India and Pakistan share a rivalry in international cricket like no other. These two cricket-crazy nations have been part of countless memorable matches across all formats. Here are some of the best matches featuring the two South Asian neighbours.
Bengaluru, 1996 (ODI)
Tensions flared in the 1996 ODI World Cup quarter-final in Bangalore when Pakistan’s Aamer Sohail and India’s Venkatesh Prasad got into a heated confrontation. India had posted 288 in 50 overs, riding on Navjot Sidhu’s 93 and Ravindra Jadeja’s explosive 45 not out. At that time, bookmakers considered that total a safe bet to be defended.
But Pakistan had an excellent start to their chase, and the odds for them winning began to look achievable. Facing a charging Venkatesh Prasad, Aamer Sohail hammered a cover drive for four, then flared his arms and pointed toward the boundary in a show of aggression.
Prasad came up with the perfect reply as he sent Sohail’s stumps flying the very next ball. To rub it in further, Prasad waved Sohail off toward the dressing room. The wicket swung the momentum of the match towards India’s favour, and the Men in Blue won the knockout match by 39 runs.
Johannesburg, 2007 (T20)
Live odds for this match across cricket betting sites swung like a pendulum as India and Pakistan treated fans to a classic World Twenty20 final.
MS Dhoni opted to bat first against Pakistan’s feared bowling unit. Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma helped India set a fighting total of 157. It wasn’t a big chase, by any means, but Pakistan lost their footing as wickets fell quickly.
Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq steadied the ship and steered the Shaheens towards their target. In the last four balls, Pakistan needed six runs and had only one wicket. But Misbah was still at the crease, and was determined to see the match through.
He attempted to scoop Jogindar Sharma, but the shot flew into a fielder’s hand at short fine-leg. The moment produced one of cricket’s most iconic images: Misbah crouched on the pitch in disbelief while Indian players celebrated around him.
That unforgettable clash popularised T20 cricket among Indian fans and played a big role in the Indian Premier League’s success afterwards.
Durban, 2007 (T20)
India and Pakistan had also met in the group stages of the 2007 T20 World Cup before their final clash in Johannesburg, and it’s another match cricket fans fondly look back on.
Robin Uthappa’s half-century led India to 141, with valuable contributions from captain Dhoni and all-rounder Irfan Pathan. Mohammad Asif had a great day with the ball as he sent back four Indian batters in exchange of 18 runs in four overs.
Pakistan relied on Misbah-ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik for most of their runs. They pulled level with two balls remaining when Misbah was run out in dramatic fashion.
Back then, tied matches were settled with a bowl-off, like football’s penalty shoot-out. India’s bowlers hit the stumps on all three attempts, while Pakistan failed on all three, handing India a 3-0 win.
Chennai, 1999 (Test)
The opening Test of the three-match series against Pakistan in 1999 took place in Chennai. In the fourth innings, India faced a challenging chase of 271. A collapse by the host’s top order had India in trouble at 82/5, but there was still hope as a 25-year-old Sachin Tendulkar remained standing at the crease.
Fighting through back pain, Tendulkar produced one of his most unforgettable Test centuries. By the time he was finally dismissed, India were just 17 runs short with three wickets in hand. The odds had firmly shifted in India’s favour by then.
But, it was Pakistan’s turn for a turnaround! India could add only four more runs before losing their final three wickets. The Chennai crowd stood in honour of the fierce rivalry between the two teams and gave Pakistan a standing ovation for their remarkable fighting spirit.
Sharjah, 1986 (ODI)
Pakistan and India locked horns in the 1986 Austral-Asia Cup final in Sharjah and delivered a memorable ODI encounter. India lost the toss, but had a strong start to the match, thanks to their openers Kris Srikkanth (75) and Sunil Gavaskar (92). At one point, they seemed set to score more than 250 – a decent ODI total in the 1980s – but eventually had to settle for 247.
It was not an easy target to chase down back in those days, and Pakistan did not have the start they wanted in their chase. They lost three wickets for 61 runs, but a resilient Javed Miandad kept them in the game.
As Pakistan’s innings went down to the final delivery, they needed four runs off the final ball with Miandad on strike. Chetan Sharma attempted a yorker, but it turned out to be a full-toss, and at an ideal height for Miandad to hit. He did not miss the opportunity and sent the delivery flying over mid-wicket for a six.
Read also: South Africa vs India Cricket Tickets 2025 I Best Cricket Helmet Guide 2025
