You can say that the once-famous (or was it infamous) India Pakistan cricket rivalry no longer exists. India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series for years.
And anyways, the intensity of the India-Pak matches had been going down over the years. As far as India is concerned, the rivalry is more with Australia, more than any other country.
Nevertheless, it feels good to talk about those days when India-Pakistan cricket matches would almost be like a war.
For a long time, Pakistan produced some of the finest bowlers, and India had some of the best batsmen.
Let’s take a look at the most popular cricketers from India and Pakistan, and some of the best moments from India-Pakistan cricket matches.
Sunil Gavaskar – The Little Master Of Cricket
Even the greatest fast bowlers of all time used to be in awe of Sunil Gavaskar, such was the respect for the little master.
Standing 163 cm tall (that’s short compared to the other International cricketers), Gavaskar’s best performances have been against the feared West Indies pace attack (Marshal, Holding), hitting 13 Test centuries between 1971 and 1983.
And he would never wear a helmet, and even without a helmet, he would never hesitate to play a pull short of the short pitched deliveries.
Many say that he doesn’t wear a helmet, but he does wear one, although its a weird one and not sure what sort of protection it offers.
However, going by what the “Little Master” has to say, it seems more than his natural talent, his practice and preparation made him a legend.
Sunny reveals that he’d prepare for the quicker bowlers by shortening practice wickets to 18 yards. He would even bat on concrete pitches to get used to the bounce.
No doubt he was a huge inspiration to the Indian batsmen that followed, including Sachin Tendulkar.
Born: 10 July 1949
Nickname: Sunny, Little Master
Wife: Marshneil Gavaskar, Son: Rohan Gavaskar
Height: 5 ft, 5 in (1.65 m)
Test debut: 6 March 1971 v West Indies
Runs scored (Test): 10122, 34 centuries, 45 fifties
Kapil Dev: India’s Most Gifted All-Rounder
Kapil Dev, a gifted all-round cricketer and also a great leader; has single-handedly won several matches for India and played a vital role in winning the first ODI World Cup for India. One of the best fast bowlers that India has ever produced, and one of the greatest exponents of swing bowling (especially out-swingers)
Watch Kapil Dev bowl three consecutive unplayable deliveries to the top order Australian batsmen, dismisses Allan Border & Dean Jones.
When it came to batting, the most entertaining batsmen for India in the eighties were Kapil Dev, Sandip Patil & Kris Srikkanth. In fact, when Kapil Dev was batting, the audience didn’t expect to see just boundaries but a few sixes as well.
Watch Kapil dev at his destructive best with his bat here.
Kapil Dev Blasts 97 off 93 balls vs England, 3rd Test 1982
Imran Khan, the Captain Who Lead from the Front
The biggest name in Pakistani cricket, the handsome cricketer was also a natural leader. Not only he guided Pakistan to several famous victories, he also spotted and nurtured future talent for Pakistan.
Pakistan is one country that only gets good as they progress through a cricket tournament. time and again we have seen this and it was proven again when they won the world cup in 1992, defeating England.
Pakistan were lucky to get into the last rounds, and were almost eliminated from the tournament. However, in the finals, it was their day.
Captain Imran Khan who promoted himself up the batting order scored 72 as he led Pakistan to victory over England in the 1992 ODI world cup final match.
“There was only one guy who was 100% sure, every time we won or lost any game, that we would win this World Cup. That was our captain. After a while, we thought it wasn’t possible because we had to rely on another team losing to qualify for the semifinals. And it happened that way! It was a dream come true, it was a great moment.”
Rameez Raja.
Javed Miandad
The man whom Indian cricket fans hated. On several occasions, he won the match for Pakistan.
And who can forget the last ball six that he hit of Chetan Sharma in Sharjah.
ABDUL QADIR: Leg Spin Wizard
Leg Spinner ABDUL QADIR was a leg-spin wizard. Long before Shane Warne emerged in the international cricketing scene, leg spin and googlies were synonymous with the name ‘ABDUL QADIR’. Indians especially loved his unique bowling action.
If you can make the likes of Viv Richards look stupid, you’ve really got to be special.
Wasim Akram: King of Swing
Wasim Akram, the King of Swing and one of the best fast bowlers ever seen in cricket. Wasim Akram has a big fan following in India as well.
“If I ever get a chance to be reborn as a cricketer I would want to be Wasim Akram:” – Allan Border
Bowling at his peak, these wickets are from Pakistan’s tours to Australia in 1988/89 & 1989/90 (two tri series and the 3 test series vs Australia.)
Great Over from WASIM AKRAM: Michael Slater Has No clue (1995)
This is not just about Michael Slater, the great Wasim Akram has done this to several great batsmen.
Here’s a beautiful over from Wasim Akram to Michael Slater (Pak vs Aus played in 1995). This is the way usually Akram plans the dismissal of most batsmen. Slater is clueless about a couple of deliveries in that over.
