A look at the abandoned India-Pakistan ODIs t0 date – the last of which took place yesterday (September 2) at the Asia Cup 2023.
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1984/85, Sialkot and Peshawar
India had already played an ODI in Quetta and two Test match in Lahore and Faisalabad on the tour, and were 210-3 from 40 overs during the second ODI in Sialkot. At this point, news broke that Indira Gandhi, their prime minister, had been assassinated.
The match was left unfinished, the India side returned home, and the remaining matches – an ODI in Peshawar, a Test in Karachi – were cancelled.
1989/90, Peshawar
Poor light led to abandonment of the match, and the teams agreed to a 20-over exhibition match. Kapil Dev sat out with a stiff neck, and the team management decided to include a 16-year-old who had not been in their ODI plans.
The teenage Sachin Tendulkar made his ODI debut two days later and hit Mushtaq Ahmed for two sixes and took 27 in an over off Abdul Qadir, and went on to become the leading run-scorer in the history of the format.
1989/90, Karachi
Two days after Tendulkar’s ODI debut, Manoj Prabhakar wreaked havoc after India opted to bowl on a damp pitch, picking up 3-5 in his five-over opening spell. Pakistan were 28-3 in 14.3 overs when the crowd began to pelt stones, forcing the cricketers to leave the ground.
For a while, it seemed that the police might be able to restore law and order, but “missiles more deadly than stones kept coming”, and the police used tear gas on the students. Once gunshots were heard, the abandonment became a formality.
1994, Premadasa (Singer Cup) – twice
Rain washed out the scheduled day, and a wet outfield prevented any cricket on the reserve day. It was crucial, for the solitary point pushed India’s to three points, one more than Australia’s two, and they qualified for the final of the quadrangular tournament.
There, they beat Sri Lanka – unbeaten in the league – to win the Singer Cup.
1997, SSC (Asia Cup) – twice
Like Prabhakar from seven and a half years ago, Venkatesh Prasad (4-17) left Pakistan reeling at 30-5 in nine overs before rain stopped play. The match had already been reduced to 33 overs a side, but even that turned out to be too much. The reserve day was washed out too.
1997, Toronto
At the third ODI of the five-match series, Shahid Afridi had fallen for a 46-ball 47, but not Saeed Anwar, who was batting on an 84-ball 74. Sourav Ganguly, who could do little wrong on that tour, had just taken out Saleem Malik and Hasan Raza, but rain prevented any play with Pakistan on 169-3 after 31.5 overs.
The organisers added a reserve match, and India claimed the series 4-1.
2007, Glasgow
India were scheduled to play five ODIs in Ireland that summer before they would fly out to England. The four matches in Belfast – one against Ireland, three against South Africa – were all played to a result, but to the disappointment of five thousand fans, the Glasgow clash against Pakistan was added to the list of abandoned India-Pakistan ODIs.
2023, Pallekele (Asia Cup)
The first men’s ODI between the sides after the COVID-19 pandemic ended in a damp squib as well. Shaheen Shah Afridi (4-35), Naseem Shah (3-36), and Haris Rauf (3-58) shared the wickets as India were bowled out for 266, but that does not tell how the innings see-sawed.
India became 66-4 before Ishan Kishan (82 in 81 balls) and Hardik Pandya (87 in 90) added 138 in 140 balls, but India lost their last six wickets for 62. It was a pity the Pakistan innings could not be played.
