For many, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015's "final" is on
Sunday at Adelaide Oval and not on March 29 at Melbourne Cricket Ground
(MCG). The blockbuster contest on Sunday (February 15) features India
and Pakistan. This high-voltage match is eagerly awaited for many months
now. And for numerous fans, this is the "final" and the biggest game of
the tournament.
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This will be the first India-Pakistan World Cup game without Sachin
Tendulkar, who retired from international cricket in 2013. He played in
all 5 previous ones (1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011), winning
Man-of-the-match awards thrice (1992, 2003, 2011)
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Only 3 Indian players to have had prior experience of facing Pakistan in
a World Cup are captain MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina (trio
featured in 2011 semi-final in Mohali)
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5 from Pakistan have experience of
playing against India in World Cup - skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (11), former
captain Shahid Afridi (99, 2003, 2011), Younis Khan (03, 11), Umar Akmal
(11) and Wahab Riaz (11). Afridi is now the most experienced as he gets
ready for 4th match
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Pakistan have never bowled out India in World Cup. India have managed to
get them all out 3 times (1992, 99, 2011)
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No Indian batsman has scored a century against Pakistan in World Cup.
The highest score is 98 by Tendulkar in 2003
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The only hundred in India-Pakistan World Cup matches came in 2003,
by Saeed Anwar (101)
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The 1st India-Pakistan match in a World Cup was on March 4, 1992 at
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). The other 4 venues were Bangalore (96),
Manchester (99), Centurion (03), Mohali (11)
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The tickets for Sunday's game were sold out in just 20 minutes when they
went on sale last year. This game is set to break all viewership records
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Tendulkar is the highest run scorer in India-Pakistan World Cup matches
with 313 runs from 5 innings (3 half centuries). Overall, he is also the
top run-getter against Pakistan in World Cup history
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Wahab Riaz (Pak) and Vankatesh Prasad (Ind) are the
only two bowlers who had taken 5 wickets in one match and it is called
as 5 wickets haul. Prasad (5/27 at Menchester) and Riaz (at Mohali).
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