5 most successful Indian captains against Pakistan in ODIs

The India-Pakistan rivalry has produced some riveting cricket for the fans, but, there is a flip side to it. Both sides have to take a lot of pressure before and after the game. Since emotions run high during these games, it creates a pressure cooker scenario for almost everyone involved. However, nothing can beat the stress faced by the captain of the side.

If the team ends up on the losing side, then they have to go through a plethora of questions- either by media or fans. Social media doesn't know the art of forgetting; memes related to India's defeat in the Champions Trophy are still on display and act as a reminder to those painful moments for the Indian fans.

Whenever a player captains his side during Indo-Pak clash, every move that he makes on the field is viewed through a magnifying glass. The word forgiveness loses its relevance when one talks about conceding defeat to arch-rivals. A captain who can inspire his team to handle the pressure well- invariably ends up on top, as most of these matches are decided during the nervy moments.

Looking at the Indian side, many captains have been on display during these marquee clashes. Let us take a look at those who have been the best performers amongst them:

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#5 Mohammad Azharuddin (Winning percentage- 36%)

Azhar was a subdued captain

Azhar was a very subdued captain. He seldom imposed his personality over the team. His tenure as an Indian captain was not a remarkable one, but, it was not the worst either. During his tenure, India won a lot of games at home, but their overseas record was abysmal.

He was the captain when India, who were one of the favourites to win the 1996 World Cup (which they hosted), crashed out during the semi-final stage.

Azhar captained India during 174 ODIs. Under his leadership, India faced Pakistan on 25 occasions and won 9 times. It was a redemption period for India after the mind block created by that famous Javed Miandad six, which resulted in a long losing streak against Pakistan.

#4 Sachin Tendulkar (Winning percentage- 38%)

Sachin had an average stint as a captain

Captaincy was one grey area during his otherwise illustrious career. He was billed to be a great captain during the early days of his career, but he flattered to deceive. Sachin could never earn that respect as a captain as he gained as a batsman. India's performance under Sachin's leadership was average, to say the least.

Sachin captained India in 73 ODIs. During his tenure, India faced Pakistan on 21 occasions and came out victorious 8 times.

#3 Sourav Ganguly (Winning percentage- 41%)

Ganguly brought in a fiery attitude

Ganguly took over the reins of Indian team after the turmoil of match-fixing saga. At the time of his appointment, he was more of a residual captain from whom nobody expected anything big. However, the appointment of Ganguly turned out to be a master-stroke.

He instilled fearlessness in the Indian cricket culture. He fought fire with fire, which was amply visible during India's 2003-04 tour of Australia. He had a strategy of giving a long rope to players he believed in. This approach gave some excellent cricketers like Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh and Zaheer Khan to Indian cricket. Foundation of the aggressive modern day Indian cricket team was laid during the Ganguly's tenure.

Ganguly captained India in 147 ODIs. During his tenure, India faced Pakistan on 17 occasions and came out victorious 7 times. This was the phase when one of India's famous wins against Pakistan came in Centurion during 2003 World Cup.

#2 Rahul Dravid (Winning percentage- 55%)

Dravid could have been a great captain for India

A man of few words but plenty of grit, Rahul Dravid did not captain India for a long period but had all the ingredients of a great captain. He had a good record as a captain during his brief stint. Out of the 79 ODI matches India played under his leadership, they won 42.

2007 World Cup debacle robbed India of a possibly great captain as Dravid resigned immediately after the team's shock exit during group stages of the tournament. He had a very good record against Pakistan as a captain.

During his captaincy tenure, India faced Pakistan on 9 occasions and came out victorious 5 times. This was the phase when India had started to dominate Pakistan in ODIs.

#1 MS Dhoni (Winning percentage- 61%)

Dhoni was an exceptional captain in ODI's

Captain cool as he is fondly called, carried on the momentum built by his predecessors. MS Dhoni made Indian ODI team a force to be reckoned with. Indian team enjoyed an amazing run against Pakistan during his stint. The team won 11 out of 18 games played against their arch-rivals under his captaincy.

The highlight of his tenure was the 2011 World Cup win when India lived up to their tag of tournament favourites. Dhoni handled the pressure really well both as a captain and as a finisher. On many occasions, he took India over the finishing line with his crafty batting.

India had a brilliant run under him as they won 110 out of 199 ODIs played under his leadership.