There may be a first for everything but
past records in cricket also holds credible
weightage. Pakistan team also be banking
on this fact as they get set to take on
India in the second ODI of the series at
the Eden Gardens - a venue on which
they have never lost to the hosts and just
once to a foreign team.
The Eden Gardens has been a happy
hunting ground for Pakistan since the
national team played here for the first
time in 1987. Despite Kris Srikkanth's
heroic 123, the visitors managed to go
past the finishing line by 2 wickets.
Chasing 238 in 40 overs, Rameez Raja and
Younis Ahmed (58 each) were the men in-
charge.
Two years later, both teams met once
again in the Nehru League match and the
result this time was even more emphatic.
Pakistan won the match by 77 runs with
Mushtaq Ahmed claiming three wickets.
The team followed this win with another,
this time against West Indies in the same
tournament.
In fact, the only occasion when Pakistan
lost a match here was to Sri Lanka in
1997. Playing the final of Independence
Cup, Sri Lanka's total of 309 was just too
much to chase.
When India last played Pakistan here, the
hosts were unable to change their dismal
statistic here, losing by 6 wicket in the
BCCI Platinum Jubilee match.
This time too, the momentum is with
Misbah-ul-Haq's side with the first match
already sealed in their favour. A win here
would hand the trophy to them and in
turn, put a whole lot of pressure on the
hosts - already bruised from earlier
defeats.
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