Top five ODI knocks by a Pakistan batsman against India

Former Pakistan wicket-keeper Rashid Latif once stated: “If, in other ODI matches, you see us giving 100 per cent, then against India, we’ll be giving 120 per cent.” Those words prove to be true every time the arch-rivals face off in a battle for supremacy.

Every die-hard Indian fan remembers with glee the magnificent response by Venkatesh Prasad after he was hit for a boundary by Aamer Sohail, who then proceeded to sledge the bowler, and lost his off-stump the very next ball. It became one of the lasting images of the 1996 World Cup and also highlighted the fierce rivalry between the two nations.

Discarded India opener Gautam Gambhir‘s on-field spats with Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal, the fiery Harbhajan Singh taking on Shoaib Akhtar in the 2010 Asia Cup – all these incidents served only to make India so focused that the team ended up winning those matches. But there have been times when the Men in Green have turned the tables more than once – with both bat and ball.

Here is a list of the top 5 ODI knocks played by a Pakistani batsman against India:

5. Inzamam ul Haq (122 runs off 102 balls – Karachi, 2004)

In all fairness, this was one of the greatest innings ever witnessed in the ODI arena. And for once, a few of the Indian fans might even have been awestruck at the sublime nature of the shots that were unfurled by the Pakistan captain as he took on the responsibility of guiding his side to the victory target of 350.

He almost pulled it off too – in his own inimitable way. Directly after the drinks break, the portly right-hander launched a vicious counter-attack on left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, dispatching him straight back over his head for a huge six. He then proceeded to play an array of shots that reminded old-timers of the 1992 WC game against New Zealan-; the perfect timing, immaculate placements and of course, the huge hits- all of them signified the controlled brutality of the veteran player, as he coasted to his century.

Such was the authority with which Inzy batted that skipper Sourav Ganguly nearly ran out of nails to chew. Pace and spin were proving ineffective, the shoulders were beginning to droop, and for the Indian fans, it looked like the nineties all over again.

The batsman’s wrist-work would have even impressed former India player Mohammad Azharuddin – the silken touch found the boundary again and again, compounding India’s agony.

Finally, Kartik, who had borne the brunt of Inzamam’s assault, induced a tired stroke from the batsman; the resulting faint edge was smartly snapped up by Dravid behind the stumps.

The Pakistan captain walked back, a rueful look on his face, as the spectators gave him a standing ovation to thank the Pakistan skipper for the treat they’d witnessed. Even the Indian spectators joined in, clapping as much in relief as admiration for the masterly knock. Pakistan eventually finished on 344, five runs short, but Inzamam had won hearts with a gallant display.