Cricket World Cup History: 5 most memorable games

#4 India vs Pakistan (2003)

India beat their rivals convincingly at Centurion

India and Pakistan have enjoyed a storied cricketing rivalry over the years with their political differences only adding to the spice of the encounter. However, on countless occasions, the match, billed as the ‘mother of all clashes’, has flattered to deceive. Yet, that certainly wasn’t the case when the duo went toe to toe at Centurion in the 2003 World Cup.

Coming into the World Cup, Pakistan certainly weren’t the force they were four years ago. But, a line-up comprising Inzamam-ul-Haq, Saeed Anwar, Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis could never be written off completely. And of the mentioned players, Anwar did come to the party against India.

The left-hander scored a masterful ton and helped Pakistan put up a competitive total on the board. A target of 274 on a rather lively Centurion wicket was definitely not a walk in the park. Yet, a certain Sachin Tendulkar made a mockery of the chase.

The Little Master stroked his way to a sumptuous 98 off 75 deliveries before he was caught off-guard by a vicious Akhtar bouncer. However, the likes of Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh ensured that his work wasn’t undone and India cruised to victory in the 46th over.

Though the match wasn’t as close as some of the others on this list, the image of Sachin cutting and pulling the Pakistani pacers ferociously provided a memory for the ages.

Moreover, at that juncture, Akhtar was at the peak of his powers and even though he eventually dismissed the Master Blaster, it wasn’t before the latter had weaved his magic.

Thus, riding on one of Sachin’s greatest ever ODI innings, the above game makes it to our list.