World Cup 2015: Star performers for India against Pakistan in World Cup history

New Delhi: India and Pakistan will lock horns and kick start their respective World Cup campaigns on Sunday, February 15, 2015. India versus Pakistan is not, and never has been an ordinary cricket match. It is much more than that; it becomes a matter of life and death (metaphorically), a matter of pride for a lot of us. All the previous five battles of the two rivals have been nail biting and this time also it is expected to be the same as soon as MS Dhoni and Misbah-ul-Haq will step into the ground for toss. The match at Adelaide is expected to be the most-watched match in the history of cricket. More than a billion stakeholders are involved in the battle between the two rivals. The high voltage atmosphere of an India-Pakistan clash can either spur cricketers on, or make them nervous. In the 126 ODIs played between these two teams, Pakistan holds an upper hand with 72 victories while India has won only 50 matches. However, Pakistan has never managed to beat India in a World Cup face-off. Barring 2011, Pakistan has gone into every World Cup match against India as favorites. Sachin Tendulkar has been a part of all the five World Cup matches played between India and Pakistan, winning the Man of the Match award on three occasions. However, he has never been able to hit a century against Pakistan. While Venkatesh Prasad is the only Indian bowler to have taken a five-wicket haul in the much anticipated encounter. Every victory against Pakistan is special more so if it is a World Cup victory. India TV looks at such match-winning performances by the Indian players who etched their names in the 23 years Indo-Pak World Cup history: 1) Sachin Tendulkar The master blaster popularly known as God of Cricket played his first World Cup in 1992 at the age of 18. He has been a part of all the five World Cup matches played between India and Pakistan and won the Man of the Match award on three occasions (1992, 2003 and 2011) making him one of the best Indian player against Pakistan. It was a group match in 1992 World Cup where a young Sachin Tendulkar starred with a man of the match performance with both bat and ball; he scored an unbeaten 54 of 62 and conceded only 37 runs for one wicket in his 10 overs. After a slow start India were left struggling at 148/5 till the time Sachin was joined by Kapil Dev on the crease and the duo shared 60 runs together to take India to a respectable total of 216. While Pakistan chasing, Sachin dismissed the in-form Aamer Sohail giving India the major breakthrough of the match. Pakistan were bowled out for a mere 173 thus losing by 43 runs. He didn't had the good run in the quarterfinal of 1996 WC against Pakistan but in 1999 his fair contribution of 45 runs certainly helped India to post 227 on board. Later bowlers did their job and bowled Pakistan out for 180.In 2003 it was the encounter between the world's most dangerous bowling attack and the Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar. Batting first Pakistan set a target of 274 for India. He started off the chase aggressively and brings up team's 100 in 12.1 overs. He had a half century stand with Sehwag and later 102 with Mohammad Kaif and went on to score 98 off 75 deliveries, well enough to beat Pakistan and advance to Super Six stage. Moreover who can forget that upper cut to third man for SIX against Shoaib Akhtar's bouncer.In 2011 the story didn't changed as well. This time it was the mouth-watering clash in the semifinal at Mohali for a place in the final with Sri Lanka. Sachin Tendulkar starred with the bat yet again but fallen 15 runs short of his century. Pakistani fielders, it seemed, had made it their duty to not to catch any of Tendulkar's shots. He was dropped by Misbah-ul-Haq on 27, Younus Khan on 45, Kamran Akmal on 70, and Muhammad Hafeez on 81. It was finally Shahid Afridi who caught it.Contributions lower down the order from Suresh Raina and company, India reached 260. He shared 48 runs with Sehwag and 68 with Gambhir in his course of 85 runs. All the bowlers later were above par. They bowled out Paksitan for 231 and India were through to the finals. 2) Venkatesh PrasadThe veteran Indian bowler Venkatesh Prasad had a good run in all two encounters with Pakistan in two world cups he played in 1996 and 1999.It was the quarterfinal in 1996 in Bangalore and India were defending their total of 287. Pakistan started their chase with a half century opening stand his three quick wicket of Aamir Sohail, Ijaz Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq pegged them back. The visitors were bowled out for 248 giving India a comfortable victory by 39 runs.However, the main highlight of the match remained to be the spat between Venkatesh Prasad and Aamir Sohail.After bringing up his half century, Aamir slashed Prasad for an extra cover boundary. He asked Prasad “Go, fetch that”, pointing in the extra cover direction. Sohail tried the same shot on the next ball, only to see his stump uprooted. Having been comprehensively bowled, Prasad gave him a send-off, pointing towards the dressing room.India took on Pakistan in super six stage in 1999 WC and was a must win situation to stay alive in the tournament. After a dismal batting performance with just 227 on board it was now Venkatesh Prasad who took the responsibility on his shoulders. He was again the scourge of Pakistan, picking up five wickets and ripping through the Pakistani middle order with accurate bowling choking their arch rivals yet again. He picked up a fifer conceding just 27 runs in 9.3 overs and was adjudged as Man of the Match.3) Kapil DevThe 1983 World Cup winning captain played four World Cups in 1979, 1983, 1987 and 1992. He made his first appearance in Indo-Pak match in his fourth and last Benson and Hedges World Cup in 1992 where his all-round performance helped India trounce the traditional rivals. India were 148-5 when Kapil Dev came at no. 7 and scored a quickfire 26 ball 35 to take struggling India to a respectable total of 216. He also bowled a useful spell of 10 overs in which he conceded just 30 runs and scalped 2 wickets. He added 60 runs with Sachin Tendulkar for 6th wicket which made the difference in the match and the innings is always remembered by every Indian cricket fan. Had he not score these runs, the game would have never went in India's pocket. For Kapil, it was his most cherished moment in the quadrennial event Down Under.4) Navjot Singh Sidhu The Man of the Match in his only encounter with Pakistan in 1996 World Cup, Navjot Singh Sidhu had his own role which helped India to set up a semifinal date with Sri Lanka. It was arguably the biggest showdown of the 1996 World Cup; India v Pakistan in Bangalore, quarter final of the World Cup. And it was Navjot Singh Sidhu who took centre-stage as he hit an invaluable 93, in an innings full of grit and determination. Motivated Sidhu revelled in the pressure of a must-win encounter after India won the toss and chose to bat first. Sidhu and Tendulkar opened up for India and got the home side off to a good start with a partnership of 90. Tendulkar was unusually subdued in the opening stand, but Sidhu ensured India didn't lack momentum and played the role of the aggressor as India made the most of the early exchanges. It was his aggression that proved to be his downfall though, as just one ball after hitting Mushtaq Ahmed for glorious four over extra cover Sidhu tried to force a quicker delivery across the line and was bowled for 93. His innings came off 115 balls and included 11 fours. Pakistan openers began in explosive fashion but, some good quality bowling by Ventakesh Prasad and Anil Kumble dismissed Pakistan for 248 falling short of 39 runs. The duo shared 6 wickets together (3 wickets each) and the visitors suffered a sheer lower order batting collapse.5) Ajay JadejaIt was the quarter final match of the 1996 World Cup that saw India and Pakistan play a thriller in Bangalore. Ajay Jadeja walked into bat when India were steadily placed at 200 for four in the 42nd over and successive Waqar overs went for 18 and 22 as India spurted to 287. Pakistan managed 248 in reply.Ajay Jadeja made a name for himself as he hammered Pakistan's ace speedster Waqar Younis all over the park with range of innovative strokes to bring the vociferous home crowd on their feet. It was Jadeja's brilliant cameo, smashing a blistering 45 off 25 balls with four fours and two sixes that powered India to 287/8. Waqar Younis was smashed for 40 runs runs in two overs, after his first eight had cost just 27.