Amazing Over from Wasim Akram: Alec Stewart Totally Clueless
This time its Alec Stewart’s turn to be completed foxed by the sultan of swing.
Watch Wasim Akram bowl one of his best overs to Alec Stewart. He’s one bowler who could take a wicket at any stage of the game.
Alec Stewart also feels that this was the BEST spell he has ever seen, watch Alec Stewart’s interview here – http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/video_audio/586598.html
Lethal Wasim Akram knocks off Mahanama’s…
If you have ever played cricket with tennis balls (like most in the subcontinent do), without any protection, you would know how it feels when the ball hits you in your private area!
Watch this video and you would know why the ‘guard’ is so important in cricket.
Also, checkout the pace that Wasim Akram used to generate in his younger days, almost blows Mahanama’s…with his deliveries.
Tips from Wasim Akram: How to Swing the Ball
Checkout these tips from Wasim Akram on how to swing the Ball as a fast bowler. The sultan of swing explains it the best.
Arguably the best swing bowler ever (How can you even make the ball change direction twice?), it definitely requires a lot of skill & practice to twist your wrist the way Wasim demonstrates.
Wasim Akram Shows How to Bowl A Double Swing
Watch this video where Wasim Akram bowls a Double Swing. The video is not of great quality and you may have to see it a few times to appreciate the beauty of the deliveries.
A great combination of rhythm, pace, & greatness!
Waqar Younis: The YORKER specialist
Master of the reverse swing and yorkers, Waqar along with Wasim Akram formed a deadly bowling pair for Pakistan and have helped them win several matches.
Some of Waqar’s yorkers are just amazing; starts about a foot outside off, pitches just outside the stumps and hits the leg stump. Simply unbelievable!
Watch Waqar Younis bowl one of his most lethal overs ever. This is against Australia in the third test (1995) played at the SCG. Excellent pace with reverse swing; in fact some of the best reverse swing you’ll ever see.
Though these deliveries by Waqar Younis were not bowled to top-order batsmen, those would have troubled even the best batsmen in the world.
Mohammed Azharuddin: ‘Wristy’ Batting Wizard
Mohammed Azharuddin was one of the most elegant right handed batsman to have played cricket.
A very aggressive batsman in the beginning of his career, Mohd. Azharuddin become a more defensive batsman after taking over captaincy for India.
Here’s a amazing collection of shots by the wristy batting wizard Mohammed Azharuddin. Not only was he the most stylish right-handed batsman, but also a brilliant fielder.
Did You Know? Azhar used to put his collar up to protect his neck from sun burn (as revealed in an interview)…years later it went on to become a style statement!
Watch Azza the Great in full flow!
Azharuddin Smashes Klusener for 5 Consecutive Fours in Test
Azhar hits south African bowler Lance Klusener for five consecutive Fours in an over in test match (played at the Eden Gardens).
By the way, Dhoni might be well-known for playing the helicopter shots, but it was Mohammad Azharuddin who started playing it long back; the third one is actually a helicopter shot.
Mohammad Azharuddin was one of the best fielders India had in those days. He had amazing reflexes, and excellent anticipation, which made fielding look so easy for Azza.
Watch Mohammed Azharuddin giving batting tips to his son, Mohammed Ayazuddin, at St. John’s camp, Hyderabad. You may also consider this as a video tutorial on batting, coming straight from a master batsman.
Sachin Tendulkar: Batting Legend
16-year old Sachin Tendulkar made his test debut against Pakistan (when they had a fearsome bowling attack) and went on to become a batting legend.
16-Year Old Sachin Tendulkar Hits Abdul Qadir for 4 Sixes in an Over
The over from Abdul Qadir read 6, 0, 4, 6 6 6, and more importantly, it announced the arrival of Tendulkar to the world.
Sachin Blasts 82 of 49 Balls in His First ODI As Opener
Sachin Tendulkar’s first ODI match as an opener against NewZealand. He scored 82 off just 49 balls against the kiwi bowlers and cemented his place as an opener for India in one-day internationals (and we thank god that this happened).
Sachin Tendulkar’s Master Knock of 134 vs Australia Helps India Win the Sharjah Final in 1998
This is almost a repeat inning of his earlier knock of 143 (which was more under pressure) which helped India get into the finals. Here comes Sachin’s murderous innings of 134.
Sachin Tendulkar became the first Batsman to Score a Double Century in ODI Cricket. He achieved that feat against South Africa in Gwalior. Though Sachin was the most prolific run-scorer for India and considered to be the greatest batsman in the world, most of the records for the biggest scores are not against his name. So the double century record in ODI is definitely something that does justice to his caliber.
Tennis star Maria Sharapova angered millions of cricket fans around the world when she admitted she didn’t know who cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was.
