Five best IND vs PAK matches that will remain in memories forever
The India vs Pakistan rivalry is arguably the biggest rivalry in world cricket. Due to the political tensions between the two countries, the matches between the two countries becomes all the more intense. As a cricket fan, not many games are as big as an India-Pakistan match.
Over the years, there have been several thrilling encounters between the two sides. So which are the best India-Pakistan games in the history of cricket? Today, we shall be taking a look at the top five best India vs Pakistan matches.
1) India vs Pakistan 2007 20-20 World Cup Final:
Unarguably the best India-Pakistan clash of all the time, the match is one of most entertaining matches of all time. In the first innings, the Men in Blue scored 157 thanks to Gautam Gambhir, who scored an amazing 75.
In the second innings, the green shirts kept losing wickets at crucial intervals. However, Misbah-ul-Haq played a superb innings and almost got his team across the line. An absolute brain-fade on his behalf meant that he played a scoop when his team needed 6 runs off 4 balls. He was caught and short fine leg by S Sreesanth as India won the match and the inaugural 20-20 World Cup.
2) India vs Pakistan 2007 T20 World Cup Group Stage:
The inaugural edition of the T20 WC saw another thrilling encounter between the two Asian sides. As a matter of fact, this game was a tie, and saw a bowl-out. After India scored 141, Pakistan ended up scoring the exact same score in the second innings.
In order to decide the winner of the game, there was a bowl-out and both teams had alternate attempts at hitting the stumps. India won this bowl-out as their bowlers were able to hit the stumps on all three occasions. Pakistan, on the other hand, failed to hit even one.
3) India vs Pakistan ICC World Cup 2011 Semi-Final:
The stakes were high as this was the semi-final of the most important tournament. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, Sachin Tendulkar rode his luck and scored an amazing 85. After which, a sensible knock by Suresh Raina propelled the Men in Blue to 260.
During the second innings, Pakistan were playing it carefully and didn’t take too many risks. However at the end, they still fell short by 29 runs. Thus, India proceeded to the final and won that as well.
4) India vs Pakistan Champions Trophy 2017 Final:
The Champions Trophy 2017 was nothing short of a fairytale for Pakistan. After losing to India during the group stage, they faced them in the grand finale. The final of the tournament saw Fakhar Zaman score a sensational hundred which propelled the team in green to 338.
In reply, India kept losing crucial wickets at regular intervals and never really looked like they could win the game. Hardik Pandya looked threatening but was run out at a crucial stage. The team was then bundled for just 158 as Pakistan won the final and trophy.
5) India vs Pakistan 2016 Asia Cup:
The Asia Cup in 2016 saw a low-scoring thriller between the two teams. After bundling Pakistan for 83 in the first innings, India lost three quick wickets early on. Mohammad Amir was breathing fire that day. However, Virat Kohli kept his calm and showed a lot of temperament. He went on to score 49 and ensured that India end on the winning side. India chased down the total with 27 balls to spare.
