At the Men’s World Cup, Australia-Pakistan clashes have produced as many iconic moments as any other rivalry.

1987: A farewell song

After Australia posted 267-8 in the 1987 semi-final at Lahore, Imran Khan promoted himself as Pakistan slipped to 37-2. As he tried to shepherd Pakistan’s chase with an innings of 70, the ladies in the stands broke out into a chorus of chalte chalte, mere yeh geet yaad rakhna, kabhi alvida na kehna (as you leave, remember to never bid goodbye). It was, after all, his last match on home soil: even if Pakistan made it to the final, they would have to play at the Eden Gardens.

Of course, Imran did reverse his decision a year later and led Pakistan to World Cup triumph in 1992 in his actual farewell match.

1999: Another Inzamam run out

The dismissal caused much mirth even by Inzamam-ul-Haq’s standards, and that is saying something. After Damien Fleming’s yorker hit him on the boot, Inzamam tried to jog for a single, fell down, lost his bat, and ended outside the crease. From the other end, Wasim Akram sprinted past him and grounded his bat as Fleming jogged to whip off the bails. Inzamam began his sad, slow walk towards the pavilion.

1999: Warne bowls Ijaz

Just Shane Warne things. After beating the outside edge with a ripping leg break, Warne bowled two quick, straight balls that Ijaz Ahmed kept out from the crease. Having set him up, Warne bowled on roughly the same line and length. Ijaz offered a similar shot – but this one turned past the bat and hit timber.

2003: Waqar taken out of the attack

Warne banned. Australia 86-4. Surely Pakistan’s match from there? Not quite, as Andrew Symonds demonstrated with a devastating 125-ball 143 not out to take Australia to 310-8. Nothing summed up the helplessness of the aging Ws as much as the 49th over, when Waqar Younis bowled two beamers in the space of four balls, and had to be taken off the attack.

2011: Razzaq’s cover drive

An ordinary cover-drive, yet not quite. When Abdul Razzaq dispatched Jason Krejza to the cover boundary at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, it not only sealed the match for Pakistan but ended Australia’s streak of 34 consecutive wins at the World Cup.

2015: Rahat drops a catch

Australia won the quarter-final by six wickets despite Wahab Riaz’s outstanding spell to Shane Watson. Wahab had already taken out David Warner and Michael Clarke, and could have had Watson hooking, had Rahat Ali not grassed a simple catch at deep fine-leg. At that point, Australia were 84-3 and Watson on four. Instead, Wahab finished with 2-54 and Watson with 64 not out as Australia won by six wickets.

2019: A meme is born

Four years after Rahat, Asif Ali dropped a catch at Taunton – off David Warner, but this time it was what happened after the drop that was significant. The reaction of Sarim Akhtar, a Pakistani fan, became viral enough to make it to the Hong Kong K11 Museum of Memes.

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