Why do we watch an India-Pakistan match?
Some might say they watch it because of the rivalry, some because there’s pride at stake but for most people, it comes down to cricket. Over the past thirty years or so, India-Pakistan have thrown up several moments of greatness and it is these moments that make us tune in each time the two nations meet.
We tune in, in the hope, that we’ll catch another legend in the making and then be able to say ‘I watched it live.’
Here’s A List Of The Ten Best
1. Ajay’s Jadeja vicious assault, Bangalore – 1996
What an assault this was! Remember it was the pre-T20 era. Remember this was not Chris Gayle. Remember the bowler was Waqar Younis. This simply took our breath away.
2. Javed Miandad’s last-ball six, Sharjah – 1986
The most talked-about moment in India-Pakistan cricket history. Fans from both the countries have contrasting memories of this match when Javed Miandad won it for Pakistan with a last-ball six. It haunted Chetan Sharma for years — perhaps it still haunts India too.
3. Venkatesh Prasad vs Aamer Sohail, Bangalore – 1996
The stage was big, emotions were running high and it was being played at Prasad’s home stadium (Bangalore). India, batting first, had scored a competitive 287 and Pakistan made a blazing start to the chase. Then, this happened.
4. Javed Miandad mimics Kiran More, Sydney – 1992
The spotlight was again on Miandad and this time it was for creating a slapstick moment on the cricket field. Miandad was always known as a fierce competitor. More often than not, he got under the skin of the opposition. And it was a tense game. The arch-rivals were up against each in a World Cup for the first time ever.
5. Sachin Tendulkar’s epic 136, Chennai – 1999
India were set a target of 271 and collapsed to 82/5. Then, Tendulkar took charge and the comeback began. The master batsman was hampered by back spasms but he laboured on and almost took India to victory. India lost but what a knock this was!
6. Rajesh Chauhan’s Miandad moment, Karachi – 1997
Come on! Don’t say ‘Rajesh who’? India had no answer to Miandad’s last-ball six off Chetan Sharma for the longest time. But Rajesh Chauhan’s six in the last over to help India win the second game of the 1997 Wills Challenge Cup in Karachi helped Indians get some measure of revenge.
7. Shahid Afridi’s smashing 102 off 46, Kanpur – 2005
India could make only 249 thanks to Naved-ul-Hassan’s superb spell. Then, Afridi smashed the second fastest century in ODI history (at the time). When he was dismissed in the 15th over, he had already reached 131. Remember ‘Boom Boom Afridi’ is not an ordinary nick-name.
8. Aaqib Javed 7/37 vs India, Sharjah – 1991
There was simply no stopping the 19-year-old Aaqib on this day. He became the youngest bowler to pick a hat-trick in ODIs. He picked seven for 37, which was then the best bowling figures in the format. His hat-trick included the wickets of Ravi Shastri, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar.
9. Joginder Sharma’s last over heroics, Johannesburg – 2007
Thirteen runs were needed off the last six balls, and the Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq, who had brought his side back into the game, was on strike. It was the World T20 final. And Dhoni turned to Joginder Sharma to bowl the last over. This one moment strengthened Dhoni’s position as captain and gave rise to a new era.
10. Some blood and glory
“It was baptism by fire. So much so that after my very first innings in Test cricket, during which I was all at sea against Wasim and Waqar, I began to doubt my ability to bat and question whether I was ever going to be good enough to play at international level,” Tendulkar says in his autobiography.
But we all know how things turned out after that… right?
Let’s hope today’s match throws up at least a few moments which will make it to this list, next time round.
