On This Day: India beat Sri Lanka to lift fourth Asia Cup title

India beat Sri Lanka to lift fourth Asia Cup: A match-winning 175-run partnership between Navjot Singh and Sidhu and Mohammad Azharuddin guided India to victory.

On this day in 1995, India had defeated Sri Lanka by 8 wickets to win the fifth edition of the Asia Cup at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. In what was their fourth title, India currently possess the most number of Asia Cup titles (6).

Chasing a 231-run target, India lost openers Manoj Prabhakar (9) and Sachin Tendulkar (41) in quick succession. Tendulkar, who was looking good on the back of hitting five boundaries, failed to convert his starts in the big final.

It was a match-winning 175-run partnership between Navjot Singh Sidhu and the then captain Mohammad Azharuddin which saw India chasing the target comfortably in the 42nd over.

While Sidhu scored 84* (102) with the help of five fours, Azharuddin contributed 90* (89) with the help of five fours and two sixes. The pair successfully rotated the striker throughout the Indian innings and took on the opposition bowlers when required.

After Azharduddin won the toss and invited Sri Lanka in to bat, they scored 230/7 in 50 overs on the back of Asanka Gurusinha top-scoring with 85 (122) with the help of two fours and three sixes. With bowling figures of 10-1-32-2, India pacer Venkatesh Prasad was the picked of their bowlers. Apart Prasad, Anil Kumble and Prabhakar also contributed with two and one wicket respectively.

While Azharuddin was awarded the ‘Man of the Match’, Sidhu bagged the ‘Man of the Series’ award on the back of scoring 197 runs in four matches at an average of 98.50 and a strike rate of 80.40 including three half-centuries.

India beat Sri Lanka to lift fourth Asia Cup title

Today in 1995: India at Sharjah won their 4th successive Asia Cup cricket title, by defeating Sri Lanka by 8 wickets and with 49 balls to spare! Navjot Sidhu (84*) and Mohd Azharuddin (90* in 89b) put on a match winning unbeaten 175 runs for the 3rd wicket!

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) April 14, 2020

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About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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