Dubai: Two classic shots that I can never forget while reporting India-Pakistan contests are Javed Miandad’s last ball six off Chetan Sharma in Sharjah in 1986 and Sachin Tendulkar’s upper cut six at the Supersport Park in Centurion during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. There are many matches too that are etched in the memory forever and a majority of them are India-Pakistan encounters.
Many times we have heard an India-Pakistan match being referred as a battle between two arch rivals who are neighbours. I feel it’s time that such a reference should be stopped and instead it should be referred as a clash between the two countries which produces great cricket.
People would never have gone and filled the stadiums again and again nor glued themselves to the televisions had these two countries produced poor or one-sided contests. It is a fact that India dominates Pakistan in International Cricket Council tournaments but despite that enviable record, India cannot vehemently say they will do it again. That uncertainty is what makes an India-Pakistan clash very special.
A cricket fan’s authority over the game increases according to the number of India-Pakistan match he watches and hence it is no surprise that when these two countries clash some cities come to a standstill. So today’s Champions Trophy too will be keenly watched hoping for great cricket.
Pakistan may not have the stars that made them formidable but everyone knows that as a team, if they combine, they cannot be defeated.
It is not an innings that a batsman plays or a great bowling spell from a bowler that makes the encounter special but also the dramatic scenes on and off the field. No one will forget Miandad mimicking Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More leaping up like a frog, clutching his bat with both hands during the 1992 World Cup. In the 1996 World Cup, when Pakistan were cruising towards a comfortable win at 113 for 1 in the 15th over, skipper Aamer Sohail suddenly gestured towards bowler Venkatesh Prasad in an abusive manner after hitting him for a boundary. Venkatesh responded by dismissing him the next ball and Pakistan kept losing wickets and lost the match by 39 runs.
In Mirpur, during the 2012 Bangladesh Asia Cup match after Pakistan posted 329 for 6, one saw Virat Kohli play a classic knock of 183. This was the knock which made many remark that he will be the next Tendulkar. Players often state during pre-match press conferences that an India-Pakistan match will only be just another game, but in reality it is the players trying to ease the tension believing that it is just another match.
As Pakistan skipper Sarfraz candidly remarked yesterday: “If you perform in an India-Pakistan match, you become a hero.”
Even past cricketers like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev are revered as legends due to their contributions in India-Pakistan matches.
