Former Indian fast bowler Venkatesh Prasad is celebrating his 50th birthday today and the Board of Control for Cricket in India posted one of the most iconic videos in Indian cricket’s history to celebrate the same. The aforementioned video is part of the 1996 World Cup when India took on Pakistan in Bangalore.
Pakistan were chasing down a stiff target set by India. Aamir Sohail and Saeed Anwar got Pakistan off to a swift start. Sohail, in particular, was in a rampant mood. On the 5th ball of the 15th over, Sohail danced down the track and slapped a length ball from Prasad through cover point. He continued to saunter down the pitch, pointed his bat at the bowler and then towards the boundary signalling the boundary.
Prasad scratched his face, looked at the batsman, turned back and sauntered back to his delivery stride. He ran in again, this time pitched the ball a little fuller, Sohail made room, was camped on his backfoot as he tried to launch Prasad over mid-on. The bat missed the ball, and the stumps were uprooted. It was time for Prasad to break into animated celebrations as he gave a fiery send-off to Sohail.
{{/usCountry}}Prasad scratched his face, looked at the batsman, turned back and sauntered back to his delivery stride. He ran in again, this time pitched the ball a little fuller, Sohail made room, was camped on his backfoot as he tried to launch Prasad over mid-on. The bat missed the ball, and the stumps were uprooted. It was time for Prasad to break into animated celebrations as he gave a fiery send-off to Sohail.
{{/usCountry}}This is, perhaps, one of the most vivid memories of an Indian-Pakistan clash and BCCI was surely not allowing it to pass on the birthday of Venkatesh Prasad.