There are few alluring spectacles in the game of cricket than an India v Pakistan encounter. The mere prospect of such a face-off is enough to send cricketing aficionados from the sub-continent into an anticipatory vortex of hope and expectancy. Frayed nerves overpower temperate minds, Faustian emotions overwhelm calculated calm and frenzied passions cloud solid judgements. Many a time I have determined myself to maintain a veneer of stoic civility and a saintly sobriety whilst watching India take on Pakistan and have miserably failed realizing that such attempts merely constituted acts in incongruity. In no other rivalry (the Ashes included), is the dileanation between the victor and the vanquished so searing and so palpable. The ramification of the result are at times beyond mere sporting significance. The players themselves, recognizing such import and relevance dig deep into the innermost recesses of their resilience (even unbeknownst to them), and come out with some stunning individual performances. Since the advent of one-day international cricket, these two cricketing giants have engaged one another on innumerable occasions in contests absorbing, astonishing and awe-inspiring. While it would be an exercise in absolute futility to try and single out every individual performance of merit, there are a few acts of glory which have personally captivated me and held my imagination. Although I have tried to be as objective and rational as possible in selecting the following 10 best solo performances that have formed the corner stone of an India v Pakistan one day epic, an element of personal bias might have wielded a veiled influence in the selection. Even Julie Andrews would have wont to sing in her mellifluous voice – “these are a few of my favorite things”
NUMBER 10:
Jadeja juggernaut detonates at Bangalore
9th March, 1996, Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore – World Cup Quarterfinal
Ajay Jadeja has always been known for his uncanny ability to pace a one-day innings. Commencing an innings with a few nudges and pushes, he continues with deft flicks and honest cuts, before concluding with swipes and smites. Although not as clinical or consistent as the classy ‘Terminator’ Michael Bevan, he has been a thorn in many an opponent’s flesh. He can also lay claim to have been one of the best ever fielders of his time. Unfortunately this mercurial cricketer was embroiled in a murky match-fixing episode which resulted in a 5 year ban. The ban was subsequently quashed by the Delhi High Court in 2003.
However, it was in this classic World Cup quarterfinal against the arch enemy that Jadeja found his metier. The Garden city of Bangalore and a capacity crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium played hosts with unbridled anticipation to this day/night tie between two of the fiercest rivals playing the game.
India won the toss and skipper Mohammed Azharuddin had no hesitation whatsoever in electing to bat. His decision seemed to be vindicated when a determined Navjot Singh Sidhu and a fluent Sachin Tendulkar got stuck into the Pakistani bowling. Pakistan needed to wait till 90 runs were notched up by this pair before getting their first break-through. Sachin dragged an Ata-ur-Rehman delivery back onto his stumps before trudging back to the pavilion. Sanjay Manjrekar lasted for 42 minutes and faced 43 deliveries for his 20 before ungainly smiting one off Aamer Sohail to Javed Miandad on the on-side boundary. Meanwhile the doughty Sidhu carried on hooking, pulling, driving and cutting with great grit and gusto. However the opener completely misread a flipper from Mushtaq to have his stumps castled and falling just 7 runs short of what would have been a deserving hundred. A couple of breathtakingly lusty blows from the Indian captain proved to be deceptively flattering as he edged one from Waqar to be brilliantly caught by a diving Rashid Latif. The skipper made 27.
With India tentatively placed at 200 for 4 in the 42nd over, Jadeja strode to the crease with a sense of purpose. With Vinod Kambli for company, he chose to have a peremptory look at the bowling before settling down into his usual ebullient stride. A searing flick-cum-drive off Waqar signaled his undisguised intentions as the ball sped past a bewildered and ageing Javed Miandad towards the boundary ropes. The fall of Kambli to the wily Mushtaq with the score on 226 neither deterred the concentration of the right hander nor dampened his fervour. Finding able allies in the local lads, Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath, Jadeja unleashed an amazing array of strokes putting the hapless and helpless Pakistani attack to the sword. Waqar Younis was singled out for special and specific attention as Jadeja surgically took the Burewalla Bomber to the cleaners. A magnificent cover drive in the 48th over sent Tony Greig into an orgasmic frenzy in the commentator’s box as not a blade of grass moved. The very next delivery was nonchalantly and neatly flicked with utter disdain into the stratosphere and into the midst of a roaring, raging and rapturous crowd. Yet another screaming shot off the backfoot had a baffled Waqar contemplating the trajectory of a soaring ball, this time on the off-side over the boundary ropes. When Waqar finally got his revenge getting a flailing Jadeja caught on the ropes by Aamer Sohail, the damage was well and truly done. The carnage in the form of a blistering cameo of 45 off just 25 deliveries had not only lent the much needed impetus for the Indian innings, but had also demoralized the Pakistanis. This orgy of hitting encompassed 4 hits to the fence and a couple sailing over it.
Ajaysinhji Daulatsinhji Jadeja was on the 9th of March 1996, not just a dilettante having his moment of glory under a bank of artificial lights. He was a unique artist who, with his inimitable trick of the trade, had hoicked, smote, swiped, whacked, thwacked and hammered Pakistan, with gay abandon, out of the 1996 edition of the World Cup.
As would be evident from the facts as set out above, India successfully defended their formidable score of 287 for 8 beating Pakistan by 39 runs. Jadeja also twirled his arm round bowling 5 frugal overs in which he conceded just 19 runs although going wicket-less. Navjot Singh Sidhu was declared the Man-of-the-Match.
This game was also was famous for Aamer Sohail’s foot in the mouth syndrome which transmogrified a priestly Venkatesh Prasad into a demonic “Predator” that Arnie himself would have found hard pressed to control, and, more importantly as the final one-day international match for one of the veritable legends of the game, the incomparable Javed Miandad.
Result: India won by 39 runs
Scorecard: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/current/match/65187.html
Next: Saleem Malik’s caustic carnage at Calcutta (now Kolkata)