5 forgotten victories of India under Mohammad Azharuddin's captaincy

#3 Against Sri Lanka in Sharjah (1995 Asia Cup Final)

Azharuddin receives the coveted Asia Cup as renowned administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya looks on

With two victories and one defeat each, India and Sri Lanka surged to the final of the 1995 Asia Cup at the famous Sharjah Cricket Stadium. On a placid track, Azharuddin won the toss and decided to chase. When the explosive Sanath Jayasuriya combined with Roshan Mahanama to set a strong platform, the Indian skipper might have doubted his decision.

Much to Azharuddin's relief, both openers fell one after another. His move to introduce spin earlier than anticipated worked wonders for India. While Kumble procured the first breakthrough, Prasad continued to operate tightly. Aside from Asanka Gurusinha, the rest of the middle-order failed to get going and Sri Lanka could only manage to reach 230.

After Tendulkar provided a rollicking start, Azharuddin joined hands with Navjot Singh Sidhu to oversee the run-chase in a ruthless manner. While the skipper targeted the boundary relentlessly, his batting partner rotated the strike with consummate ease. The duo shared an unbeaten 175-run partnership to lead India to a comfortable triumph and the ensuing Asia Cup title.

Brief Scores: Sri Lanka - 230/7 from 50 overs (Asanka Gurusinha 85, Venkatesh Prasad 2/32, Anil Kumble 2/50); India - 233/2 from 41.5 overs (Mohammad Azharuddin 90*, Navjot Singh Sidhu 84*, Chaminda Vaas 1/52, Champaka Ramanayake 1/52)

Result - India won by 8 wickets with 49 balls to spare