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| India Pakistan |
In four World Cup clashes (1992, 1996, 1999, and 2003), India has dominated Pakistan, defeating its arch-rival each time. Having watched and reported three of these games, your correspondent can attest that each of these games were won comfortably by India, belying the build-up that suggested a close encounter. There were no last minute surprises or last over/last ball heroics. Each time, the game was won and lost well before the last ball was bowled. But that never precluded tension, grit, resolve and all that goes into an India-Pakistan game.
For sheer tension and pressure, few games will match the 1999 World Cup encounter at Old Trafford in Manchester, England, a city that is home to a large Pakistani expat population. The game took place on June 8 bang in the middle of the Kargil War, just days after the Indian Army had routed Pakistani forces masquerading as mujahedin and recaptured Tiger Hill. The fact that Azharuddin was captaining the Indian side made the encounter even more eloquent. The ground, which had a capacity of only around 20,000 those days, was a sea of Pakistani flags with a couple of thousand Indian spectators with tricolors. The English barely registered.
Azhar won the toss and India were cruising at 95/1 in the 21st over when Tendulkar (45) blasted a drive to Saqlain, stalling a big Indian total. Dravid made 61 and Azhar, out of form and under the gun, ground out 59 of the most precious runs in his career to take India to 227. It was the only time I ever saw Azhar bat inelegantly, but the runs were priceless. Pakistan was never really in the game after Javagal Srinath (3-37) and Prasad (5-27; man of the match) made early inroads. Point to note – it was early Shoaib Akhtar years; he was fast and furious; and he returned with analysis of 10-0-54-1 in a relatively low scoring game.
The one memory that will remain etched in my mind are the wild scenes after the last Pakistan wicket fell. Kumble caught Wasim Akram in the deep and raced to the safety of the pavilion with barely any celebration because the crowd erupted and rushed onto the ground. Angry and disconsolate Pakistani supporters set fire to a few Indian flags as the Bobbies chased them out. Indian fans fled, mostly to the nearest pubs to roister. That evening, I wrote of an "Indian victory amid scenes so celebratory...you thought we had just won Independence."
The tension may have been a little less but the ground crackled with electricity at Centurion outside Johannesburg in 2003. Pakistan had a potent new ball attack with Shoaib Akhtar at his peak and two the great Ws, Wasim and Waqar, with the combined experience of 800 wickets between them. Relations between India and Pakistan were not as bad as 1999 although the terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament and multiple strikes on Mumbai ensured continued mistrust. This time there were more Indians at the ground, including a big contingent from the so-called Bharat Army, the first time I saw a wandering cricket groupies who came from across the world.
Pakistan won the toss, batted first, and posted 273 for 7 against a modest Indian attack that looked good on bouncy South African tracks (except against Australia). Saeed Anwar, ("bearded like a mullah," I observed in my report after the first inkling of overt religious overtones in the Pakistani team) made a wonderful 100 while the next highest Pakistani score was 32. Inzamam was run out for the nth time and I remember collapsing in laughter at the sight and writing "Inzy was run-outzy" in my notes.
But 274 to win seemed a mountain to climb on a bouncy wicket against Shoaib and two Ws. Sachin Tendulkar then played what is arguably his greatest innings (in my book) – a majestic 97 that was the last word in counterattack. In fact, Sehwag and he settled the battle in the first half-hour, blasting a 50 partnership in less than five overs. The mayhem began when Sachin crashed a four of Wasim's third ball – a stroke he later said told him it was his day because of the way the ball hit the sweet spot.
However, the most indelible memory of the game came soon after when the great man walloped a Shoaib bouncer over third man for a six. Such upper cuts, pretty commonplace nowadays, were quite rare those days, and as Shoaib's 150kmph deliver was sent over the boundary, there was a complete change of dynamic on the ground. Sehwag followed suit with a similar six off Waqar.
Fours cascaded from the blades of the sword and the scimitar. I remember scrambling down to PTI's Ashish Shukla and giving him a high-five, saying "paisa vasool." Of course I hadn't paid a dime; I was credentialed for the World Cup (which I had to ditch before the end because Bush declared war on Iraq just ahead of the final and I had to rush back to Washington DC). It was worth going all the way to South Africa just for that one game. "They must have drunk down a relish of adrenalin and testosterone. What they served up was a heady exhibition of brute power, terrifying speed, and raw emotion. India and Pakistan conjured up yet another stomach-churning epic thriller that no Bollywood or Hollywood can script," I wrote of that game.
Still, it wasn't an easy victory. Waqar took two in two, including Ganguly first ball, before Mohammed Kaif joined Sachin and steadied the innings. I mention Kaif here because not only was his role in blunting Pakistani pace that day understated, but also because he was yet another Muslim who performed splendidly in a pressure game (Zaheer was in the team too). One of the most heartening features of Indian cricket has been the utter lack of parochialism or religious overtones even as our neighbor has gone in the opposite direction.
India won in a canter at the end even though there was still 97 to get when Sachin fell to Shoaib for 97. By then he had tamed the Pakistani attack and Shoaib's final analysis read 10-0-72-1. Still, many previous Indian teams has a tendency to panic and fold once Sachin got out. But Dravid and Yuvraj batted with supreme confidence to take India over the line. Looking into my archives, I see that I noted that Yuvraj, who made 50 not out, grew from "boy to man" in this innings. It was also a sad end to the careers of the two Ws.
Bangalore 1996 will be remembered for two epic moments. Ajay Jadeja's savage hitting of Waqar Younis (he made 42 not out of 25 balls in arguably the only innings people remember him for) and Venkatesh Prasad clean bowling Aamir Sohail after a verbal spat and pointing him in the direction of the pavilion - a rare show of Indian aggro. It was also one of the first time the stadium was aflame with the tricolor, something which would become a common feature thereafter.
I wasn't present at the SCG in 1992 when India and Pakistan played for the first time in a World Cup game (how they avoid each other in four previous World Cups is a mystery), but Sachin made a 50 batting in the middle order as India made a modest 216 and also bowled a full quota of ten overs. Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar were unplayable and bowled 20 between them for 52 as Pakistan folded for 173. They would go on to win the World Cup that year, but India returned home with the satisfaction that they had beaten the eventual winners.
Sources: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
