Asia Cup: Seven India-Pakistan moments to savour
Here are some of our favourites:
The first time
The Asia Cup was launched in 1984 as a three-team event, following Sri Lanka's induction as a Full Member. The third match of the edition featured India and Pakistan in Sharjah – naturally, there was plenty of excitement. The match itself was a low-scoring affair, India winning by 54 runs after posting 188. Surinder Khanna scored a gritty 56 to help push the total, before Roger Binny and Ravi Shastri took three wickets apiece to dismantle Pakistan. Poor running was the biggest concern for Pakistan – as many as four batsmen were caught short of the crease.
Malik's bestThe 2004 Asia Cup exchange between the great rivals was marked by a young Shoaib Malik's all-round brilliance in Colombo. Coming into bat at one-drop after the fall of opener Imran Nazir in the very first over, Malik stuck in and forged meaty partnerships with Yasir Hameed and Inzamam-ul-Haq to help Pakistan post a big total. He batted through the innings, scoring a 127-ball 143* – still his career-best score – to guide Pakistan to 300/9. He then exploited the slowness of the surface to take 2/42 in 10 overs, including the key wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, to help Pakistan to a comfortable 59-run victory.
The Younis-Misbah showHalf-centuries from MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, and a late cameo by Irfan Pathan, had set Pakistan a daunting 309 for victory in the final of the 2008 edition in Karachi. Pakistan then got off to a good start, but it was when Younis Khan arrived at the crease, at No.3, that the runs started flowing. At 165/2, he was joined by Misbah-ul-Haq, and the duo put on a fine 144-run stand to earn Pakistan a big victory. Khan scored an unbeaten 117-ball 123 to take his side to only their second Asia Cup title. Misbah did his bit as well, and remained unbeaten on 70 off 62 deliveries.
Harbhajan lets looseIn 2010, Gautam Gambhir was named Player of the Match for his measured 83 on a tricky surface in a chase of 268, but it was Harbhajan Singh's six to seal a last-over thriller that made the match memorable. India required seven for victory, but a well-set Suresh Raina was run out in the second ball of the last over. Singh was then on strike for the penultimate delivery. Mohammad Amir had the ball, and India still needed three runs to win. You could cut the tension with a knife, but Singh put an emphatic end to the suspense, smashing a length delivery over mid-wicket. Roars followed.
Kohli signals his arrivalIn the 2012 clash between the Asian giants, Pakistan were subjected to a Virat Kohli masterclass. Riding on centuries from Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed, Pakistan had set India a daunting 330 in Dhaka. To make matters worse for India, Gambhir was out for a second-ball duck. However, Kohli displayed the now-familiar determination from the start. He pierced gaps effortlessly and repeatedly, and Pakistan soon ran out of ideas. Kohli was eventually dismissed for a remarkable 148-ball 183 – featuring 22 fours and a six – but by that time, he had put India on the cusp of a stunning victory. Raina gave the finishing touches as India won the match by six wickets with 2.1 overs to spare.
**Boom-Boom Time!**In 2014, Shahid Afridi took a leaf out of Harbhajan Singh's book, and went one better, smashing two sixes in the final over to secure Pakistan a tense victory in Dhaka. Pakistan's spinners had restricted India to 245/8, before Mohammad Hafeez scored a patient 75 to keep Pakistan's chase alive. Yet, on a slow pitch, the asking rate crept up and proved challenging in the final few overs. Pakistan then lost three wickets in five balls towards the end of the game, slipping to 236/9 with just five balls to spare. It wasn't over yet, though, especially with Afridi on strike for the final over. He powered the first six over deep extra cover with a wild swing, and then followed it up with another biggie over long-on to seal it. Easy as that.
Irresistible force, immovable objectIn 2016, the Asia Cup was played in the T20I format for the very first time. That elevated an already tasty battle between Mohammad Amir and Virat Kohli. In conditions that facilitated swing in Dhaka, Pakistan had been bundled for just 83, but the match was far from over. Amir displayed exemplary skill in making three early strikes to reduce India to 8/3. But Kohli batted with supreme concentration to see off Amir's threat. To sweeten the deal, Kohli also struck back-to-back fours off Amir, including a glorious cover drive. Once that battle had been won, Kohli scored 49 to ensure a five-wicket victory for India. It was an Asia Cup classic.