of Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal, and Irfan was excellent with figures of 3/16 in his quota as India applied the squeeze. Once again it was Misbah-ul-Haq left with the task of taking Pakistan to an improbable win, and with 54 needed from 24 balls with three wickets in hand he almost did. Almost. After hitting Harbhajan Singh for three sixes in the 17th over, Misbah appeared at his unflappable best until the final over.
After much thinking, Dhoni put faith in Joginder Sharma for the last six balls, from which Pakistan required 13.
The first ball was a wide; the second a full toss which Misbah put away for six. The Pakistan fans at the ground were jubilant, the Indian supporters crestfallen. That's when Misbah walked across his stumps to paddle Joginder to fine leg, only to miscue the shot and find Sreesanth lurking at short fine leg. The second Sreesanth took the catch, The Wanderers exploded.
2018
ICC rejects Pak's $70 million claim against BCCI
K Shriniwas Rao, November 20, 2018: The Times of India
The International Cricket Council's (ICC) Dispute Panel dismissed the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) claim against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) seeking compensation for no bilateral cricket between the two countries and blaming its Indian counterpart for the same.
A case of dispute arose when PCB filed an official complaint with the ICC last year about "massive losses incurred".
In the process, the PCB had sought damages from BCCI to the tune of US$70m and the case had last come up for a three-day hearing between October 1-3 this year. ICC's disputes panel was chaired by Hon Michael Beloff QC, an English barrister and member of the Blackstone Chambers.
The Indian board had sought the services of renowned UK-based sports lawyer Ian Mills to argue its case alongside bringing on board Dubai-based law firm Herbert Smith Freehills. Cyril Amarchand, the Indian law firm that works with the BCCI back home, provided the backend assistance.
"Following a three-day hearing and having considered detailed oral and written submissions, the Dispute Panel has dismissed the PCB’s claim against the BCCI. The judgement, which can be found here in full, is binding and non-appealable," the ICC said in a statement.
The game's global governing body offered no other comment in this regard. The matter, sources say, is now closed. To PCB's credit, the board's former chairman Shaharyar Khan had voiced an opinion that Pakistan stood no chance against India in this matter, which has now turned out to be true.
The BCCI's ace in the dispute hearing turned out to be in the form of former cabinet minister Salman Khurshid's deposition. Khurshid was part of the UPA government when the two neighbouring countries had stopped all cricket between each other owing to cross-border friction and it is on the advice of the government that the BCCI chose not to participate in any bilateral cricket with Pakistan.
Khurshid's deposition caught the Pak board by surprise as the latter was only represented by its former chief Najam Sethi and Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmad.
BCCI CEO Rahul Johri led India's fightback in the matter and was instrumental in setting up the legal workforce to represent the board.
Asia Cup
Till 2018, Aug
From: Arani Basu, Pak Captain Sarfraz Ahmed Talks About The Passion Of An India-Pakistan Encounter; Men In Blue Prefer To Cut Out Hype, September 19, 2018: The Times of India
See graphic:
The performance of the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams in Asia Cup matches against each other, till the eve of their Asia Cup clash in Sept 2018
See also
India & Pakistan: Champions Trophy <> India & Pakistan: Cricket <>
All articles in the series on World Cup (cricket): history have a special section on India vs Pakistan matches, IF the two teams played each other during a World Cup.
