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Pakistan outclassed in World Cup 2011
As India and Pakistan get ready to kick-off their limited-over series, Manu Shankar looks back at some memorable One-Day International matches between the arch-rivals.
With India and Pakistan finally deciding to resume cricketing ties after five years, fans from both countries can't wait for the mother of all battles to begin.
The neighbours last played in a bilateral series in November 2007. The series was clinched 3-2 by India, after which ties between the countries were snapped after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
As we wait for the much-anticipated series, here's a look at some memorable encounters between the arch-rivals.
World Cup 2011 (semi-final)
It's a match Indian fans can't get over with. The World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan was, arguably, the best of the tournament.
India won the toss and opted to bat first on a placid Mohali track. They got off to a flying start, courtesy Virender Sehwag, who blasted the Pakistan bowlers to all corners of the park.
Once Sehwag departed, Sachin Tendulkar struck a brilliant 85. The veteran batsman got a few reprieves thanks to generosity of the Pakistani fielders. Suresh Raina hit a quickfire 36 in the closing stages to help India post a healthy 260.
Wahab Riaz was Pakistan's most successful bowler, claiming five wickets for 46 runs.
Defending the total, India's bowlers kept a tight check on the runs. Veteran Ashish Nehra, especially, was miserly at one end. With the pressure mounting, Pakistan succumbed for 231, giving India a 29-run win.
When Kohli laid Pakistan low
This was another masterpiece after the World Cup thrashing. Pakistan came up stronger this time in the Asia Cup match in Dhaka, but it was not enough to stop the Indians.
Riding high on twin centuries from Nasir Jamshed (112) and Mohammad Hafeez (105), the neighbours put up a mammoth 329 for 6.
India, in reply, were off to the worst possible start, losing Gautam Gambhir to the second delivery of the innings. However, the young Virat Kohli stepped in and emerged the man of the crisis. He smashed a 148-ball 183 which turned the match on its head.
In the end, India overhauled the huge target with 13 balls to spare. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni struck the winning runs, as India registered their best ever ODI chase.
Kanitkar's tryst with destiny
Chasing what was then the highest total in one-dayers, Sourav Ganguly scripted a master class innings, before a youngster stole the limelight from Dada.
Chasing 315 for victory in the final of the Independence Cup at the National Stadium in Dhaka, Hrishikesh Kanitkar hit the winning runs in near darkness to pull off a sensational victory.
Chasing a mammoth target in the match which was reduced to 48 overs each, Indian openers Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly gave India a blazing start.
And when Kanitkar pulled Saqlain Mushtaq for a boundary off the second-last ball of the match to cross Pakistan's score, the Indian team's performance entered the record books for the highest total successfully chased.
Ganguly was later adjudged the man-of-the-match and bagged the WorldTel 'most valuable player' trophy while Tendulkar earned the 'man-of-the-series' award for his consistent good showing.
Ganguly's 124 had kept India in the hunt, and Robin Singh's 82-ball 83 propelled India for a late flurry.
However, Saqlain Mustaq brought Pakistan back into the match, claiming three wickets for 66 runs.
India needed nine runs in the last over when Javagal Srinath joined Kanitkar. At the bowler's end was Mushtaq.
Kanitkar took a single off the first ball, Srinath took two runs each of the next two balls and the single off the next to leave the equation at three runs needed from two balls. Kanitkar became an instant hero in India as he clubbed Saqlain over deep midwicket for four.
India's record of successfully chasing the biggest target surpassed Sri Lanka's victory over Zimbabwe, who scored 312 in the 1992 World Cup in New Zealand.
Super Sachin at Sportsport Park
India's victory over Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup at the Sportsport Park in South Africa was the cornerstone of the side's remarkable run to the final of the competition. And the central figure in the victory was none other than India's biggest cricket star, Sachin Tendulkar.
