Asia Cup 2014, the India vs. Pakistan match was one of the most memorable matches in cricket history. Sher-e-Bangla Stadium stood in awe at the majesty of the subcontinental giants of cricket. The tension was high, the stakes were higher, and the teams were dedicated to subduing their arch-nemesis In the end, the victor was decided by the climactic last over.
The El-Classico of Cricket
India vs. Pakistan is undoubtedly the biggest game in cricket. Both of the countries have a combined population of 1.7 billion, and therefore, viewership, excitement, and revenue are incredibly high. The matches between India and Pakistan are something every cricket fan roots for, sometimes more than the Ashes.
For people who do not understand cricket, imagine a match between Real Madrid and Barcelona or the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Boston Celtics and multiply that five-fold. India does not visit Pakistan for friendly matches, so ODI World Cups, Asia Cups, and T-20 World Cups are the only places they meet. According to India.com, for the upcoming match between the rivals on September 2, 2023, a ten-second ad would cost around Rs. 20-30 lakh, or $24,170 – $36,265.
The Match Begins
The match was in Sher-e-Bangla Stadium, Dhaka, and Dhaka’s crowd is a die-hard one for cricket. Every inch of every seat was filled with India’s and Pakistan’s fans. The sky was cloudy, and it was predicted that rain could come during the match. Pakistan’s biggest asset has always been their bowling attack, and for India’s batting, the weather was in favor of Pakistan.
India’s Total
India won the Toss and decided to bat under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. Pakistan quickly struck the Indian side with Shikhar Dhawan’s wicket. Rohit Sharma kept the ship sailing, and it accumulated into the second-highest run of the innings. The first three wickets of the game came in under 100 runs. After that, India tried to consolidate their front, yet the wickets kept falling at regular intervals.
Mirpur’s wicket favors the spin bowlers. Saeed Ajmal got 3 wickets, and Mohammad Hafeez got two. Umar Gul and Mohammad Talha got wickets as well. Junaid Khan was very costly. He bowled 7 overs yet gave away 44 precious runs.
Ambati Rayudu and Ravindra Jadeja, along with Rohit Sharma, had half-centuries in the match, which allowed the Indians to have a respectable total of 245/8. The runs were enough to make the game exciting, but not enough to have a higher chance of winning.
Pakistan’s Chase
Pakistan started the match with the goal of solidifying its start. The first wicket came in late because of the cautious opening play. Sharjeel Khan was bowled out by Ashwin, and soon Ahmed Shehzad followed him. Mishbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal also gave away their wickets pretty soon. The 71-1 side of Pakistan was soon 113-4.
However, Mohammad Hafeez played a 75-run clutch inning with the help of Shoaib Maqsood. The 87-run partnership kept Pakistan in the game. Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuveneshwar Kumar, and Mohammad Shami kept on trading repeated blows with Pakistani batsmen. Ashwin took 3 wickets with the econ. Of 4.55. Amit Mishra, while he did not take any wickets, kept a tight lid on the batsmen with the economy. Of 2.55.
Boom Boom Afridi
If you watch cricket regularly, you know about this mythical inning and the mythical man. Often criticized for losing his composure, he was ruthlessly mocked by the Indian fans and sometimes called out by his Pakistani fans. When he came to the game, Pakistan needed 45 runs in 37 balls. He came, he saw, and he conquered.
During the last two overs, Pakistan’s batting order collapsed. Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, and Saeed Ajmal’s wicket fell so quickly that, for a brief moment, everybody was certain that Pakistan had lost.
Shahid Afridi scored 34 runs in just 18 balls. Having a strike rate of 188.89 under such pressure is an outstanding human achievement. Especially, the last over was the embodiment of the indomitable human spirit. The very last over was a heart attack-inducing roller coaster ride.
Ashwin was leading the charge. The last over began with the wicket of Ajmal. The pressure was mounting, Pakistan needed 10 runs in 5 balls with only a wicket in hand. Junaid Khan came to the wicket and quickly took a single to let Afridi have his day. 9 runs in 4 balls. Ashwin was looking for his fourth. He bowled, and Afridi hit it over the heads of Indian players. 3 runs in 3 balls. Singles will do the work, but Junaid might not be able to take the pressure. Afridi was all Pakistan had. Everybody was anticipating a marvelous win or a cruel defeat.
Ashwin bowled the last delivery. Afridi hit. The ball was in the air, and the world stopped to look at the sky. Is anybody on long-on? Nobody is. It’s a six. Pakistan had won, and Afridi had won it for them.
The game was highly competitive, and every pundit rejoiced at the excitement during the game. It was a game that could rival the story of The Iliad in its epicness. Shahid Afridi became the Pakistani Achilles with no weakness in his heels. The Indian Twitter was courteous towards Pakistan’s victory. Pakistanis also consoled and congratulated Indian players for making the game exciting.
The tension during the match and the love after the match show a rivalry that is decorated with brotherly love. Asia Cup is back and another match between India and Pakistan will happen on 2nd September 2023. Much of that old team has retired and there is a new generation but the passion and rivalry will always remain.
