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Two famous India-Pakistan ODIs, 10 similarities!
Shahid Afridi smashed an unbeaten 18-ball 34, including two consecutive sixes in the final over, to earn Pakistan a tense one-wicket victory over arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup in Dhaka on Sunday.
Chasing a target of 246, Pakistan were on the cusp of victory at 235 for six but suddenly lost three quick wickets and complicated things for themselves.
Former Pakistan captain Afridi, known for his hard-hitting abilities, then came on strike, with the team needing nine off four deliveries, off Ravichandran Ashwin.
The all-rounder, who turned 34 the previous day, needed just two balls as he slammed the off-spinner for two sixes to spark wild celebrations among his team mates.
Cut back to 1986. It’s the final of Austral-Asia Cup in Sharjah, on April 18. The great Javed Miandad hits a last-ball six off Chetan Sharma to give Pakistan a one-wicket victory.
According to a post that went viral on Facebook, the two matches have at least ten similarities.
The uncanny similarity in both matches is hard to ignore. Check them out:
1 Pakistan won the toss and chose to field first in both matches.
2. India’s openers Krisnmachari Srikkanth and Rohit Sharma hit two sixes each.
3. India scored 245 in both matches.
4. Both Javed Miandad and Shahid Afridi hit three sixes each.
5. Both matches ended with a six.
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Two famous India-Pakistan ODIs, 10 similarities!
6. Pakistan won both matches by one wicket
7. Indian bowlers Chetan Sharma and Ravindran Ashwin who bowled the last overs took three wickets each.
8. In the Austral-Asia Cup ODI, Chetan Sharma dismissed Pakistan's number 10 batsman Zulqarnain for a first-ball duck. In the Asia Cup ODI, Ashwin dismissed Pakistan's No 10 Saeed Ajmal for a first ball duck.
9. Three Indian batsmen hit half centuries in both matches (Srikkanth, Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar in 1986; Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja in the Asia Cup match).
10. There were two run-outs in Pakistan’s innings in both matches (Saleem Malik and Wasim Akram in Sharjah; Misbah-ul-Haq and Sohaib Maqsood in Mirpur).