Chasing Pakistan's 273, Tendulkar went after the bowling right from the onset. India were up against the guile of Wasim Akram and the fire and fury of Shoaib Akthar. The contest really began -- and almost ended -- in the second over. Akthar began with three reasonably decent deliveries, working himself gradually up to top pace. Number four was quick, outside off, and kicking -- but Tendulkar was ready for it as he brought out his trademark upper-cut it for a huge six over the thirdman region.
The next delivery was furiously fast and full, just outside the off -- and disappeared through extra cover far faster than it had arrived. The final delivery of the over was whipped off his pads through midwicket, the ball rocketing to the square leg fence.
Akthar's first over went for 18 runs. It was a while before he got to bowl a second -- Waqar Younis waved the white flag, and took off his star bowler; the speed merchant who for two days before the game had told all who would listen just what he intended to do to Tendulkar and the rest of the batsmen.
From that point on, there really was only one team in the game.
Akhtar had the last laugh though as he got Tendulkar out off a snorter in the 27th over but by then the damage had already been done. The first delivery was a snorter of a bouncer that even Tendulkar in that mood couldn't get out of the way of -- the ball found the handle and ballooned to point for a lovely catch by Younis Khan, and Tendulkar walked back two short of a seemingly inevitable century.
Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh then combined to take India to their fourth consecutive win over Pakistan in a World Cup game.
The record that stood for more than a decade
Yes folks, we are talking about Saeed Anwar's record score of 194.
May 21, 1997, will always be etched in India-Pakistan cricket history. The record stood for 13 years before Sachin Tendulkar finally overcame the 'Everest' with a double century against South Africa in Gwalior.
Opting to bat first on a rank turner in Chennai, Anwar scripted a magnificent 194 off 146 balls to become the highest individual scorer in ODIs. Although he had the luxury of a runner for most of his innings, he produced an awesome exhibition of batting and single-handedly led Pakistan's charge. In the course of his knock he hit Anil Kumble for three consecutive sixes.
But just as he looked good for the first double hundred in ODIs, he lost his wicket attempting a sweep, Sourav Ganguly making no mistake with the catch.
India did come up with a good fight, chasing 327, courtesy a 107 from Rahul Dravid, but eventually fell short by 35 runs.
Aaqib Javed picked 5-61 as India were bundled out for 292.
Miandad's last ball six lifted Pakistan to victory
This one is a blast from the past! Sharjah has seen many an epic India-Pakistan battle, but none better than the 1986 match which Pakistan won by one wicket.
Pakistan needed four runs to win the game, with Chetan Sharma, at his peak, bowling the final ball of the innings.
Sharma knew what to do: a yorker would seal Pakistan's fate. However, his delivery turned out to be a low full-toss that Javed Miandad dispatched over the midwicket boundary for maximum.
Even before it cleared the area, the dashing batsman had raised his arms in triumph, and sprinted off the pitch in celebration after a brilliant 116.
Jadeja, Prasad knock the wind out of Pakistan
The bat pointing gesture by Aamir Sohail in the India-Pakistan quarter-final match in Bangalore is perhaps the best memory of the 1996 World Cup.
Following that was the perfect answer by the Indian pacer Venkatesh Prasad castling the southpaw.
Sohail had hammered Prasad for four to the square boundary and brashly signaled the bowler to fetch the ball. The Indian paceman just turned his back and prepared to send down the next ball. He got in a leg-cutter, and Sohail went for a big heave but completely missed the line. The ball crashed into the off stump. It was Prasad's turn to promptly show him the way to the pavilion. Prasad finished with five wickets.
But prior to that Ajay Jadeja had tonked Waqar Younis to all corners as India, batting first posted 287. One of his most remembered innings was his cameo when he blasted 45 off 25 balls, including 40 from the final two overs.India emerged victorious by 39 runs.
When Aaqib Javed derailed India
Pakistan is known to produce world-class pacers and this was yet another display of fast bowling.
Aaqib Javed bowled himself into record books as he ran through Indian batting order, finishing with figures of 7-37, including a hat-trick - that including the wickets of Ravi Shastri, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sachin Tendulkar.
In the end Pakistan won by 72 runs in Sharjah.