New Delhi: Indian cricket team has played some of its most memorable matches against arch-rivals Pakistan. Time and again, players from both the countries have agreed to have played under immense pressure against each other.
On January 18, 1998, India and Pakistan played a one-day international, which will go down as one of the most thrilling matches in cricket history. It was the Independence Cup final.
Batting first, Pakistan had scored 314 runs against Men in Blue. While batsmen make a mockery of such totals in modern-day cricket, it was a stiff target to chase back then. Saeed Anwar (140) and Ijaz Ahmed (117) slammed two wonderful cenuries to get their side to the formidable total.
In reply, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly got India off to a decent start by adding 74 runs for the opening wicket. After Tendulkar was dismissed for 41 by Shahid Afirdi, new batsman Robin Singh and Ganguly got India in driver’s seat with a brilliant 179-run stand for the second wicket.
But Pakistan bounced back strongly as India found themselves struggling at 281/5 at one stage after a middle-order collapse.
It all came down to the final six balls, where India needed nine runs to win, with Javagal Srinath and Harishikesh Kanitkar at the crease.
Here is how the last over panned out:
Nine needed off the last six balls
Kanitkar faced the first ball and hit it straight to deep square leg for a single.
Eight needed off last five balls
Javagal Srinath attempted a big shot off the second ball, got a top edge which flew over third man for a couple of runs
Six needed off the last four balls
Srinath mistimed the next ball high in the air, Saqlain ran backwards, the fielder from long ran towards the ball and it landed safely as the batsmen completed two more runs.
Four needed off the last three balls
Srinath worked the next ball towards third man and ran for a single.
Three needed off the last two balls
Srinath went to have a chat with Kanitkar, who was playing just his third ODI match. Saqlain too had a chat with his skipper Rashid Latif, about the field setting he wanted.
Saqlain bowled a flighted delivery and Kanitkar slog-swept it over midwicket for a boundary!
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Ganguly, who scored 124 runs, was adjudged the Man of the Match.
Source: Zee News