New Delhi: India-Pakistan clash in a fast-paced T20 format is what a cricket fan needs on a Sunday. Both teams will open their T20 World Cup campaign against each other on October 23 in Melbourne. While India has won five out of six encounters between the Asian giants in the T20 World Cups, Pakistan changed its fortunes last time.
With the scoreline going one-all in the Aisa Cup, it would be interesting to watch which team comes out on top this time. While the players prepare for the high-voltage clash, let us revisit the top 5 moments from the India-Pakistan games in T20 World Cups:
1. One-of-its-kind bowl-out
In the inaugural T20 World Cup, Pakistan needed just one run on the last ball, but Misbah got himself run out off Yuvraj’s throw to Sreesanth, who went to hit the stumps. The game was tied and went into a bowl-out. Virender Sehwag, a part-time off-spinner, bowled the first ball and hit the stumps while Pakistan’s Yasir Arafat missed. Harbhajan Singh, another finger sinner, came in and bowled a straight delivery to hit the stumps while Umar Gul swung the ball just to miss. In the third round, Dhoni gave the ball to Robin Uthappa, a wicketkeeper-batter. Uthappa bowled a seam-up delivery and knocked the stumps, while Shahid Afridi, the legendary quick wrist spinner, missed.
India won the game and bowl-out was never seen again in international cricket. Meanwhile, every Indian cricket fan remembers Uthappa bows with his cap off.
2. India wins inaugural T20 World Cup
Gautam Gambhir scored a brilliant 75 off 54 deliveries while Rohit Sharma provided a fine finish with 30* off just 16 deliveries. At the same time, Umar Gul’s 3-for-28 halted India to 157/5. After losing Mohammad Hafeez in the first over Pakistan tried to rekindle but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. But Misbah-ul-Haq had other plans. He took the game deep while playing at a good strike rate.
While RP Singh and Irfan Pathan, who picked three wickets each, completed their full quota, and Harbhajan was afraid to bowl the final over, MS Dhoni handed the ball to inexperienced Joginder Sharma. With 13 needed off the last over, Sharma started with a wide. After a dot ball, Misbah hit him for a six. With one wicket in hand and Misbah on the crease, Pakistan was in a comfortable position to hit 6 runs in 4 balls. Joginder bowled a full delivery and Misbah decided to go for a scoop over short fine-leg and in came Ravi Shastri’s magical words, “Straight up in the air and Sreesanth takes the catch.”
3. Pakistan wins for the first time
Pakistan overcame the World Cup curse in 2021 by finally winning a game against India in the T20 World Cup. With Shaheen Shah Afridi’s swing, India lost Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul’s wickets for just six runs. Former captain Virat Kohli scored 57 off 49 balls to take India to 151/7.
The chase was a cakewalk for Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan who did it in 17.5 overs. Rizwan scored 79* off 55 while Babar scored 68* off 52 and with 17 runs in the 18th over, Pakistan created history.
4. Kohli dismisses Hafeez
Virat Kohli was more regular with his bowling during his under-19 days and has also bowled as a part-timer in the senior squad. Pakistan was struggling with 56/4 in 9 overs when Kohli came in to bowl his second over. He bowled onto the leg stump and Hafeez tried to play it on the off-side just to edge it and the ball knocked the leg stump. Kohli ended up with the figures of 3-0-21-1 after he went for 15 runs in his third.
Pakistan could only reach a total of 128 after Lakshmipathy Balaji picked three and Ashwin and Yuvraj picked two wickets each. Kohli anchored the chase with his brilliant knock of 78* off 61.
5. Kohli dedicates fifty to Tendulkar
Playing an 18-over game in the 2016 T20 World Cup, King Kohli showed his class in a low-scoring game. Losing wickets at regular intervals in the middle overs, Pakistan could only manage 118/5. Shoib Malik showed some character and scored 26 off 16.
Mohammad Sami and Mohammad Amir charged up against India and took three early wickets. Virat Kohli built a partnership with Yuvraj Singh to create a new base for the chase. Hi went on to score 55* off 37 balls and dedicated his fifty to his mentor Sachin Tendulkar, who was watching the game in the stadium.
