21st May 1997, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, India. Day & Night Match between India & Pakistan. Indian Team was captained by Sachin Tendulkar & Pakistani side was captained by Rameez Raja. Pakistan captain Rameez Raja had won the toss & elected to bat first. Saeed Anwar & Shahid Afridi opened the batting for Pakistan. Pakistan lost their first wicket that of Afridi very early on in the innings when the Pakistan score was just 8 runs. Saeed Anwar & Rameez Raja, who came in at number 3, controlled the innings to a healthy patnership of 89 runs. Due to some problem Shahid Afridi was the runner for Saeed Anwar starting from 18.6 overs untill the end. Rameez Raja was out for 22 runs off 51 balls. Saeed Anwar was looking well set for a big score. Then came Ijaz Ahmed to bat at number four. Anwar & Ijaz had a good patnership of 116 runs. Ijaz was playing well but failed to capitalise on the start & was out LBW for 39 off the bowling of Kumble.
Saeed Anwar reached his century. He was just blasting the Indian bowlers. He was hitting sixes of Kumbles bowling. Finally he was out for 194 off 146 balls. His knock included 22 fours & 5 sixes. He was at the wicket for 206 minutes. Pakistan at the end of 50 overs made 327 for the loss of 5 wickets. Inzaman-ul-Haq was not out for 39 off 33 balls.
India in their innings were all out for 292 off 49.2 overs. Rahul Dravid was the top scorer he made 107 off 116 balls. Aaqib Javed was the pick of the Pakistani bowlers he took 5 wickets for 61 runs of his 10 overs. Man of the Match was given to Saeed Anwar for his brilliant knock. Saeed Anwar played 247 matches in his ODI career & he had 28 Man of the Match Awards in ODI's playing for Pakistan. This knock of Saeed Anwar is still a record highest individual innings in ODI's. Who will be the next batsman who will score 200 in ODI's. Will it be Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, Dhoni, Jayasuriya, Sehwag, Lara, Ganguly, Symonds or the run machine Sachin. Post your comments below.
