India vs Pakistan has always been a sold-out blockbuster in the cricket field. This rivalry has always made us fall in love with this sport. It is more than just a cricket match; it's a battle, a battle of the two Asian giants. The ODI cricket World Cup, where the stakes are at their highest, is currently ongoing in India. Although India has always dominated Pakistan in the ODI cricket World Cup, there are some India vs Pakistan moments that are worth reliving. Here's the list of the Top 10 Pakistan vs India Cricket World Cup Moments -
1. 1996 Bengaluru, Ajay Jadeja Quickfire
It is one of Ajay Jadeja's most iconic innings. It was the quarterfinals, India vs Pakistan, a match made in heaven. Before this match, Pakistan's Waqar Younis was already a celebrated cricket legend and was considered to be the best bowler of the era, with 98 wickets in 107 One-Day Internationals at an average of 21.73. A 25-year-old young Ajay Jadeja absolutely belted Waqar Younis for 45 runs in just 25 balls, and no, it was not a T20 match.
2. 1992 Sydney, Sachin's Masterclass
Leading up to the 1992 World Cup, India had lost many matches against Pakistan in the bilateral series, but this time, the stakes were at their highest. It was the first time India and Pakistan faced each other in a World Cup tournament. It was a low-scoring match, with India only scoring 217 runs in the first innings. Sachin made an unbeaten 54 runs and also went on to take the crucial wicket of Aamer Sohail, who was batting brilliantly that day. Sachin was awarded the man of the match for his overall performance.
3. 1992 Sydney, Javed Miandad And Kiran More Incident
Pakistan was chasing 217, and Javed Miandad was batting in the middle. It was a tricky chase, and Kiran More tried to get under his skin by appealing to unnecessary moments. Javed got frustrated and started to jump in the air, mimicking Kiran's appeal. Later, India went on to win the game by 43 runs.
4. 2015 Australia, Virat Kohli's Century
It was the 4th match of that ODI World Cup. Kohli had already faced Pakistan in the 2011 World Cup, but this time, he was more mature. India won the toss and chose to bat first. Kohli belted Pakistan for 107 runs with a strike rate of 84.92. Later, India went on to post a target of 300 runs and won the game easily.
5. 2011 India, Sachin's LBW Drama
2011 CWC semifinals, the stage was set for yet another classic India vs Pakistan encounter. India won the toss and chose to bat first. After Sehwag's wicket, both Sachin and Gautam Gambhir were trying to build a partnership. Pakistan knew they needed to break this flow. Afridi called his 'Jadugar' Saeed Ajmal for this job. Sachin was batting on 23 and was looking comfortable, but suddenly, one ball came in and hit the middle of his pads. It seemed almost plumb to the naked eye. Umpire Ian Gould also raised his finger. Sachin went for a review, and DRS showed that the ball was missing leg stump. Later, Sachin scored 85 runs and also won the man of the match for his performance with the bat. After the match, Saeed Ajmal claimed that the review was rigged and he had taken Sachin's wicket in that controversial semifinal.
6. 2003 Centurion, Sachin's Record-breaking innings
India was chasing a target of 273 runs thanks to the brilliant century put up by the Pak legend Saeed Anwar. In the 6th over of the chase, Waqar Younis sent both Sehwag and Ganguly back to the pavilion. Now all eyes were on Sachin. With Mohd Kaif on the other side, they both put up a brilliant partnership of 102 runs for the next wicket. Sachin went on to score 98 runs before getting out to Shoaib Akhtar. Later, Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh scored the remaining 97 runs and won the match easily.
7. 1996 Bengaluru, Venkatesh Prasad's Revenge
It was the quarterfinal of the 1996 cricket World Cup. India had posted a target of 288 runs. In the next innings, an opening stand of 84 runs in 10 overs was put by Aamer Sohail and Saeed Anwar. It was the 14th over of that inning when things started to get a little heated. On the fourth ball of that over, Aamer smashed Prasad for a boundary on the Offside. He then gestured towards Prasad and showed him the boundary line, implying what he was going to do in the next ball. However, destiny had other plans. Prasad cleaned up his wicket in the very next ball and showed him the direction to the pavilion, giving us this iconic moment.
8. 2019 Manchester, Rohit Sharma Goes On Rampage
India had entered the tournament as one of the favorites. They faced Pakistan in their 4th match, having won all three previous games. India was also considered the favorite in this match. Pak won the toss and chose to field first. In the form of his life Rohit Sharma blasted in the match, scoring a mammoth century of 140 runs in 113 balls with 14 fours and three sixes. India went on to set a humongous target of 336 runs.
9. 2019 Manchester, Kuldeep Yadav's Magic
India was defending a massive total of 336 runs. It was Kuldeep Yadav's first World Cup match against arch-rivals Pakistan. After the first wicket, Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman looked quite comfortable between the wickets. Then comes Kuldeep Yadav's masterclass. A flighted delivery that went through the bat and pads of set batter Babar Azam cleaned his stumps. Later he also took the wicket of Fakhar Zaman, shattering Pakistan's spine. Pakistan went on to lose the match by 89 runs.
10. 2023 Ahmedabad, The Hitman Show
The ODI World Cup returned to India after 12 years. India faced Pakistan on 14 October at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India won the toss and chose to field first. Babar Azam's 50 and Mohd Rizwan's 49 propelled the score to 191. But it was a below-par target for the home team. Rohit Sharma played a captain's knock of 86 runs in 63 balls and ended the game single-handedly. Later, India won the match comfortably, with Shreyas Iyer scoring a half century at the end.
