Top 5 highest partnerships by India against Pakistan in ODIs ft. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli
The India vs Pakistan ODI matches have generally been a contest between Indian batters and Pakistani bowlers. Over the years, the world has witnessed some intense battles between the two teams.
At times, the rivalry has also witnessed some lopsided encounters as well. Sometimes, the Pakistani bowlers ruled the roost, while on some occasions, the Indian batters scored heaps of runs against them.
The ongoing India vs Pakistan ODI in the Super Four round of the Asia Cup 2023 proved to be the one where India's batters dominated their arch-rivals.
In this listicle today, we will look at the top five partnerships by Indian batters in ODIs against Pakistan.
#5 Suresh Raina and Virender Sehwag - 198 runs, Asia Cup 2008
The last time Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup was in 2008. In that edition of the tournament, two Indian batters destroyed the Pakistani bowlers. Opener Virender Sehwag joined forces with No.3 batter Suresh Raina to help India chase down a 300-run target.
The Men in Blue lost Gautam Gambhir's wicket early in the chase. Raina arrived in the middle when the score was 12/1. He added 198 runs for the second wicket with Sehwag, taking the team's total to 210/2.
Sehwag scored 119 runs off 95 balls, while Raina contributed 84 runs off just 69 deliveries. India eventually won the match in 42.1 overs with six wickets in hand.
#4 Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag - 201 runs, 2005
Virender Sehwag enjoyed playing against Pakistan. The former explosive Indian opener had a magnificent partnership of 201 runs along with Rahul Dravid in the first ODI of the 2005 India vs Pakistan series.
Playing in Kochi, India lost Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly cheaply. No.4 batter Dravid and opener Sehwag then registered a hundred each to take the team's score from 4/2 to 205/2.
Sehwag got out after scoring 108, while Dravid finished with 104. India won that contest by 87 runs.
#3 Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma - 210 runs, Asia Cup 2018
In the previous 50-over Asia Cup, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan joined forces to destroy the Pakistani bowling lineup in UAE. The Men in Green batted first and posted 237/7 in 50 overs.
Chasing 238 for a win, India reached 210/0, thanks to Dhawan and Rohit. Dhawan lost his wicket after scoring 114 runs. Rohit completed his hundred soon and sealed the deal for the Men in Blue along with Ambati Rayudu.
#2 Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Sidhu - 231 runs, Pepsi Sharjah Cup 1996
During the fourth match of the Pepsi Sharjah Cup in 1996, Indian batters Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Sidhu shared a 231-run partnership for the second wicket. Opener Vikram Rathour lost his wicket in single digits, which brought Sidhu to the middle.
Tendulkar and Sidhu added 231 runs, taking the team's score from 9/1 to 240/1. Soon after Tendulkar completed his century, he lost his wicket via a run-out. Sidhu went on to score 118 runs. India beat Pakistan by 28 runs in that contest.
#1 Virat Kohli and KL Rahul - 233 runs, Asia Cup 2023
Virat Kohli and KL Rahul had a partnership against Pakistan for the first time in their ODI careers. The two Indian batters tormented the Men in Green by adding an unbeaten 233 runs for the third wicket over the span of two days in Colombo.
India were 123/2 in their innings when Rahul joined Kohli in the middle. They took the score to 147/2 when rain forced the officials to halt the game. The match resumed on the reserve day, with Rahul and Kohli taking the total to 356/2 in 50 overs. Their partnership expanded to 233 runs, breaking Tendulkar and Sidhu's record.