Mumbai: Team India and Pakistan meet for the sixth time in ICC World Cup on February 15. The team, led by Misbah-ul Haq, lost to Men in Blue in the 2011 edition which added to their fifth defeat on the trot in the mega event. Can the Pakistanis break the jinx this time? Before you scratch your heads. Let us recall five best moments during the clash of arch-rivals in the last 23 years.
Venkatesh Prasad – Aamer Sohail row (1996, Bangalore)
The left-handed opener was on a rampage during the quarterfinal tie in the 1996 World Cup. Pakistan were chasing 288 for victory. After hitting Venkatesh Prasad for a four, he walked up to the bowler, pulled his bat and showed him the boundary. The message, most likely, implied that he is going to hit everything out of the park. Next ball, Prasad cleans him up.
Ajay Jadeja – Waqar Younis show (1996, Bangalore)
When it looked like the Indian batting would collapse, out came the batsman, with bent shoulders and same old smile. Jadeja never looked serious when he played the sport but the bowlers had a tough time believing that. This time, it was Waqar Younis on the other end. He smashed the spearhead all over the park, four fours and two huge sixes, to take India to a respectable total of 287. He scored 45 off 25.
Venkatesh Prasad fifer (1999, Manchester)
When it comes to Pakistan in World Cup, Prasad finds himself at his best. In 1996, he fell two short of a fifer but this time, he compensated. The lanky pacer broke the Pakistan middle order dismissing the in-form Saeed Anwar, followed by Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saleem Malik at Manchester. (Watch it from 33:00)
Sachin Tendulkar 98 off 75 (2003, Centurion)
When he sliced Wasim Akram in the first over for a boundary, the bowler probably understood that the match is over. The Master Blaster, with Virender Sehwag, punished Shoaib Akhtar and took the match away from the opponents in the first 10 overs. Chasing 274, they crossed the 100-run mark in 11 overs. Tendulkar hit 12 boundaries and a six.
Yuvraj Singh first-ball duck (2011, Mohali)
He was in the form of his life. Back among runs as well as wickets, people expected him to continue his good run. On top of that, he was in his own backyard – Mohali. But Wahab Riaz – the left-handed speedster who took a fifer in the match – dismissed him with a terrific yorker in the first ball.
And the funniest of all:
Javed Miandad having a go at Kiran More (1992, Sydney)
