When India and Pakistan face off in a cricket match in an ICC event, faces are glued to the TV in both the nations. There is a lot at stake when these two teams go against each other. Their rivalry is unparalleled, considered by many to be the biggest rivalry in sports.
Tempers flare in these high-pressure games, as witnessed a lot of times before. Now that India once again has been grouped with Pakistan for the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup, the build-up towards their game is already making the rounds.
On that note, we take a look at 5 Iconic Matches between India and Pakistan in ICC events.
5) 2011 ODI World cup semi-final
The arch rivals faced off in a high voltage semi-final clash in the 2011 ODI World Cup. It took place at IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on March 30. Batting first, India put up a competitive total of 260/9 courtesy Sachin Tendulkar’s 85. There were a couple of valuable contributions from Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina as well.
Pakistan were off to a decent start but kept losing wickets at regular intervals. They couldn’t build a partnership of substance at any stage and Misbah Ul Haq was left to fight a lone battle. He tried his best but it wasn’t enough on the night as India defeated Pakistan by 29 runs to progress to the finals.
4) 2017 ICC Champions Trophy Final
The stage was set for a mega-climax with the fierce rivals going against each other in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final. Pakistan set the target this time after India put them in to bat first. On the back of a fabulous hundred from Fakhar Zaman, they put up a target of 339. It was a lackluster display of bowling from the Indian side.
Their in-form batsmen then fumbled under the mountain of runs. With more than half the side back in the hut at 72, India was barreling towards an embarrassing defeat. Hardik Pandya gave it his all but India eventually fell short by a whopping 180 runs. It was the most humiliating defeat the Men-in-Blue had ever suffered against Pakistan.
3) 2012 T20 World Cup Super 8
In another scenario where Pakistan batted first, the Men-in-Green put up a paltry total of 128 in their stipulated 20 overs. Lakshmipathy Balaji was the pick of the bowlers, with Yuvraj Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin providing good support. However, it wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
India had to toil hard for their runs, and they did. Although they lost Gambhir on the second delivery of the innings, a partnership between Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli took them closer. The latter went on to top score with a hard-fought 61-ball 78 which helped India overcome Pakistan once again in ICC events with eight wickets and 18 balls to spare.
2) 2007 T20 World Cup Group Stage
The inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup made the shortest format what it is today. Part of the credit also goes to India and Pakistan, who played a tight-knit contest in the group stages. Courtesy a Robin Uthappa fifty, India set a target of 142 in 20 overs at Kingsmead, Durban.
Pakistan were in a spot of bother at 47/4 during the chase, but a Misbah Ul Haq masterclass saw them tie the game in the last over. It resulted in the first and only bowl-out, where the Indian bowlers hit the stumps in all three tries. Pakistan failed to do so even once and therefore ended up on the losing side.
1) 2007 T20 World Cup Final
The second time the nemeses faced off, the stakes were even higher considering the trophy was at stake. It was pretty much a repeat of the group stage match, with Gautam Gambhir this time top-scoring with a 75 off 54 balls. A useful middle-order contribution from Rohit Sharma saw India set a target of 158.
Pakistan faltered at various stages and were once again in need of a rescue act from Misbah Ul Haq at 77/6. In the company of Yasir Arafat and Sohail Tanvir, he brought Pakistan back into the game and put them in a winning position. However he ran out of partners before being the last one to be dismissed which sparked delirious celebrations in the Indian camp.