Mumbai: Cricket as a sport with the passage of time has seen the birth of some of the greatest rivalries. The earliest one dates back as far as 1882 when England beat Australia in Australia which saw the formation of The Ashes which is still an intense contest today. Cricket has seen many other rivalries and off late the intense and hard-fought contests between India and Australia have been often talked about and debated at length. However, for any hard-crore Indian cricket aficionado, nothing comes close or will ever take the place of the epic contests played between geographic neighbours India and Pakistan.
Star Sports, India’s leading sports broadcaster, is giving Indian cricket fans the opportunity to go back in time and relive some of the best matches between the two cricketing powerhouses.
ICC World Cup 2003, India vs Pakistan:
The two cricketing rivals met in 2003 at the historic Centurion in South Africa. Despite the attempts to downplay it as just another World Cup fixture, the tension in the air was palpable and definitely unmistakeable. Winning the toss, Pakistan elected to bat and scored a quickfire 50 runs in 59 balls within the first 41 minutes and ultimately scored a fighting 273 runs for the loss of 7 wickets. After the resumption of proceedings, the Indian opening duo, Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar launched a blitzkrieg against the Pakistani attack as they made 50 runs in 32 balls within the first 25 minutes. After Sehwag’s dismissal, the Pakistani bowlers tried everything in their power to send Tendulkar back to the pavilion but Sachin was at his sublime best falling 2 runs short of a historic ton. India completed yet another victory over a deflated Pakistan side by 6 wickets.
Watch this epic battle on April 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Star Sports 1.
ICC World Cup 2011, India vs Pakistan:
After a 15-year gap, Pakistan returned to India for the 2011 ICC World Cup. The semi-final clash between the two teams was one of the most anticipated matches with fans of both teams filling the stadium to support their teams in Mohali. Winning the toss, India decided to bat first. The mouthwatering clash between batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and wily off spin bowler Saeed Ajmal made the match a must watch entertainment for all the cricket lovers.
Watch this epic clash on April 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Star Sports 1.
ICC World Cup 2019, India vs Pakistan:
The last unforgettable meeting between the frenemies took place a year ago in the 2019 World Cup in England. This time, the gulf between the two teams was enormous and India fielded a side that had balance, a bowling and batting line up that was not just impressive but downright scary. Pakistan won the toss and decided to field first. The difference in the level of talent was clearly evident when Rohit Sharma treated all Pakistan bowlers with disdain and scored a rapid 140 at a strike rate of almost 124. Rain played spoilt sport and delayed the start of the second innings. When play resumed, India showed their strength in all areas of the game and dominated from ball 1.
Watch this epic encounter on April 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 2.
