Last Updated:
Pakistan coach Aaqib Javed once dismantled a famed Indian batting lineup to win a major tournament for his team.
Throwback: When Pakistan Coach Aaqib Javed Dismantled A Famed Indian Batting Lineup (Picture credit: Screengrab from Twitter/ AFP)
India vs Pakistan’s on-field rivalry dates back seven decades now when the two nations played their first Test against each other in 1952. Abdul Kardar, who played for India against England during the 1946 tour, captained Pakistan during their 1952 tour of India. Be it then or now, the rivalry hasn’t reduced one bit.
Now, the two teams will take on each other in the Champions Trophy on Sunday, in a classic encounter in Dubai. India and Pakistan played their first ODI back in 1978 in Quetta, when the former won by just four runs.
The greatest rivalry in cricket has been witness to many such close encounters, as well as some, where one team has trampled the other. One such occasion was the final of the 1991 Wills Trophy, which was played in Sharjah.
The tournament was a tri-series between India, Pakistan and the Windies. India won three of their four matches in the league stage, while Pakistan won two to set up a grand final between the two neighbouring countries.
India skipper Mohammed Azharuddin opted to field first and Pakistan were soon reduced to 23/2. But Zahid Fazal and Saleem Malik then added 171 runs for the third wicket as India just couldn’t manage a breakthrough. But Fazal’s brilliant knock ended on 98 as he was carried off the field with cramps.
Pakistan managed to score 262/6, riding on Fazal’s innings and Malik’s 87 and while the score doesn’t look like a huge one in today’s respect, it was the highest score in that series.
India began strongly, with Ravi Shastri and Navjot Sidhu giving a steady start before the latter was dismissed by Aaqib Javed, who is the current interim head coach of the Pakistan side. In came Sanjay Manjrekar and one would have expected another steady partnership from the Indians hereon.
But Javed came back to create history and destroy India single-handedly. He picked a hattrick, to dismiss Shastri, Azharuddin and batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, as India were suddenly reduced to 47/4.
Manjrekar and Vinod Kambli then added 53 runs for the fifth wicket before the latter was run out, along with India’s luck. Kapil Dev came in next and was dismissed by Javed for just eight runs.
Manjrekar, who was fighting alone, managed a fifty, before being dismissed by Javed as well. The Pakistan medium-pacer finished his run with the wicket of Manoj Prabhakar, who could score just seven runs, as Javed ended with figures of 10-0-37-7!
India were ultimately bowled out for 190 as Pakistan won the match by 72 runs to win the 1991 Wills Trophy.
