5 things that changed between Ishant Sharma’s two five-wicket hauls at home in Tests

2. A Test match against Pakistan never took place again:

Whenever India and Pakistan face off in a cricket match, a special interest in both the countries is witnessed towards the game. It will be of same intense irrespective of the occasion, the format and the venue. Unfortunately, the Test in which Ishant Sharma took the five-wicket at home turned out to be the last instance of India and Pakistan facing off in the longer format.

India’s scheduled tour of Pakistan in 2009 was cancelled following the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The Cricketing Ties seemed to be improving when they faced off in the 2011 World Cup semi-final that brought Prime Ministers of both nations together. Later in 2012/13, the two countries accepted to play two T20Is and a 3-match ODI series.

In 2014, an agreement for playing a total of six bilateral series was made in the ICC conference. However, the relations between India and Pakistan worsened. As a result, Pakistan’s tour of India in 2012/13 still remains as the last bilateral series between them. The differences went as far as India threatening to boycott their matches against Pakistan in the ICC events.