3. Shoaib Malik – 143(127) vs India (2004 Asia Cup)
One of the most memorable batting performances in the 2004 edition of the Asia Cup was from the bat of a Pakistani youngster at that time, Shoaib Malik. The right-hand batsman who came in to bat at No.3 early on after the fall of Imran Nazir started playing free-flowing strokes to all parts of the ground. He continuously kept the opposition bowlers under pressure with his attacking batting approach.
Though he didn’t receive much assistance from the other top-order batsman, he held one end firmly and stitched crucial partnerships with the middle-order batsmen. He ended up smashing an incredible 143 off just 127 deliveries with 18 fours and a six. He scored almost half the runs for his side before helping them finish at exactly 300/9 in the 50 overs. Indian batsmen didn’t stand a chance in the stiff run chase as they were handed a 59-run defeat by the bowlers.