Inzamam Ul Haq
When Inzamam Ul Haq emerged on the cricketing scene, there were frequent comparisons made between him and Sachin Tendulkar as to who was a better batsman. Imran Khan always believed that Inzamam was a special talent, and always backed him up and even promoted him up, much to the dismay of Javed Miandad (Imran and Miandad never got along well).
While not known for his fitness, and often criticized for his running between the wickets (I think that’s true of most Pakistani batsmen), Inzamam Ul Haq was a prolific scorer and a very aggressive batsman.
He played several memorable innings, but the best one was against NZ, when almost everybody expected Pakistan to lose that match. Inzamam did the impossible, won the match for Pakistani, and dashed NZ’s hopes of making it to the finals.
This is the match that gave Inzamam Ul Haq the opportunity to show his class. Nobody would have given Pakistan a chance, in this match, until he landed on the pitch (Pakistan, chasing 262 by NZ, were 140/4 when Inzy comes to the crease).
This is the 1992 ODI World Cup Semi Final match against NewZealand at Auckland.
Inzy hit a fiery 60 from only 37 balls (mind you in 1992 such scoring rates were unheard of) to guide Pakistan into final. This was also the best World Cup tournament for NewZealand who were easily winning all the matches, and looked like a very strong team overall. But then, such is the game of cricket!
This is definitely one of the finest innings witnessed in a World Cup match, and propelled Inzamam towards stardom!
Inzamam also made a vital contribution in the final of the 1992 World Cup, scoring 42 off just 35 balls, helping Pakistan reach a respectable score of 249, and eventually win the World Cup.
Saqlain Mushtaq with his lethal ‘DOOSRA’
If you hear the word ‘DOOSRA’ in cricket, it simply means the ‘wrong-one’ or the ‘other-one’ (the delivery that goes the other way), and Saqlain Mushtaq is the pioneer of the ‘Doosra’.
Check out this collection of DOOSRA’s from Saqlain Mushtaq, arguably the greatest off-spinner in cricket, along with Muttiah Muralitharan.
Look the googly, this delivery can really make a batsman look stupid. Enjoy!
The best thing about this delivery was that he did it with a really clean action, unlike some of his contemporaries whose action were reported (when they bowled that delivery).
Watch Off-Spin wizard Saqlain Mushtaq explaining the Doosra…and guys please don’t mind his English. His English has improved a lot actually; I remember seeing him shy away from presentation awards in his earlier days.
It seems “street boys” in Pakistan bowl such deliveries, along with the carrom ball, with a tennis ball. That’s amazing and just shows that to be good, you need to practice all the time and be creative.
Saqlain Mushtaq used the ‘DOOSRA’ to take many wickets in all forms of cricket, however many experts also believe that overusing this delivery was one of the reasons for his shortened test career.
Aamir Sohail and Venkatesh Prasad in 1996 World Cup
This is one incident that every Indian likes to recall, it happened in the 1996 World Cup.
Pakistan are chasing after India got off to a good start. Tempers are running high. Aamir Sohail hits Venkatesh Prasad for a boundary and tells Prasad (indicates with his bat) that he will keep on repeating that. Guess what, the next ball, Aamir Sohail is bowled by Prasad, who has the last laugh.
Earlier in the match, a quick burst by Ajay Jadeja (he hit several sixes of Waqar) towards the end of the match gives India a decent total.
Anil Kumble Takes All Ten Wickets In An Innings
This doesn’t happen often in cricket. Anil Kumble took all the ten wickets against Pakistan in an innings at Delhi’s Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium.
Kumble’s final bowling figures read 10 for 74, and he took all the ten Pakistani wickets in one 21.3 over spell.
Shahid Afridi: Dashing All Rounder
One of the best things about Shahid Afridi’s batting is that you get to see some massive sixes, and if he scores a century you can bet that he’s taken much fewer deliveries to do that.
Everybody loves to watch Shahid Afridi, he can be so entertaining, especially while batting.
Shahid Afridi 37 Ball 100: Earlier Record of Fastest ODI Century
Here’s Shahid Afridi’s ODI century of just 37 balls, which was scored against Sri Lanka. It was a world record for a long time, but was eventually broken.
Afridi Belts 56* off 26 balls vs Australia 2004/05 Hobart
Watch Shahid Afridi score 56 (not out) off only 26 balls in this ODI match against Australia played in Hobart (2004/05).
Some of the shots are lucky edges, but most are typical Afridi shots – huge & hard. His duel with Bret Lee is pretty interesting.
Shahid Afridi Scores 32 runs In 1 Over vs Sri Lanka
Here’s Afridi slaughtering a relatively inexperienced bowler ‘Malinga Bandara’. The tag of hitting ‘six sixes in one over’ against this man’s name would have been very apt, but unfortunately it didn’t happen.
