From Manchester to Mohali – India’s top three victories against Pakistan in ODI World Cups

In less than 24 hours, India will be going head on against their arch-rivals, Pakistan, in the latest edition of the World Cup. India started their tournament on a high with a couple of emphatic wins against Australia and Afghanistan while Pakistan breezed past Netherlands and Sri Lanka in their first two fixtures.

Whenever these two sides collide, excitement is rife with fans of both teams hoping for their team to win. India still holds an upper hand over their rivals with a 7-0 lead in the World Cup. However, as the nation gears up for the biggest rivalry in cricket, we thought of taking a stroll down the memory lane and talk about three matches between these two juggernauts in the World Cup where India had to overcome almost insurmountable odds but they did it nonetheless and defeated Pakistan.

1.    India won by 47 runs, 1999, Manchester

This was a low-scoring affair between the two juggernauts which saw hefty blows being exchanged. Batting first, India could pile up 227/6, riding on the heroics of Rahul Dravid who scored a brilliant 61 while their captain Mohammad Azharuddin smashed 59. Chasing a total of 228 for Pakistan that had a star-studded batting line-up featuring the likes of Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Ijaz Ahmed felt like a cakewalk.

However, things suddenly went sideways for the Men in Green as Javagal Srinath dealt a double whammy, clinching the wickets of Afridi and Ijaz, while Venkatesh Prasad got the better of Saleem Malik. Not long after, Prasad sent Saeed Anwar back to the pavilion, leaving Pakistan tottering at 65/4. To make matters worse, Anil Kumble removed Azhar Mahmood shortly too and India from almost a point of no return, were assured of a victory. Despite a resilient showdown from Moin Khan (34) and Inzamam (41), Pakistan could never really get themselves back in the groove.

All the huff and puff of late resurgence from the Men in Green was blown away to dust as Prasad came into the attack and started bowling with his tail up. Reaping rewards of some regimented discipline, Prasad clinched the scalps of Moin, Inzamam and Wasim Akram, sending Pakistan into a full-blown meltdown. It was Venky who was awarded the Player of the Match for his spell of 5/27 while India clinched a 47-run win.

2.    India won by 6 wickets, 2003, Centurion

Out of all the matches that these two teams have played, this fixture would certainly go down in history as Sachin Tendulkar bossed the Pakistani bowling unit like none other. In a tournament where the Little Master stamped his authority against every alternate nation, Pakistan proved to be child’s play to the magician who was hammering away at their bowlers at will.

Batting first, Pakistan could manage 273/7, a score that was deemed as pretty monumental back in the day. Saeed Anwar scored an excellent 101 to spearhead the charge but the rest of the batters came forward with cameos to propel the Men in Green to a significant number on the board.

With the Indian bowlers failing to make an impact that could help the Men in Green, it was Virender Sehwag and Sachin who went all guns blazing against a Pakistani bowling attack that comprised the likes of Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Younis. Sachin played the anchor up front while Sehwag was in a destructive mood. As India cruised at 53/0 from 5.3 overs, that is where it all exploded for Ganguly and his men. Sehwag (21) holed out to Younis Khan while Sourav was trapped leg before by Waqar first ball.

The two wickets in quick succession sent shockwaves through India but the presence of Tendulkar in the center still provided hope for the Men in Blue. Mohammad Kaif’s arrival calmed the frayed nerves as India started motoring again. In the meanwhile, Sachin got out of anchoring husk and started peppering the Pakistani bowlers left, right and center.

Kaif and Dravid paired well alongside Sach to get India into a position from where they could launch themselves forward while Yuvraj’s late flourish saw India scripting a remarkable win by six wickets and 26 balls to spare. Sachin Tendulkar was awarded the Player of the Match award for his blistering 98 from 75 balls.

3.    India won by 29 runs, Mohali, 2011

The Men in Blue found themselves in a bit of a soup with the bat in their hand in the penultimate stage of the 2011 World Cup. Virender Sehwag belted the Pakistani bowlers up front, smashing 38 from 25 while Sachin Tendulkar played the anchor early on. However, the fall of Sehwag saw India wobble as the rest of the batters could barely build on.

It was Tendulkar who came to the fore again, blasting a 85 from 115 balls while MS Dhoni (25) and Suresh Raina (36) knitted instrumental cameos to get India to 260/9. Wahab Riaz was the pick of the Pakistani bowling lot as he clinched 5/46.

Defending a paltry 260, India knew that they had to act swift. Despite starting off on a fine note, Pakistan lost their first wicket to Zaheer Khan, who managed to take the ball away from Kamran Akmal and the latter holed out to Yuvraj Singh at point for 19. Munaf Patel helped India land their second wicket of the evening as he clinched Mohammad Hafeez with MS Dhoni pouching a sitter. Asad Shafiq’s towering resilience fizzled away shortly too as Yuvi sneaked through his defences. Singh struck for a second time within just three runs as he claimed his next scalp, removing Younis Khan.

Misbah ul Haq and Umar Akmal tried their very best to fend off the Indian invasion but the tricks hardly worked as Zaheer came back for a second spell and sent the latter back to the hut. Once Akmal fell, there was no going back for Pakistan as the rest of the tail could hardly produce anything significant with Misbah being the solitary warrior. India skittled them out for 231 as all their bowlers claimed a brace each. Sachin Tendulkar was awarded the Player of the Match for his match-defining India as India won by 29 runs to book their ticket to the final.