World Cup History: Three best wins for India against Pakistan

#2 Quarter-final, Bangalore, 1996

Venkatesh Prasad - The hero of India's win against Pakistan in World Cup 1996

India and Pakistan met in the quarterfinals of World Cup 1996 at Bangalore. This was the first time that both the teams were meeting in a World Cup knock out game. Pakistan was the then-defending champion playing the quarterfinals on Indian soil. If they could go past India, they had the luxury of playing their semi-final and final in Pakistan.

For India, they were playing in a World Cup at home after 9 years and the minimum expectation from the public was a place in the semi-final. A lot was at stake as these two teams lock horns at Bangalore.

The match started for India on a positive note on two counts. First, the Pakistan captain and ace fast bowler Wasim Akram was unfit to play the match which was a huge blow for Pakistan. In the absence of Akram, Aamir Sohail was leading Pakistan who lost an important toss and his team was sent into the field on a hot afternoon in Bangalore.

The Indian openers Navjot Sidhu and Sachin Tendulkar put on 90 runs for the first wicket before Sachin was cleaned up by Ata-ur-Rehman. Sidhu was steady at the other end as he scored 93. At one point of time, Pakistan was looking to restrict India to a total of 250 or less.

But Ajay Jadeja had other ideas as he struck into Waqar Younis who ended up leaking 40 runs in his last two overs. Pakistan was sorely missing Akram and his yorkers at the death. Even Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath took advantage of the situation and helped themselves to a couple of sixes. India scored 57 runs in the last 4 overs to reach 287.

In reply, Pakistan openers were off to a good start and reached 84 by the 10th over before Srinath got the prize wicket of India’s tormentor Saeed Anwar. Pakistan was comfortably placed at 113 for 1 before the Pakistan Captain Aamer Sohail lost his head and got into a confrontation with Venkatesh Prasad after hitting him for a four. That altercation pumped up Prasad as he knocked over Sohail’s off-stump of the very next ball.

That moment of madness cost Pakistan the match as Prasad went on to claim the wickets of Ijaz Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq. That broke the back of Pakistan’s middle-order as the chase became too difficult for veterans Saleem Malik and Javed Miandad. In the end, India marched to a famous win against Pakistan.