The India vs Pakistan rivalry has been much talked about in the cricket fraternity. It is one of the most bitter rivalries of world cricket. India wrote another chapter of the rivalry on this day in 1985 when they triumphed over Pakistan to win the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket.
It had only been two years since India’s World Cup victory in 1983, and the team had undergone some changes after the tournament. Sunil Gavaskar took over as the team’s new captain after Kapil Dev was relieved of his duties after a run of poor Test results.
Pakistan batted first in the match. The Pakistan batters faltered big time, with Pakistan captain Javed Miandad being the highest scorer of the team with a fighting 48. Imran Khan also chipped in with a valuable 35 runs as Pakistan scored 176/9 in 50 overs.
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India got off to a fast start in the run chase, with the opening duo of Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Ravi Shastri combining for 103 runs. At 63 runs, Shastri was still unbeaten, and at 67, Imran Khan trapped Srikanth for a catch.
With scores of 25 and 18, respectively, the up-and-coming hitters Mohammad Azharuddin and Dilip Vengsarkar also displayed their best stuff. India won the coveted trophy after finishing the chase in just over 47 overs. Srikkanth’s significant contributions with the bat earned him the title of Player of the Match.
