India vs Pakistan 1986/87 (Part Five)

Feb 06, 2022

India vs Pakistan 1986/87 (Part Five) Image

With the Test series out of the way, the Pakistan tour of India in 1987 concluded with three ODIs.

The first of those, the fourth in the series, took place in Pune. The match was reduced to 42 overs a side due to bad weather.

India won the toss and chose to bat, but run-scoring proved to be a problem on a pitch that offered a lot to the bowlers. 

At 48/5, India were in all sorts of trouble until they partially recovered to 120/9 from their allotted overs. Raman Lamba top-scored with 27, while Ravi Shastri scored 21. Saleem Jaffar was the most successful Pakistan bowler, taking 3-25 off nine overs.

Pakistan were always ahead of the required run rate, thanks to 33 from Rameez Raja. In the end they reached their target with more than five overs still to be bowled and six wickets in hand.

The fifth ODI was reduced to 44 overs a side. Again India won the toss, but this time they chose to bowl.

Initially they succeeded in restricting the run rate. Then Javed Miandad hit 78 off 88 balls, including a six. His captain Imran Khan also scored freely, making 73, including two sixes before getting run out. Wasim Akram, too, got an unbeaten 48 off just 21 balls, including six sixes, helping Pakistan to an imposing 286/6.

Sunil Gavaskar gave India a fine platform, with 70, including a six.  But he lacked for support until Shastri scored 52, including four sixes of his own.

What India lacked, though, a lower-order contribution like Wasim's for Pakistan. In the end, the best they could manage was 245/9.

They had fallen 42 runs of their victory target.

Having already won the Test series, Pakistan had also ensured that they had clinched the ODIs, with one final match still to be played.