When it all started: Remembering India's first World Cup win over Pakistan

Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground

India vs Pakistan, marked by geopolitical instability is one of the most intense rivalries in World cricket where losing isn't an option for either side. The intensity of the rivalry reaches magnanimous proportions when both teams meet at a World event.

The 1987 World Cup held in India and Pakistan was highly anticipated to end with the arch-rivals squaring off in the finals especially after both the teams were to play their respective semi-finals at home. In a shocking turn of events, both India and Pakistan lost their respective matches to England and Australia setting up the final between perennial Ashes rivals.

The fans from both sides had to wait for another five years i.e. 4th March 1992, a red-letter day in the history of Indo-Pak rivalry. The day earmarked the beginning of India's World Cup domination over Pakistan that has existed till date. Unlike in the modern day scenario where India enjoys a significant advantage over their arch-rivals, the days preceding the 1992 World Cup saw Pakistan dominate the Men in Blue particularly in Sharjah. The last ball six by Javed Miandad in the finals of Austral-Asia Cup in 1986 had constituted a mental stranglehold over the Indians and the way they respond to pressure would eventually determine their fate..

Things were different at the 1992 World Cup though. It signaled a new era for limited-overs cricket as the mundane whites that the player had donned upon previous occasions, were subtly replaced with vibrant colored clothing along with the introduction of Day/Night games that added magnanimity to the contest.

The first of Indo-Pak World Cup encounters came in a tournament that saw Pakistan crowned as World Champions. India batted first and on the back of opener Ajay Jadeja (46) and young Sachin Tendulkar's brisk 54 off 62 balls, India posted a fighting total of 7-216 in the allotted 49 overs. However, with the batting strength that Pakistan had at their disposal, the Indian bowlers had an arduous task at hand.

Pakistan didn't have a great start to their innings though as they lost opener Inzamam-ul-Haq (2) and Zahid Faizal (2) cheaply. Aamir Sohail (62) and Javed Miandad (40) kept Pakistan afloat in their chase. Javed Miandad added color to the contest when he compiled an epic mimicry of wicket-keeper Kiran More, after the latter's frequent yet sometimes optimistic appeal for LBW.

Miandad's antics got the better of him as Javagal Srinath (2-37) nipped the veteran batsman. The wicket of Miandad triggered a collapse as Pakistan lost their last six wickets for 46 runs succumbing to a 43-run crushing loss against the Men in Blue.

Javed's antics were hilarious, however, it also laid forbearance to the Pakistani players succumbing to pressure at crucial junctures evident from Aamir Sohail's tactics against Venkatesh Prasad that swayed the game in India's favor in the succeeding World Cup.

Pakistan would go on to lose every single World Cup encounter to India, the most recent being the 2015 World Cup where they lost to the Men in Blue by 76 runs extending their losing streak in World Cup's to 0-6.

Result: India won by 43 runs.

M.O.M: Sachin Tendulkar(54 runs and 1-37 off 10 overs)