IND 8-0 PAK: As Rohit Sharma and Co maintain India’s winning record against Pakistan at Cricket World Cup, a brief history of the 8 wins

Sydney, 4 Mar 1992: India won by 43 runs

POTM: Sachin Tendulkar

India’s first match against Pakistan in the tournament didn’t happen until 1992. In a match remembered for the Javed Miandad-Kiran More incident (read more about the brilliant bond the two former players share here), it was a young Tendulkar who starred with the bat and chipped in with the ball too. Batting in the middle order as he did back then, Tendulkar rallied the batting effort with an unbeaten 54. Chasing 217, Pakistan fell for 173 with Tendulkar taking the most important wicket of the top-scorer Aamer Sohail.

Bengaluru, 9 Mar 1996: India won by 39 runs

POTM: Navjot Singh Sidhu

The very mention of this match brings up memories of Aamer Sohail and Venkatesh Prasad. It’s been decades since that incident but the four followed by the wicket is a sequence that has become part of the folklore surrounding this rivalry. But there were other significant moments in the match like Navjot Singh Sidhu’s impressive 93 and Ajay Jadeja taking down Waqar Younis in the back-end. Prasad and Anil Kumble pegged Pakistan back after they looked to be cruising at one stage.

Manchester, 8 Jun 1999: India won 47 runs

POTM: Venkatesh Prasad

It was another match that seemed destined to be going Pakistan’s way at one stage before a remarkable turnaround, with Prasad once again in the thick of action. Rahul Dravid top-scored for India in their total of 227/6 and Pakistan were off to a good start. But Srinath’s three-for and Prasad’s five-for led to Pakistan folding for 180.

Centurion, 1 Mar 2003: India won by 6 wickets

POTM: Sachin Tendulkar

The match where Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar set the ball rolling in memorable fashion at the start of what appeared to be potentially a tricky run-chase. Saeed Anwar’s century led Pakistan to a formidable 273/7 but Tendulkar’s six over point went down as one of the more iconic shots of his career. He went on to score a 98, before Rahul Dravid and Yuvraj Singh sealed the deal calmly.

Mohali, 30 Mar 2011: India won by 29 runs

POTM: Sachin Tendulkar

It wouldn’t go down as the most classy Tendulkar ODI knock, but even on a scratchy day, he top-scored as India came through an intense semifinal against Pakistan. The total of 260 seemed just about par but a good collective bowling effort gave India their spot in the final and a shot at history against Sri Lanka in Mumbai. Interestingly, five Indian bowlers picked up 2 wickets each, just as it would transpire in Ahmedabad 12 years later.

Adelaide, 15 Feb 2015: India won by 76 runs

POTM: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli’s 107 in Adelaide, alongside solid hands from Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina, led India to 300/7. In a World Cup where the Indian bowling attack stepped up and made a name for themselves in bowling out of oppositions, Mohammed Shami starred with four wickets as Pakistan were bowled out for 224 in a chase that never took off.

Manchester, 16 Jun 2019: India won by 89 runs

POTM: Rohit Sharma

It was a Rohit Sharma special in Manchester as India’s top three combined for 274 runs, with KL Rahul and Virat Kohli chipping in with half centuries. A first-innings total of 336/5 seemed to be a match-winning one but it required a special delivery from Kuldeep Yadav to Babar Azam, and from there on India were on their way to a big win.

Ahmedabad 14 Oct 2023: India won by 7 wickets

POTM: Jasprit Bumrah

Just like in Mohali, India’s bowlers stepped up as a unit after a good partnership between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. But once Mohammed Siraj dismissed Babar, it triggered an incredible collapse as Pakistan went from 155/2 to 191 all out. Jasprit Bumrah’s deliveries to dismiss Rizwan and Shadab Khan will be spoken about for a while. And in the run-chase, Rohit Sharma was once again in sublime touch, scoring a sublime 86. India won in the 31st over and it was a breezy win, as they carried on the win streak against Pakistan.