Some claim cricket is just a sport. But those who have watched an India vs Pakistan match know this to be utter nonsense. An Indo-Pak game is never just a cricket match; it is the arena of emotional wars. Here, victory is sweeter than the finest dessert in the world and defeat haunts you like a bad breakup. Whether you are watching the match in a cafe or a pub with strangers or huddled around a TV with family, an India-Pakistan clash is truly worth experiencing. So, as Netflix documentary miniseries The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan releases, I went back in history (distant or not-so-distant) to bring out what I feel are the greatest moments in India–Pakistan cricket rivalry.

For me, it all started with that match — Sachin Tendulkar taking Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis to the cleaners in the 2003 World Cup. That was the day cricket stopped being just a game for me. It became a passion, a reason to believe in miracles. Even a ritual. And over the years, this rivalry has given us plenty of those. But most of the finest India-Pakistan moments in cricket have actually been outside of the World Cup as we shall see in due course.

Some might wonder why I did not include the verbal duel between Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi. And the reason is simple. It was not a great moment. In fact, it is one of this rivalry’s lowest points. For me, cricket is a serious sport, but still a sport. It’s not war, and the players are not soldiers. It was a petty clash of egos in which two professional cricketers were behaving like school kids in a playground fight. Entertaining? Maybe. Legendary? Absolutely not.

Note: I am not listing the greatest India-Pakistan matches here, but rather the most iconic moments.

India – Pakistan cricket rivalry: Biggest moments we like to revisit every now and then

Javed Miandad’s last-ball six

India cricket fans would still call it a punch in the gut. And it was. Four runs needed off the final ball. A full toss from Chetan Sharma. Miandad swings, and boom — six over midwicket. Game, set, match. Cue the heartbreak. Miandad’s impish grin that followed became symbolic of a deeply painful moment for Indian cricket. Now, of course, in the age of T20s, such finishes are common. But for some reason, this one has remained popular (or unpopular, depending on your allegiance).

Aamir Sohail vs Venkatesh Prasad

Pakistani batsman (I guess we call them “batters” these days) Aamir Sohail, radiating with confidence, slams a four off Indian medium fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad, before gesturing at him to say (I assume), “Go fetch that.” Wrong move, bud. Prasad cleans up Sohail’s off-stump next ball. How the tables turn. I don’t believe in Karma, but this moment right here feels like Karma. The crowd came alive, and suddenly the game swung in India’s favour. Sohail went from a look of smug dismissal to utter shock in an instant, and that one wicket is regarded as one of the grandest moments in India-Pakistan cricket history.

Sachin vs Shoaib – 2003 World Cup

I can still remember this match like it had occurred yesterday. A little kid then, I was glued to the television throughout the match. My heart was pounding as Shoaib Akhtar was garnering momentum to rock Sachin’s world. The hype for this match had been out of this world: Rawalpindi Express against the Master Blaster. I was afraid that Sachin will get out cheaply. In fact, I was certain of it.

First ball to Sachin, Akhtar, with all the venom and pace he can muster, lets it rip. And lo and behold, the unimaginable happens. Tendulkar, with the calm of a Zen master, lets the 150 kph+ ball come to him and uppercuts it for six over third man. My house erupted. The neighbours started cheering. And that was just the beginning. What followed was an innings to cherish, an eye-popping 98 off 75 against Shoaib, Wasim, and Waqar — the ferocious three-headed beast of pace. It was enough that he scored. He just toyed with one of the most dreaded bowling attacks in the world. Every cover drive or a cut shot came as a jab to the gut for Pakistan. India chased 273 as though it were an afternoon practice net. Akhtar is one of the people interviewed for Netflix’s sports documentary on the rivalry.

Misbah’s heartbreak – 2007 T20 World Cup final

It all came down to one shot. Misbah-ul-Haq, cool as ever, decided to scoop Joginder Sharma over fine leg. The ball went up, and in what felt like slow motion, landed in Sreesanth’s hands. Pakistan fans fell silent. India erupted. That catch sealed India’s win in the first-ever T20 World Cup final, and Misbah was left with the weight of “what could have been.” The match was a rollercoaster — India looked in control, then faltered, and suddenly, Misbah had Pakistan on the brink of a miraculous win. And then, with one mistimed shot, it was all over. A moment that defined two careers — one in heartbreak, one in unexpected heroism.

King Kohli’s masterclass

The memory of India’s spectacular four-wicket win against Pakistan in the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the 2022 T20 World Cup will never fade. Virat Kohli‘s blistering 82 runs not out in 53 balls turned an ‘almost impossible’ target into ‘a very much possible’ one. The Indian batting unit was being ripped apart by the Pakistani bowlers in almost surreal fashion under the floodlights with the team at a precarious position at 31 for 4. Chasing a target of 160, Kohli stood tall like a grand protagonist from an epic fantasy novel, gaining control of the innings with Hardik Pandya. What followed can only be defined as genius and pure magic. Then came the shot of the night: in the 19th over with Haris Rauf bowling, Kohli defied physics to lop the ball over his head for an outrageous six. The world gasped in disbelief. This surely ranks as one of the greatest T20s in history.

Chennai crowd applauds Pakistani players – 1999 test match

Sometimes, cricket is more than just winning and losing. Back in 1999, Pakistan won a near-impossible Test match at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. The match was like a David Fincher movie, with one twist after another. After setting 271 runs as the target, Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq strengthened Pakistan’s bowling attack and mounted incessant pressure on India. However, despite a gutsy fighting effort from Tendulkar-in-cramps scoring 136, the home team finished short by a mere 12 runs. Indian fans were heartbroken. But then something unexpected happened. The Chennai crowd stood up and gave a standing ovation to the Pakistan team as they did the lap of honour. Such a sweet, sweet end to one of the greatest India vs Pakistan test matches.

Watch the The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan on Netflix

(Hero and featured image: Courtesy of Netflix)