The cricket matches between arch-rivals India and Pakistan have always been intense and enthralling to watch. Players from both sides wear their heart on their sleeve, emotions always run high and the massive crowd makes the games even more special.
The high-voltage encounters have also witnessed many on-field clashes over the years and the one between Venkatesh Prasad and Aamir Sohail still remains vivid in fans’ memories.
It all happened during the 1996 World Cup quarter-final when Sohail hammered Prasad for four to the square boundary and brashly signalled the bowler with the bat as if to say, "see that, I will hit you there again".
Sohail’s gesture didn’t go down well with Prasad as the Indian pacer uprooted Pakistani opener’s off-stump off in the next delivery and gave him an animated send-off.
Speaking on The Greatest Rivalry podcast, former Pakistan fast bowler Waqar Younis recently recalled that iconic duel and said: “To be very honest, we were shocked by the way he [Sohail] was behaving on the field. He was tonking the ball all over the park, why did he need to do that? I guess, the pressure got to him.”
“He batted superbly, he was looking really good and I think he scored 55 off not many deliveries (55 off 46). And Saeed Anwar also. We lost our first wicket when Pakistan were 85-odd (84) in the first ten overs. We were cruising, and then once we lost Saeed Anwar and then Aamir Sohail straightaway, it just went wrong,” he added.
Sohail’s dismissal triggered a collapse as Pakistan eventually fell 39-run short while chasing India’s target of 288 in that all-important quarter-final. Prasad finished the game with excellent figures of 3/45 in his 10 overs. Legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble also picked up three each to dent the chase.
Waqar explained how Sohail’s wicket left a negative impact on the remainder of the innings.
“Inzamam-ul-Haq and Ijaz Ahmed, they went into a shell. And full credit should be given to Anil Kumble, when he came in and Prasad came in for his second spell, he sort of started nipping the ball a little bit. And Pakistan got so much pressure and once we lost Ijaz and Inzamam within an over or so, it became very very difficult,” Waqar remarked.
“We made quite a few mistakes in that game. Javed Miandad was there, he could have gone in at number four but we kept him at number six, there was no use because he was approaching the end of his career. We kept him for very late, he should have batted at number four. Overall, a good game for cricket and India were well-deserved winners.”
