Magic moments from India-Pakistan World Cup encounters - IV

2003 ICC Cricket World Cup

Date: March 1
Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion
Margin: India won by 6 wickets

India's victory over Pakistan was the cornerstone of the side's remarkable run to the final of the competition. And at the centre of the win was India's biggest cricket star: Sachin Tendulkar. Saeed Anwar's 101 runs guided Pakistan to an imposing total of 273 runs. With the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar in the bowling ranks the challenge of overhauling the target was always going to be tough. India needed Tendulkar to fire and he did so with a mix of ferocity and grace.

The Indian batting legend went after the bowling right from the first over. And it was then that the most memorable shot of an Indo-Pak cricket match was invented. Tendulkar heaved a wide delivery from Akhtar over the third man region for a six and made his intentions crystal clear. He continued to take the game away from Pakistan churning out an array of breathtaking shots and playing as if he could do no wrong. The only discomfort Sachin got was through his own body which suffered under a bout of cramps.

Finally, a snorter from Akhtar saw Sachin going back to the pavilion on 98. Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh then combined to take India to their fourth consecutive win over Pakistan in a World Cup game.

Source: MSN-India

Magic moments from India-Pakistan World Cup encounters - III

1999 ICC World Cup

Date: June 8
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Margin: India won by 47 runs
The stiffest test of an India-Pakistan cricket rivalry came against the background of the Kargil battle. Both the nations were in the throes of a war being fought in the rugged environments of Dras sector and Tololing ranges. It was almost given that the battle in the high grounds would find a face in the World Cup encounter between the two sides. The atmosphere was charged up and there were massive security arrangements to ward off any untoward incidents.
In such emotionally charged conditions India chose to bat first. Tendulkar's 45, Azhar's 59 and Dravid's 61 helped India set a target of 228 runs in front of Pakistan. Pakistan's reply was littered with wickets at regular intervals, five of which were bagged by Venkatesh Prasad.
When Wasim Akram's attempted hoick over midwicket landed into the hands of Kumble, India registered perhaps their most satisfying win over Pakistan in cricket. Unlike the first two India-Pak World Cup encounters the Manchester game did not see much friction between the players of the two teams. Perhaps any offense from their side would have sparked a major row in the stands. The match though was not without some blemish. Wisden Almanack reports 'three arrests, nine ejections, and one Indian flag burned during some scuffling at the close.'

Magic moments from India-Pakistan World Cup encounters - II

1996 Wills World Cup
Date: March 9
Venue: M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Margin: India won by 39 runs

India and Pakistan met each other in a pulsating quarterfinal encounter. On the knock-out stage the stakes were high and so were the passion of the fans. Wasim Akram's pull-out just minutes before the match was greeted harshly as fans across Pakistan smelt a conspiracy in the move. The captain's effigies were burnt in the streets of Karachi and Lahore.
India won the toss and in front of a packed Chinnaswamy started to build a mountain of runs for Pakistan. Navjot Singh Sidhu finished 7 runs short of a century after Sachin went for an uncharacteristic 59-ball-31. India ended with massive 287 runs. The big score largely achieved thanks to some belligerent hitting from Ajay Jadeja, who took Waqar Younis apart in the final overs of the match. Jadeja smashed 45 in 25 balls, which included a 22-run feast off one Younis over. India racked 57 runs in the last four.
Chasing the huge target Pakistani openers Saeed Anwar and stand-in-captain Aamir Sohail launched a solid reply. It seemed as if 287 runs would be overhauled in no time. The breakthrough arrived when Anil Kumble had Anwar caught for 48 by Srinath in the deep. Indians heaved a sigh of relief but the misery did not end there. At the other end Sohail was going all out; with the bat and his tongue.
After smacking Venkatesh Prasad for a boundary he pointed the bat toward the direction of the four to rub in the assault. Prasad though made sure that his reply would be more than just words. And it came in just the next ball. Sohail tried to hit another Prasad-delivery to the fence but only managed to clean bowl himself. The crowd roared as a charged Prasad dished out the four-letter word to Sohail. The opener's wicket was the turning point as the Pakistan line-up crumbled under the pressure of a high run chase.

Magic moments from India-Pakistan World Cup encounters - I

When an Indian or a Pakistani cricket fan scans through a World Cup schedule they search for one game: India v Pakistan. The dates are earmarked months before the start of the event. If the match is happening somewhere near, a run to the stadium is made in search of tickets. Bunking school or office on the D-day is not ruled out of question. In small towns across India streets turn empty. In big cities the pubs are jam-packed.

Each and every India-Pakistan game is a nerve jangling affair for the players and the fans. And when the scene shifts to the World Cup cauldron, the intensity often overpowers the quest for the championship win. The World Cup can be conceded, but a loss against Pakistan on cricket's biggest stage is devastating.

Both the teams have clashed four times on the World Cup stage with India having an upperhand. But India-Pakistan encounter goes a step beyond the win-loss and the stats column. All the four matches have a story to tell, a squabble to report or a run-in to write about. MSN India rewinds to those games and relives all the tension and the drama.

1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup

Date: March 4
Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
Margin: India won by 43 runs

Years down the line, India's 43-run win in Sydney became inconsequential in front of the drama which happened in the match. Pakistan's Javed Miandad, who wouldn't take a step back in any contest and Indian wicket-keeper Kiran More, who just couldn't resist needling the Pakistan batsman, served up a moment which the purists would disapprove of, but the fans from both the countries would relish and recall generations ahead.

A flustered Miandad stopped Sachin Tendulkar in his run-up and turned around to tackle the chatterbox More. Miandad turned towards umpire David Shepherd and lodged his complaint with More vociferously pleading his case from behind. What followed this ruckus was to be etched in the history of India-Pakistan cricket. Miandad performed a vigorous frog-leap which would have put the croaking contingent to shame.

India though had the last laugh in the match as Pakistan folded 173 runs in reply to India's 216, which was mostly because of Sachin's attacking 54 and an even more aggressive 26-ball-34 from Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev. The Indian bowling attack led by three pacers, Kapil, Manoj Prabhakar and Javagal Srinath rallied to hold Pakistan much before the finishing line.

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