Asia Cup: Ranking India’s top three knocks against Pakistan
After a long time, India and Pakistan will face each other in the upcoming Asia Cup, scheduled to begin on 9th September. They are placed in the same group and could meet up to three times in the tournament. India and Pakistan have locked horns with each other 19 times in the Asia Cup history. India have an upper hand with 10 wins, while Pakistan have managed to beat India on six occasions. On three occasions, there was no result due to poor weather.
Over the years, Indian batters have played numerous top-class innings in the Asia Cup. In this article, we have shortlisted the three best knocks from Indian batters against Pakistan in the tournament.
Asia Cup: Ranking India’s top three knocks against Pakistan:
3. Virender Sehwag: 119 off 95 balls against Pakistan in the 2008 Asia Cup
Pakistan fans were jubilant after their team posted a mammoth 299-run total against India in the group fixture at Karachi in the 2008 Asia Cup. But little did they know what was about to follow. Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina put on one of the best partnerships in that tournament, leaving the hosts clueless on where to bowl.
After Gautam Gambhir got out early, Suresh Raina came in at three to accompany Sehwag. The duo led India’s fightback with their aggressive style of play. Runs came from both ends as the happy faces of Pakistan fans started turning grim. Virender Sehwag went on to play, arguably, his best knock in Asia Cup history, and, much to the Indian fans' delight, it came in Pakistan. Every time the pacers gave him width, Sehwag smacked it for easy fours. But the real fun began when spinners came into the attack.
The opener made a mockery of Shahid Afridi, smashing him sixes for fun. He put on an 188-run partnership with Suresh Raina for the second wicket, and it laid the foundation of India’s successful run chase. Sehwag played a sensational match-winning knock of 119 runs in 95 balls, an innings which was laced with 12 fours and five sixes. India chased down the target in just 42.1 overs.
2. Gautam Gambhir: 83 off 97 against Pakistan in 2010 Asia Cup
The fourth match of the 2010 Asia Cup against India was a do-or-die encounter for Pakistan. They were fighting to stay alive in the competition and had managed to post a competitive score of 267 in the first innings. In response, India had lost two wickets for 82 and needed a partnership to steady their innings. MS Dhoni then joined hands with Gautam Gambhir and the duo stitched an important 98-run partnership, which laid the platform for the win.
That partnership was much similar to the one that they stitched against Sri Lanka in the 2011 World Cup final. They ran hard, found gaps, and managed to score boundaries every time the required rate looked to go up. Despite wickets falling in the powerplay, Gambhir kept the scoreboard ticking and didn’t let Pakistan put India under pressure. He played a match-winning knock of 83 runs off just 97 balls- one of the underrated knocks from Gambhir that people don’t talk much about.
1. Virat Kohli- 183 off 148 balls against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup
Virat Kohli had played 84 ODIs for India before he notched his highest score in the format against Pakistan in the 2012 Asia Cup encounter. India needed to chase down a massive 330-run target to win the match. Virat Kohli, who helped India chase 321 against Sri Lanka one month prior to this game, had one more opportunity to etch his name in the hearts of the fans and affirm his status as India’s new chase master.
Kohli walked out on the second ball of the innings after Gambhir departed leg-before off Hafeez. He joined hands with his idol, Sachin Tendulkar, and paced the innings wonderfully. Kohli rotated the strike beautifully and struck five fours in the 100-run partnership off 92 balls with Sachin Tendulkar. Kohli brought up his half-century off just 52 balls. Tendulkar got out after scoring a half-century in the 20th over, but Kohli kept smacking balls to all parts. He brought up his century off just 97 balls but wasn’t done until he chased down the target.
Kohli switched gears after reaching the ton as 150 came off just 131 balls. With just 12 needed off the last 18, Kohli, unfortunately, departed, but India won the game by six wickets. Virat Kohli’s sensational knock of 183 off 148 balls was laced with as many as 22 fours.
