Flashback: Lowest defended total Asia Cup ODIs
Asia’s most prestigious cricket tournament, Asia Cup has produced many matches with thriller finishes, be it high-scoring chases or low-scoring defences. Today we will be talking about the match that remains the lowest score in the ODI Asia Cup history to be defended successfully.
On April 13, 1984, at the iconic Sharjah cricket ground, the stage was set for a great match that would etch itself into cricketing history books.
Surinder’s heroics stun Pakistan
The 3rd match of the Rothmans Asia Cup saw India locking horns with arch-rivals Pakistan. Opting to bat first in the 46-over match, India posted a modest total of 188 runs on the board. Surinder Khanna, with his resilient knock of 56 runs off 72 balls, emerged as the standout performer for the Indian side. Sandeep Patil’s contribution of 43 and Captain Sunil Gavaskar’s 36 steadied the ship. However, at the halfway mark, the total seemed insufficient against the mighty Pakistani side.
Chasing a target of 189, Pakistan’s chase got off to a shaky start as one of their opening batters was dismissed quite cheaply. Another opener Mohsin Khan’s 35 off 65 balls and Captain Zaheer Abbas’ 27 off 45 balls were the only noteworthy contributions. The rest of the batters just couldn’t face the skillful bowling of Indian bowlers.
Indian bowlers, spearheaded by Roger Binny and Ravi Shastri, exhibited disciplined bowling that dismantled Pakistan’s batting order as they both took three wickets each. Pakistani team crumbled, managing a mere 139 runs before getting all out in 39.4 overs and India won the match quite comfortably by 54 runs in the end.
India’s remarkable defense, successfully protecting the lowest total in Asia Cup’s ODI history, stunned the Pakistani team and it still remains the lowest successful defended score in the tournament to date. The accolades flowed for Surinder Khanna, who not only clinched the Player of the Match award for his vital knock but also showcased his skills behind the stumps with two crucial stumpings that helped Indian bowlers wrap up the Pakistani batting lineup.
