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India and Pakistan have had a topsy-turvy rivalry over the ages, which has been reflected in the Asia Cup as well. From Pakistan's early dominance to India's emergence, right down to the current Cold War-like situation between the two cricketing boards.
There have been more battles off the field between the two teams than on the field in the recent past, but the sporadicity of the matches elevates the intrigue even further. Apart from ICC tournaments, the Asia Cup proves to be the only avenue where Indo-Pak matches can be witnessed.
Since the inception of the Asia Cup in 1984, the continental competition has delivered several breathtaking matches, with several of those including India and Pakistan.
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Ahead of the high-voltage clash at the Pallekele International Stadium on Saturday, let us take a look at the top five India-Pakistan matches in the Asia Cup.
#5 India vs Pakistan (Asia Cup 2008; Super Fours; National Stadium, Karachi)
The 2008 edition of the Asia Cup marked the last time that Team India visited Pakistan for a competitive affair. The tournament yielded two high-quality matches between the arch-rivals, with one coming in the group stage and another in the Super Fours.
The Super Fours encounter between the two sides was a high-scoring affair in Karachi. After electing to bat first, India put up a commanding total of 308-7, courtesy of middle-order batters Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni.
The Indian bowlers, however, did not have a say in the contest as Pakistan raced their way to the target. Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed provided an excellent start before the latter was retired hurt.
Younis Khan then scored a memorable ton and was joined by stand-in skipper Misbahul-Haq, who chipped in with a fifty. The duo were unbeaten as Pakistan chased down the total in the 46th over.
#4 India vs Pakistan (Asia Cup 2008; Group Stage; National Stadium, Karachi)
Much like their Super Fours encounter in the 2008 Asia Cup mentioned above, the Indo-Pak group-stage clash was also an entertaining affair.
Led by skipper Shoaib Malik's hundred as an opening batter after opting to bat first, Pakistan posted 299-4 in 50 overs. Younis Khan scored a fifty and was aided by cameos from Mohammad Yousuf and Misbah ul Haq.
Pakistan then struck early with Gautam Gambhir's wicket, but India fought back with a partnership between Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina. The opening batter went on to record a memorable ton on enemy turf, while a young Raina scored a crucial match-winning 84 runs off just 69 deliveries.
Yuvraj Singh scored a handy innings as well, while skipper MS Dhoni wrapped up the run chase with a small cameo.
#3 India vs Pakistan (Asia Cup 2012; Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka)
The 2012 Asia Cup clash between India and Pakistan is famous for a number of reasons. It marked the last of Sachin Tendulkar's 463 ODI appearances and also witnessed Virat Kohli's highest ODI score of 183.
Centuries from openers Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed meant that Pakistan stitched up 224 runs for the opening wicket. Younis Khan scored a quickfire fifty, but his knock came to an end courtesy of an exceptional catch by Suresh Raina. Pakistan ended with a mammoth total of 329-6.
In reply, India lost opening batter Gautam Gambhir for a duck, but the run chase was kept alive with a crucial second-wicket partnership between Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.
The legendary batter bid farewell to the format with a half-century while Kohli's century and a crucial knock by Rohit Sharma helped India record their highest successful chase at the time.
#2 India vs Pakistan (Asia Cup 2014; Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka)
India and Pakistan played out a thrilling contest during the 2014 edition of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh. The Virat Kohli-led side trudged to 245-8 after being put into bat first.
Pakistan made great strides during the run chase, with Mohammed Hafeez anchoring the innings. India fought back with wickets towards the back end, which made the equation trickier.
Shahid Afridi, however, played a cameo for the ages and took down Ravichandran Ashwin in the final over to crush Indian hearts. The all-rounder scored an unbeaten 34 runs off 18 deliveries to guide Pakistan to a famous one-wicket win.
#1 India vs Pakistan (Asia Cup 2010; Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla)
The 2010 Asia Cup contest between India and Pakistan arguably had it all. Right from a thrilling finish to tempers flaring, it was a testament to the rivalry of the old.
Pakistan posted 267 after electing to bat first, but all of the action was packed in the second innings. The run chase saw a heated confrontation between Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal, leading to MS Dhoni interfering as the peacemaker on the field. The opening batter top-scored with 83 runs while the skipper scored a half-century.
The Men in Green fought back with wickets and India's battle against the climbing required run rate was down to the lower order. Harbhajan Singh engaged in a war of words with Shoaib Akhtar after hitting a six, which led to some ugly scenes.
The off-spinner played a valuable 15-run knock off 11 deliveries, comprising two sixes, one of which finished the match.
Who will win the upcoming encounter between the two arch-rivals? Let us know what you think.
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