By now, most teams have attuned to the varying conditions at the ICC World Cup 2023 but the one lesson they haven`t seemed to learn is how to compete with India in its own backyard. The last three group stage encounters are an indictment on the other major teams, as they appear to be waiting for India`s standard to slip rather than trying to attain their level of brilliance.
This all-concurring Indian team’s aura is way too sturdy to wear out. This became most evident by the way nerves dwindled between the crease in the first 50 (-7.5) overs on Saturday. Still, there were bigger things to come. A ruthless carnage with the bat, lucid pangs of despair, contrasting emotions, and the undying Motera crowd’s roar.
India’s seven-star record against Pakistan in the 50-over World Cup became 8-0 by the end of the day. It makes perfect sense to say that their most recent onslaught against Pakistan in the Asia Cup was nothing short of a dress rehearsal for their wresting of the crown in this format a few weeks later.
Pakistan had every reason to be apprehensive against the obdurate Indians, even though Babar Azam tried his best to shrug off India’s stranglehold before the inquisitive Indian media.
Traditionally, India have struggled to spot world-class quicks, unlike Pakistan, who seemingly have had a rotating line of precocious pacemen. But these are now things of the past.
For a long time now, the Men in Blue’s game plan has been a simple one to crack. That is, rely on at least one of the top three going big before a ‘world-class’ middle-order consolidates. And while that has almost always been put on display, in recent years, India’s cause has been aided by the rise of a bowling attack every bit as good as its batting order.
There are a handful of rivalries in sport that capture the imagination like the coming together of India and Pakistan. Past encounters between the two have never been about subtle nuance. On the field, it is a billion-dollar grudge match between the two Asian cricketing giants. Off the field, it’s a tale of cross-border neighbours, a rivalry of cultures heightened by geo-political tensions arising every now and then.
On Saturday while India walked out to bat, there was a reminder of a time when the contest between India and Pakistan captivated the public, courtesy of the lethal concoction of Waqar Younis’ swing and Saqlain Mushtaq’s spin. As the crowd was swept up in fits of patriotic fervour, broadcasters tapped back into the ‘golden’ archives.
The Kiran More-Javed Miandad joust, or the Venkatesh Prasad-Aamir Sohail confrontation are still fresh in one’s mind, but how a precociously talented 19-year-old Sachin Tendulkar almost hijacked the side in the 1992 World Cup out of nowhere with some cavalier batting can still make goose bumps prickle on your back.
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During World Cups, jingoism aside, the Men in Blue have most often called the shots over their famed rivals. The outcome was no different this time.
It was almost a no-contest after the Indian skipper waded into Pakistan pace duo of Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf with a legion of sparkling shots, none juicier than that wondrous pull shot behind square of Afridi which sailed for a dazzling six amid a turbulent blast of vuvuzelas and drums back in the stands. If this wasn`t enough to knock the Babars out of the contest, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s resemblance with that of a tiger on the prowl and Mohammed Siraj’s wolf-like aggression saw Pakistan tread on fragile stilts before they succumbed at 191 in 42.5 overs. Notably, there was no single six in their essay.
Pakistan lacked the depth to compete with a menacing Indian side and the T20 World Cup 2021 triumph seemed just an aberration, to be honest.
Having said that, the pre-match ritualistic hype drummed up quite a crescendo, but the Motera showdown turned out to be a dud of a battle. After another thumping victory over Pakistan, I wonder if it is fair to call it a rivalry anymore, in all seriousness. Cricket is always at its best when feisty battles are involved with unpredictable outcomes, but of late, India-Pakistan contests have continued to remain a lopsided affair, and not the thrill-a-moment fight that we, as fans, like to believe.
Come this Friday, Pakistan will look to recapture hope against the rudderless Australians.
Babar’s preconceived notion that ‘records are meant to be broken’ could come to pass this time, who knows!
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