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The frequency of matches between India and Pakistan may have drastically reduced, but it has not affected the quality and the intensity of the encounters by any means. Due to the tense political relations between the two neighboring sides, their matches are only played on platforms like the Asia Cup and ICC tournaments.
All matches between the two heavyweights since the last bilateral tour in 2012-13 have come only in major tournaments. The two have traded blows with the Men in Blue keeping their ODI World Cup streak over their rivals alive while the opposition have fought back with key wins at the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2021 T20 World Cup.
The two-time ODI World Champions are slightly ahead when it comes to head-to-head records from the last five matches across formats. The Men in Blue have won three while Pakistan have won two matches, and the majority of these matches have gone right down the wire.
On that note, let us take a look at the last five matches between the two teams ahead of their Asia Cup 2023 encounter at the Pallekele International Stadium on Saturday.
#5 India vs Pakistan (T20 World Cup 2022; Melbourne Cricket Ground)
India and Pakistan's most recent meeting has been revered as one of the greatest T20 matches in history. Playing in the Super 12s stage of the T20 World Cup 2022 in front of a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground, the occasion was grand, and so was the quality.
Opting to bowl first on a green track, the Indian pacers were all over the Pakistan top order in the powerplay. The Men in Green fought back to post a competitive total of 159-8 on the board.
Much like the Indian seamers, the Pakistani bowlers also thrived on the fast and bouncy surface on offer. India's top order was blown apart in no time and the Men in Green appeared as favorites at the halfway mark of the run chase.
Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya weathered the storm and changed gears once settled. The former India skipper scored two memorable sixes against Haris Rauf in the penultimate over to keep India in the contest.
The last over bowled by Mohammad Nawaz was not without any drama. After a couple of wickets, a no-ball, a controversial free-hit, and a series of boundaries meant a last-ball win for the Men in Blue.
#4 India vs Pakistan (Asia Cup 2022; Super Fours Stage, Dubai International Stadium)
The arch-rivals faced each other twice in the 2022 edition of the Asia Cup, with both being thrilling encounters. Following India's win in the group stage, it was Pakistan's time to respond, and they did it in some style.
The Pakistani bowling attack took a beating as they conceded 181 runs in the first innings, following Virat Kohli's fine fifty and a solid knock by the openers against the new ball.
The Men in Blue were on course to completing a double, but Mohammad Nawaz's promotion to No.4, as a match-up against the leg-spinner duo of Ravi Bishnoi and Yuzvendra Chahal, did the trick for Pakistan.
The all-rounder scored a brisk 42 runs off 20 deliveries and steered his team to the win with one ball to spare. A costly dropped catch by Arshdeep Singh in the death overs was a key point in the outcome of the match.
#3 India vs Pakistan (Asia Cup 2022; Group Stage, Dubai International Stadium)
The group-stage encounter between these two sides at the previous edition of the Asia Cup was a last-over thriller.
The pacers wreaked havoc to restrict Pakistan down to 147 in the first innings, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar picking up four wickets and Hardik Pandya claiming three. However, the top order could not handle the pace attack despite Shaheen Afridi's absence.
Debutant Naseem Shah removed KL Rahul for a duck and battled cramps to chip in with a brilliant spell. The Men in Blue remained in the hunt, but the point of difference was Hardik Pandya.
The ace all-rounder scored 33 runs off 17 deliveries to help his side chase down the target with a ball to spare.
#2 India vs Pakistan (T20 World Cup 2021; Dubai International Stadium)
Pakistan's triumph over India at the 2021 T20 World Cup marks as one of the biggest wins in their history, as it officially ended their string of defeats to their arch-rivals at the grandest stage.
The Men in Blue were blown away by Shaheen Afridi right at the start of the contest and a mediocre batting effort enabled them to post a target of only 150 runs.
In reply, Pakistan's opening pair of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan hardly put a step wrong as they coasted to the target with more than two overs to spare, handing their rivals a ruthless 10-wicket defeat.
#1 India vs Pakistan (2019 ODI World Cup; Old Trafford Cricket Stadium, Manchester)
Arguably the last one-sided meeting between the two teams in recent times came during the 2019 ODI World Cup in England. The Sarfaraz Ahmed-led side were no match for the mighty Indian team which entered the tournament as one of the favorites.
Rohit Sharma's tremendous 140, coupled with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul's fifties, propelled the team to a dominant total of 336-5. Mohammed Amir was the lone bowler who could muster up a fight against the batters after ending with figures of 3-49.
In reply, Pakistan were always on the back foot and their chances of a win hinged on ace batter Babar Azam's performance. He looked well set on 48 but was dismissed by a splendid delivery by Kuldeep Yadav. Rain made an appearance, leading to the second innings being reduced to 40 overs, which only made the Men in Blue's work easier.
Pakistan could only end with 212-6, resulting in an 89-run loss by virtue of the DLS method.
Who will win the upcoming encounter between the two arch-rivals? Let us know what you think.
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