When you think of India vs Pakistan Asia Cup rivalries, there is a flood of moments that pass through your mind. But today’s fans can never understand just how special Harbhajan Singh's celebration was for the OG cricket lovers. Let’s relive it.
Asia Cup 2010, India taking on Pakistan in Dambulla - A clash which still stands among the most iconic Indo-Pak encounters. Opting to bat first, Pakistan was bowled out for 267. But this total was still considered a healthy score those days.
India's run-chase began on a solid note as the openers put together a 47-run stand. Virender Sehwag fell for 10, but Gautam Gambhir stood tall with a gritty 83. MS Dhoni too chipped in with 53, but then came a mini collapse, which saw the Men in Blue being reduced to 219/6, still needing 49 runs to win. Suresh Raina was left with the tail, and the required run rate was touching 10. Everyone thought the match was Pakistan’s. But then Shoaib Akhtar made one mistake — he sledged Harbhajan Singh.
That fired him up. Bhajji and Raina joined forces and started turning the tide against the Men in Green. After a heated exchange with Shoaib, the Turbanator responded with his bat, smashing a massive six off Akhtar himself.
Raina chipped in with a quickfire 34 but couldn’t finish the job. He fell in the final over, with India still needing 6 runs off the last 4 balls. The match had twisted yet again, doing full justice to the India–Pakistan rivalry. But Bhajji wasn’t done. Pumped with adrenaline, he took on Mohammad Amir and launched another six, sealing a thrilling victory for India.
And then came that celebration — the one that might still haunt Shoaib Akhtar in his dreams. He must’ve thought: If only I hadn’t provoked Bhajji that day, maybe he wouldn’t have exploded like this.
