Seven interesting trivia on India-Pakistan ODI history

Important India-Pakistan facts prior to 2015 World Cup

As India and Pakistan get ready to slug it out in the all important World Cup clash at Adelaide on February 15, numerous statistics have been thrown up since umpteen meetings the two old rivals have had in ODI matches. 

Overall ODI record - Pakistan have the edge

Pakistan hold a winning record over India in ODI's (getty images)

The two teams have played out 119 ODI's between them with Pakistan having a 69-46 winning record over India, whereas four games have ended as no result.

A chunk of Pakistan's wins have come in the dusty arenas of Sharjah where they toppled India with relative ease during the early 1990's.

World Cup jinx? India - 5 Pakistan - 0

India hold a 5-0 record over Pakistan in World Cup games (India.com)

But come the World Cup and India have the pyschological edge thanks to their all-win record in five matches played since the 1992 edition in Australia and New Zealand.

Both teams have played out five interesting clashes (1992, 1996, 1999, 2003 and 2011) and India have managed to upstage Pakistan in every one of them.

Though given current form, Pakistan have every reason in the world to break the jinx, India will definitely come out all guns blazing to protect their enviable record, come February 15.

Batting records

Saeed Anwar has tormented India on many-a-occasion (getty images)

When it comes to batsmanship, both teams have had a posse of players who have scored big when it matters most.

If Saeed Anwar proved to be India's bug-bear in the 1990's, then MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have also scored big against Pakistan in recent times.

Here is a list of top five ODI knocks in India-Pakistan matches (in terms of runs)

1) Saeed Anwar - 194 (1997 - Independence Cup, Chennai)

2) Virat Kohli - 183 (2012 - Asia Cup, Dhaka)

3) MS Dhoni - 148 (2005 - Vizag, six-match ODI series)

4)Shoaib Malik - 143 (2004 - Colombo, Asia Cup)

5)Sourav Ganguly - 141 (2000 - Adelaide, Tri-series)

The highs and lows

Coming to team totals and the best that India could manage was the 356 for 9 at Vizag in 2005, whereas Pakistan's highest is the 344 for 8 at Karachi in 2003 (in a game they ended up losing by 5 runs).

The 78 at Sialkot in 1978 was India's lowest point, while Pakistan suffered a similar fate by being bundled for 87 at Sharjah in 1984.

Partners-in-crime

When it comes to run-partnership's then the 231-run second-wicket stand between Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu in the 1996 Pepsi Cup at Sharjah is India's highest ever, whereas Pakistan's best is the 230-run third-wicket stand at 1998 in Dhaka.

Biggest and smallest victory margins

Shoaib Malik inspired Pakistan's rout of India at Delhi in 2005 (India.com)

Pakistan have decimated India by a 159-run margin at Delhi in 2005, while India's 87-run win at Kochi in 2005 is their best ever. 

Coming to close contests and if India edged Pakistan narrowly by four runs at Quetta in 1978, then Pakistan did the same in 1991, as they won by the very same margin at their Sharjah fortress.

No tied game till now!

Apart from the T-20 at Durban, no India-Pakistan match has ever ended in a tie (India.com)

If you discount the 2007 T-20 league game at Durban (which India eventually won by a bowl-out), then amazingly no contest has ever ended in a tie, which only raises the probability of one, come the big game at Adelaide.

Thrill-a-minute contests have always been the norm of the day in previous India-Pakistan clashes. It won't be a surprise then if the upcoming Adelaide clash does go down to the wire...or even a tie!

So that is it for all the stat-attack from India-Pakistan ODI history for now...and do expect more to tumble out, come the big game at Adelaide!