What happened last time India batted second in ODI World Cup contest vs Pakistan? | Know More

India vs Pakistan rivalry has taken centre stage again as both nations meet for the eighth time in the ODI World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday (Oct 14). After winning the toss, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opted to field first in a decision that raised eyebrows for many. It is just the second time India will chase a target in the high-voltage clash in the ODI World Cup having last done so in 2003.

So what happened last time India batted second?

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On 1st March 2003, India and Pakistan locked horns at the historic Centurion ground in South Africa with Sourav Ganguly and Waqar Younis leading the respective sides. It was the Pakistan skipper who won the toss and elected to bat first as India held an unprecedented record of winning while batting first. Both teams hadbig-game players in their side with the likes of Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and others.

Batting first, Pakistan’s Anwar was in sublime form as he attacked the Indian bowling and scored 101. He was well supported by future skipper Younis Khan (32) and Mohammad Yousuf (22) who helped Pakistan reach 273/7 in their 50 overs. Inzamam-ul-Haq failed to make a mark as he got run out on 6 while Rashid Latif contributed 29 with the bat.

For India, Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan scalped two wickets each while Javagal Srinath and Dinesh Mongia ended with one each.

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In reply, India started on the front foot as openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar took on the Pakistan bowling attack. The former was dismissed on 21 but took the attack to the opposition while Tendulkar was the architect of India’s dominance with the bat. He hit Shoaib Akhtar for a six over the third man that captured the attention of the world. It is still one of the iconic moments in the history of the World Cup.

However, Tendulkar’s dominance with the bat came to an end when a Shoaib Akhtar delivery surprised him and he was caught off guard on 98. He missed out on a hundred but did his job for the Men in Blue. He along with Mohammed Kaif (35) put on 102 runs for the third wicket while skipper Ganguly was dismissed for a golden duck. Later Rahul Dravid (44) and Yuvraj Singh (50) helped the Indian team to win as they celebrated a famous win. Dravid scored the winning four and was excellent throughout the tournament.

India won the contest by six wickets, chasing the 274-run target with 26 balls to spare. The Men in Blue later reached the World Cup final, but lostto Australia.

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