3. Match 5 of Asia Cup 2012
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka
The current Indian captain Virat Kohli’s highest ODI score of 183 came in this game. Riding on centuries from both Mohammad Hafeez (105) and Nasir Jamshed (112), Pakistan posted a handsome 329/6 at the end of their 50 overs.
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After a brilliant outing with the bat, Hafeez returned to remove Gambhir on only the second ball of the innings.What ensued from thereon was a prolific second wicket partnership of 133 between Tendulkar and Kohli which pushed Pakistan out of the contest. Tendulkar made a delightful 52 off 48 balls, while Kohli—who by then had evolved into India’s most potent match-winner in ODI cricket—toyed with the reputed Pakistani bowling attack comprising Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Wahab Riaz, which enabled India to win the game with 13 balls to spare.
Incidentally, the match turned out to be Tendulkar’s final ODI appearance when he announced his retirement from the 50-over format later that year.
