India managed to maintain their winning streak against Pakistan last week as their players held their nerves but the tournament is still open. Anything’s possible.
We decided to shortlist six non-World Cup innings in reply to the six World Cup matches Pakistan have lost to India; the Indian channels never air these six innings, no matter what, as it dents their ‘India Victorious’ tag. But we can discuss them as they give us a chance to get back at them for making fun of us through TV commercials (yes, I am talking about Mauqa Mauqa) because the reality is far bitter for the men in blue. Let’s look at the six best moments the Indians would like to forget, but we will never let them.
Javed Miandad - Sharjah, 1986
‘Last Ball… Four Runs Required.’ Never before had a batsman hit a six off the final ball of a One-day International but it became a stepping stone after Javed Miandad dispatched the Chetan Sharma full-toss to the boundary for a winning six, the echo of which is still clear in everyone’s mind.
Chasing 246 runs to win in the final of the Austral-Asia Cup against the world champions, Pakistan never really had a chance considering they had never won anything involving more than two teams.
But Javed Miandad had other ideas -- the street-smart cricketer stayed cool while wickets kept falling on the other end. He ended up scoring as many as 116 not out off 114 deliveries with just three fours and three sixes but one of them sealed the fate of the match, and got Pakistan the first of their many trophies.
Saleem Malik - Calcutta, 1987
He came, he saw and he conquered. When Saleem Malik went out to bat in that famous encounter, he asked the non-striker Imran Khan for advice. The captain replied "whatever you want" and the batsman did exactly that. Pakistan were chasing 239 runs in 40 overs but thanks to Imran Khan’s shrewd captaincy, 161 runs were already on board when Malik entered the Eden Gardens. The team needed 70-odd runs, six per over; Saleem Malik changed the gear and went in super pursuit mode.
The world champions were again on the losing side as Saleem Malik blasted his half century off 23 deliveries, one of the fastest in those days. He finished with unbeaten 72 runs off just 36 deliveries against Kapil Dev, Madan Lal, Roger Binny, Maninder Singh and Ravi Shastri. Pakistan won the match by two wickets with three balls to spare.
Aaqib Javed - Sharjah, 1991
They had the best batting side in the world. We had the best bowlers on the planet. When the two teams met in the final of the Sharjah Cup in 1991, it was supposed to be electrifying; but only one bowler came out as the winner -- Aaqib Javed who finished the match with seven wickets for 37 runs, at that time the best bowling figures in One-day Internationals.
The Indians were to chase 263 runs in 50 overs but besides Sanjay Manjrekar’s 52 no one could do much. When the captain Azharuddin and star batsmen Sachin Tendulkar are the second and third victims off a splendid hat-trick, the team is not to be blamed. (And yes, Tendulkar forgot about this incident as well in his autobiography; how convenient!)
Ijaz Ahmed - Lahore, 1997
It was the Indian cricket team’s first visit to Pakistan since 1989; the three-match series was tied at 1-1 and Pakistan were chasing 217 runs. Skipper Saeed Anwar decided to send Ijaz Ahmed to open the innings. It was the first match under floodlights at the Gaddafi Stadium for the home team. The decision paid off when the master blaster did the trick. Ijaz scored quick-fire 139 runs off just 84 deliveries, completing his century off 68 balls.
He hit as many as nine towering sixes and helped Pakistan reach the target in the 27th over. Pakistan won the series due to this innings and Abey Kuruvilla, Debashish Mohanty, Nilesh Kulkarni, Rajesh Chauhan and others were shocked as to what hit them, and why.
Saeed Anwar - Chennai, 1997
It was the sixth match of the Independence Cup in India but all one remembers is Saeed Anwar’s innings of 194 runs -- the highest individual score in ODIs at that time.
The left-hander was making a comeback in the side after missing cricket for a few months and what better way to assert his supremacy than to beat the world record, 189* by the great Viv Richards, against the arch-rivals in their own backyard.
Hampered by injury early in the innings, the master craftsman continued to bat with a runner, scoring 118 runs off boundaries. His 22 fours in the innings were also a record at that time and one must mention the sportsmanship of Chennai crowd who applauded him whenever Saeed Anwar deserved it. Pakistan won the match and Saeed Anwar conquered the world with his innings of a lifetime!
Shahid Afridi - Kanpur, 2005
The first delivery Shahid Afridi defended in his innings was the 46th one - he was bowled off it but not before helping Pakistan to an explosive start that every captain dreams off.
Chasing 250 runs to win in a series that was tied 2-2, with two matches remaining, Shahid Afridi went berserk and scored one of the fastest centuries in one dayers. His 45-ball century was against a bowling attack that was anything but weak and featured nine sixes and 10 fours. It not only consolidated his position as one of the most exciting batsmen in ODIs but also showed the Indians that Boom Boom was no fluke.