NEW DELHI: Indian batters Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya on Saturday created history by establishing the highest partnership for the fifth-wicket or lower order for India against Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 match at Kandy, Sri Lanka.
In the intense showdown between these arch-rivals, India found themselves in a challenging situation at 66/4 after losing key players like captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shreyas Iyer.
However, Ishan and Pandya displayed remarkable composure, steadily guiding India back to stability, one delivery and one shot at a time. Together, they constructed a partnership worth 138 runs. The partnership concluded when Kishan was dismissed for a brilliant 82 off 81 balls, featuring nine fours and two sixes.
Before this historic feat, the highest partnership by an Indian pair for the fifth wicket or lower against Pakistan was set by Rahul Dravid and Mohammed Kaif, who forged a 135-run partnership back in 2005 at Nagpur.
The record for the highest partnership between a pair for the fifth wicket or lower in matches involving India and Pakistan remains at 142 runs, achieved by Imran Khan and Javed Miandad during a match in Nagpur in 1987.
Also, this stand between Kishan and Pandya is the third-highest stand for fifth wicket or below in ODI Asia Cups. The highest is a 214-run stand between Pakistan's Babar Azam and Iftikhar Ahmed, made recently against Nepal in this ongoing tournament.
Before this, a 164-run stand between Afghanistan's Asghar Afghan and Samiullah Shinwari against Bangladesh in 2014 was the highest for a fifth-wicket or below in Asia Cup ODIs.
India suffered some early blows, after opting to bat against Pakistan in their opening Asia Cup game, as they lost the wickets of skipper Rohit (11), Kohli (4) to Shaheen Afridi and Iyer (14) and Gill (10) to Haris Rauf.
(With ANI inputs)