Shahid Afridi 26 runs in 5 balls vs NZ
Afridi doesn’t get to play the first ball of the over, but then he smashes Grant Bradburn for 26 runs in the next 5 balls he faced (three sixes and two fours, both boundaries very almost sixes). Afridi raced to his fifty off just 24 balls. (played at Sharjah).
Moin Khan Batters Australian Bowlers in World Cup
Moin Khan Batters Australian Bowlers, Including Glenn Mcgrath, in 1999 ODI World Cup.
One of the finest wicket-keeper batsmen, watch Moin Khan tearing apart the Australian Bowlers, including Glenn Mcgrath, in the 1999 ODI World Cup. He scores 31* of just 12 balls.
What makes his innings special is the way he has hit sixes, especially the one of mcGrath, a cross batted shot! Not many coaches would recommend that shot and not many players play it.
But then Moin is pure talent! It also makes you wonder why not many players attempted the cross batted shot against McGrath, especially in the one dayers, because otherwise its very difficult to hit Mcgrath’s good length deliveries and almost every known batsman has struggled against his bowling.
Watch Moin Khan make it look so easy against the Aussies!
If you’re a cricket fan from the subcontinent, I’m sure you’ll recollect Moin Khan playing so many such little gem-of-an-innings.
Few More Interesting Videos
Though not from India-Pakistan matches, here are a few more cricket related videos that have been etched in the minds of cricket fans forever.
Disgraceful, Cheeky or Legitimate? Underarm Incident NZ vs AUS
All Indians would wish that Chetan Sharma had bowled such a delivery when Javed Miandad hit him for a six of the last delivery to win the match, but the rules had changed by then, courtesy this incident.
6 runs required for a tie and the Aussies bowl the final delivery underarm — this incident is seen as the most disgraceful event in the history of cricket, though technically, Australia did nothing wrong.
Australia vs South Africa Tie: The Incredible Climax in World Cup 1999
One really feels for South Africa here. Lance Klusener, who was in amazing form in the ’99 world cup, won several matches for SA with his batting. But in this match, although he got South Africa so close the victory, he just could not finish it off. When the final over began, South Africa needed nine runs and were down to the last-pair of Klusener and Alan Donald.
The game was tied but the Australians were declared the winners and South Africa’s dream run came to a shuddering halt (breaking the hearts of millions of people around the world).
Once In A Life Time Match, South Africa Chase 438 in 50 Overs vs Australia
Australia’s bats first and score 434/4 in 50 overs. Nobody in their widest dreams would give South Africa a chance, but the final score by South Africa was 438/9 in 49.5 overs.
South Africa successfully chase 438 in 50 overs against Australia at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on 12 March 2006.
‘Spin Wizard’ Shane Warne turns the ball almost ninety degrees in this delivery. Can anybody spin a ball like this?
Azhar Ali shares pics of Indian cricketers with his kids
A few days after India’s crushing defeat against Pakistan in the ICC 2017 Champions Trophy final, Pakistani opening batsman Azhar Ali thanked Indian cricketers Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and even called them ‘legends’.
He tweeted, “Thanks to these legends for sparing their time for my kids they were so happy,” he shared pictures of Dhoni, Yuvraj and Virat posing along with his sons at their London home.
Thanks to these legends for sparing their time for my kids they were so happy…. @msdhoni @imVkohli @YUVSTRONG12 pic.twitter.com/mxWlwsOxrI
— Azhar Ali (@AzharAli_) June 20, 2017
History of Cricket
Cricket is also known as the ‘Gentleman’s Game’ and is extremely popular in several countries, though not all countries.
Thought to originate in the dark ages after the Roman Empire (there’s no concrete evidence of this though) and derived from an old past time where a small ball would be thrown and hit with a club. Cricket today is a worldwide (almost) passion and have followers across the world.
Though the origins of cricket, believed to have started in England, goes back several centuries, it was only in the last hundred years or so that the game developed into the more modern day version of the sport, and international matches started getting played. Originally played by the labor class and peasants, this sport is now extremely popular in several parts of the world, barring the US.
The ‘Laws of Cricket’ were laid down by the Marylebone Cricket Club, England in 1788. Most of it has still remained the same barring a few changes. Its the only game in the world that has ‘laws’ instead of rules.
Since then, thousands of matches have been played among various countries in different versions of the game – Test cricket (played over 5 days), one day internationals and the more recent T20 matches.
Over time, several things have changed. For instance:
- India – Pakistan rivalry has mellowed down a lot in recent times compared to what it used to be in the eighties and the nineties.
- More and more matches are now played in the Indian subcontinent with boards such as BCCI becoming more and more powerful.
- The T20 matches, the shortest version of the game, have been introduced to make the game more popular in more countries.
- Many more countries have started playing the game, although not all of them have been granted ‘Test Playing Nation’ status
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