Two years after securing their first World Cup, India thrashed Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to win the Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket. On This Day In 1985: Two years after securing their first World Cup, India thrashed Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to win the Benson and Hedges World Championship of Cricket. On March 10, 1985, the iconic finale took place. Five other teams, among them hosts Australia, took part in the multi-national event except for the Asian powers.
Organized to mark the 150th anniversary of European settlement in the Australian state of Victoria, the competition had sought to honor that event. The West Indies finished first in Group B, with New Zealand just behind them, and India and Pakistan advanced to the semi-finals from Group A. The Men in Blue next defeated their arch-rivals by eight runs in the final after winning their semi-final.
During the first semifinal, India were in red-hot form. Ravi Shastri’s star show guaranteed the 1983 World Cup champions’ win over the Kiwis. At the Sydney Cricket Ground, they took the game by seven wicklest. Pakistan opposed the West Indies in the event’s second semi-final in Melbourne in contrast to the West Indies.
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As the Asian side demolished the Caribbean powerhouse by seven wickets, Muddasar Nazar was honored the Player of the Match prize.
Fans eager to see who would win once more in this great rivalry were ready on the stage. It all started when Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first in the high-octane activity. Kapil Dev rocketed through their top order early days of the last game, so they got off to a slow start.
To leave Pakistan at 29/3, the well-known all-rounder rejected Mudassar Nazar, Mohsin Khan, and Qasim Umar. Partnering with his captain Javed Miandad, Imran Khan helped to steady the Pakistan innings.
Before Imran got run-out, the pair assisted Pakistan in getting over one hundred runs. Raja’s 21 runs more assisted his team to achieve a score of 176/9. The Indian bowlers Kapil Dev and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan ended the innings with three wickets each.
With an opening run of 103, India were perfect in their run-chase. While Ravi Shastri contributed another 63 runs, Kris Srikkanth made 67 runs from 77 balls. India chased down the score in the 48th over after losing only two wickets.
Whereas Ravi Shastri took the Player of the Series award, Srikkanth was given the Player of the Match. The win cemented India’s rank at that time as the top cricket squad worldwide.
