Five Great Australia-Pakistan Cricket Moments

Five Great Australia-Pakistan Cricket Moments (Image Source: Google)

Five-time champions Australia renew their cricketing rivalry with Pakistan at the Cricket World Cup 2023 in Bengaluru on Friday. AFP Sport takes a look at five memorable performances and moments between the two teams over the years:

Sensational Sarfraz  (March 15, 1979)

Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz single-handedly destroyed Australia's batting with match-winning figures of 9-86 -- one wicket was a run-out -- to turn a Test match on its head in Melbourne.

Australia were cruising in their chase of 382 to win the match when Sarfraz, who formed a great new-ball partnership with Imran Khan and was one of the earliest to introduce the art of reverse swing, triggered a collapse.

The hosts crashed from 305-3 to 310 all out and Sarfraz's spell on the fourth afternoon read 7 for 1 from 33 balls as Pakistan won by 71 runs.

Lillee-Miandad fight (November 16, 1981)

Australia speedster Dennis Lillee and Pakistan batting great Javed Miandad nearly came to blows during a Test at Perth in one of the ugliest incidents on a cricket field.

Pakistan were in early trouble at 27-2 while chasing 543 for victory when Miandad, captain at the time, came out to bat and during his knock crashed into Lillee while taking a run.

Words were exchanged before Lillee kicked Miandad on the pads to which the captain raised his bat shaping as if to hit the bowler with umpire Tony Crafter standing in between.

Lillee was fined and suspended for two ODI matches but Australian management remained firm that the bowler was provoked.

Mujtaba six (December 6, 1992)

Asif Mujtaba was no Miandad when it came to star power in his 66 ODIs for Pakistan but will always be remembered for his last-ball six off Steve Waugh in a tied game.

Chasing 229 for victory in a tri-series match in Hobart, Pakistan slipped to 197-7 when Rashid Latif departed but the left-handed Mujtaba kept up the fight with his gutsy batting.

Needing 17 off the final over, Mujtaba hit Waugh to all parts of the ground and with seven required on the last ball the batsman smacked a six to tie the match.

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