June 16th, 2017 | Updated on March 1st, 2024
Pakistan’s turnaround in the Champions Trophy has been “magnificent”, said Indian captain Virat Kohli after his side set up Sunday’s final against their arch- rival. India eased to a nine-wicket win over Bangladesh in Thursday’s semi-final. Pakistan were comfortably beaten by defending champions India in their opening game but shocked hosts England in the first semi-final on Wednesday.
India Pakistan is one rivalry that is known for being intense and absolutely pulsating. There have been numerous moments where tensions have boiled over.
Here are 9 cricketing moments from India-Pakistan’s rivalry that have been controversial to say the least:
1. Bishen Singh Bedi Conceding
In the 1978-79 series, India was chasing a target of 206 against the Pakistanis to win the series.Being just 183-2 in 37 overs, they were in the driver’s seat, looking set to clinch the win. However,Sarfraz Nawaz bowled bouncers above the batsman continually and the umpire did not give a wide signal to even one. A frustrated Bedi conceded the match in anger and the entire nation was livid with the situation that the venue did not host another match again.
2. Stone Pelting, Karachi, 1989
In Sachin’s debut series, Manoj Prabhakar was in top form, seaming the ball in absurd directions and trapping Rameez Raja to open the floodgates. Kapil Deb and Salil Ankola joined the party and Pakistan was reduced to 28-3. The agitated Karachi crowd began pelting stones and the match had to be called off. Manoj Prabhakar’s figures of 5-2-5-3 had gone in vain and it was another exhibition of Pakistan’s poor crowd control.
3. Frog Miandad, 1992
In the first World Cup match between the two heavyweights, Kiran More managed to get under the skin of the legendary Pakistan batsman. Things finally reached a boiling point when More dislodged the bails even when Miandad was in the crease that the batsman started jumping like a frog. The incident is a legendary World Cup moment that has managed to bring a laugh to many fans today despite it being a tense situation back then.
4. Inzamam Ki Aloo, 1997
In the Sahara Cup tournament between the two teams, fans were heckling players on the field –making racist comments on Indian player Mohanty and poking fun at Azharuddin for divorcing his wife to marry actress Sangeeta BijlANI.
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5. Virender Sehwag vs Shoaib Akhtar, 2003
Shoaib Akhtar kept on bowling bouncers to Virender Sehwag forcing him to play the pull shot, something that Sehwag was not very comfortable with. The opener asked the bowler to bowl the same to Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, which he easily dispatched for a six. After the six, Sehwag went up to Akhtar and said “Baap baap hota hai aur beta beta hota hai.”
6. Gambhir-Afridi 2007, Kanpur
India and Pakistan were battling for the win in the third ODI played at Kanpur. Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi entered into a verbal duel during the match. Gambhir and Sehwag were scoring a lot off the deliveries of Afridi. While Gambhir was taking a run, Afridi bumped into him. They entered into heated discussion and it was sorted out only when the umpires intervened.
7. Gautam Gambhir and Kamran Akmal, 2010
Gambhir is not known for holding back and during the 2010 Asia Cup, Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal kept on making unsuccessful appeals so the batsman decided to confront him. The ugly spat broke out during the drinks break. Gambhir charged towards Akmal for his unsporting behaviour. Things got heated and India skipper MS Dhoni had to intervene and pull Gambhir away to diffuse the tension.
8.Harbhajan Singh vs Shoaib Akhtar, 2010
Harbhajan Singh went hammer and tongs at the Pakistani pacer Akhtar after he tried to provoke the batsman. India needed 7 runs off seven balls and after finishing his over with a dot ball Akhtar went to tease Harbhajan which led to an ugly fight.The batsman slammed Mohammad Aamir for a six in the last over to lead India to victory.
9. Ishant Sharma vs Kamran Akmal, 2012
Things got so serious between Ishant Sharma and Kamran Akmal in this T20 match that umpires had to intervene.Akmal who survived after getting out on a no-ball got into a war of words with Ishant after he beat him on the next delivery. Both players started yelling at each other before umpires and the rest of the Indian players pulled them away.
Source: scoopwhoop.com
