Arch rivals India and Pakistan locked horns in a group-stage encounter of the 2012 Asia Cup. Although Indo-Pak clashes of recent times have lost some of the extravagance of the past, this particular game was especially a high-octane one.
It’s always been the game where either one gets away with the “bragging rights” in the end, and it was India’s turn that fateful day. Despite twin centuries from the other end, the men in blue pulled off a masterclass on a batting paradise.
But it was one particular gentleman who rose to the occasion amongst their plethora of talents.
The game most vividly known for Virat Kohli’s highest-ever ODI score also got the spectators the taste of a record run chase. The Pakistani bowlers were put to the sword by the Indian batters, who chipped in big time at the grandest of stages and accomplished India’s win in the process.
The Backdrop To the Encounter
The buildup to the game contrasted slightly between the two teams. It turned out to be a do-or-die game for India, who had to win the match to keep their hopes of the final alive after stumbling against Bangladesh in the previous game.
Pakistan, however, had already made it through. They had earlier defeated both Bangladesh and Sri Lanka convincingly in the round-robin phase of the tournament before facing their famous foes.
Twin Tons at the Top
Winning the toss, Pakistan made a rollicking start with both their openers in sublime touch. The graceful duo of Mohammad Hafeez & Nasir Jamshed eased to their respective centuries in majestic fashion on a placid Mirpur pitch that provided hardly any assistance to the bowlers.
Fightback from India
After reaching over 220 within 35 overs, the men in green were aiming for around 350. Hafeez, the more elegant one of the partnership, was threatening to cut loose once and for all till Dinda completely bamboozled him with a wonderfully disguised slower one that could have outfoxed the best of the lot.
After the departure of both the openers, the veteran Younis Khan took over the helm of the rest of the innings with a steady knock, steering the total to a formidable score of 329.
India’s fightback both with the ball in hand and on the field in the last 15 overs, strangled the life out of the death-over antics.
The Turning Point
In a game of two halves like this, the barest margins often don’t make the difference. Rather, there seem to be one or two subtle turning points that change the rhythm of the proceedings.
The ice-breaking moment actually happened when Ashok Dinda’s Golden Arm broke the deadlock with the dismissal of Mohammad Hafeez. When the dashing openers were going all guns blazing, it was Dinda who dented the lofty projections of the Pakistan camp.
Ashok Dinda was the pick of the bowlers in terms of wickets despite being a tad expensive. On a surface curated like a highway, his breakthroughs at crucial stages checked the barrage of runs flowing all along.
Flying Start to the Chase
India were set to make history if they were to chase down the total. This would have been the highest run chase ever in Asia Cups. But they had the worst start possible to start proceedings as Gautam Gambhir was caught plumb in front in just the second ball of their innings. The centurion Mohammad Hafeez turned out to be the conjurer with this prized scalp.
The tide turned quickly, however. Virat Kohli, in red hot form, arrived at the crease after the dismissal. He, along with the legend himself, Sachin Tendulkar, steadied the nerves and kept on playing their shots. The two reached their respective half-centuries in no time with exquisite timing and stroke-making of the highest caliber. While the two were at the crease, the display seemed more like an exhibition than a game of cricket.
Chase Master to the Rescue
After the departure of the Master, Rohit Sharma joined Kohli in the middle, with the latter in no mood to slow down. He reached the magic three-figure mark and continued with the onslaught. Rohit, on the other end, was the more reserved counterpart. But he, too, kept the scoreboard ticking.
As destiny would have it, the pair had their fair share of luck as well, with a couple of edges flying off the slip cordon in quick succession. The pair perished almost identically, with India just a few shots away from victory. MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina wasted no time in providing the finishing touches to this grotesque chase.
In spite of the clash being of such magnitude, it was Kohli’s innings that bagged all the limelight. His career-best 183 still remains the highest score made by any individual in Asia Cup history. He later said in an interview recently that it was one of the innings that changed his life.
The accolades, including the player of the match, were reserved for the star of the show, who made the world take note once again with a stellar display of pure genius.
Legacy and Impact
With the departure of Sachin Tendulkar from the annals of ODI cricket after this game, the then-swashbuckling Virat Kohli was revered for standing out as the next torchbearer of world cricket. And he has done it in some style by putting himself head and shoulders above his contemporaries and becoming arguably the greatest limited-overs batsman of all time.
Concluding Verdict
The jubilation of the victory had to be put at bay due to the anonymity of the clash in terms of its cohesive impact on the tournament. Pakistan went on to win the Asia Cup that year after edging Bangladesh in a nail-biting finish.
Numbers aside, it was Sachin Tendulkar’s final ODI, and with Kohli’s unforgettable knock, the baton seemed to be passed on to safe hands. It also turned out to be yet another occasion where India reiterated their dominance over Pakistan in world cricket.
