With no bilateral ties, the neighbors only face each other in multi-team events such as the World Cup, Champions Trophy and Asia Cup. For the rest of the year, when India is playing endlessly, there is no end to the discussion, debate and cricket analysis. Who should bat where, who should drop, what should be the bowling combination and everything in between.
When the time comes for India-Pakistan, real cricket lags behind in the lead-up to the matches.
In India, cricket and Bollywood are everyday metaphors for big things. While Bollywood tells fictional stories, the game is very real; Therefore, India-Pakistan cricket has long been portrayed as shooting except war.
While this makes for a narrative that fits, the reality on the ground can sometimes be very different. In the neutral zone of the United Arab Emirates, where the Asia Cup is being played, India and Pakistan are in the same group and will initially play each other once, and until Hong Kong upsets either of these cricket giants. , they will meet again in the second round. There is a strong possibility of both the teams facing each other again in the final of the tournament.
The ongoing joke is that the Asia Cup is actually a way for India and Pakistan to play a three-match series while other teams compete in the rest of the competition. It is humiliating for Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who are not only to make numbers but it is clear which incidents are all eyes.
On the eve of the match, captain Rohit Sharma tried to turn down the rhetorical dial. “You guys can do whatever you want,” he told the media. “Our job as players is to go out there and try to win the game. It’s the same for players on both teams.”
A day earlier, vice-captain KL Rahul took a slightly more realistic approach. “We cannot run away from the rivalry and emotion that comes with it as a player. As youth, we have always been waiting for such struggles. When you get an opportunity for an India-Pakistan clash, it becomes a game of bat and ball,” said the Indian vice-captain.
“You see the opposition as the opposition and try to do your best, focusing on yourself more than the opposition. You’re not supposed to worry about the outside talk, vibe, and emotions. Yes, you try 10% more, but we are still players, we all love this game, we all have same struggles. After or before the game, everything goes. Be normal people, learn from each other, share experiences. It’s always been friendly.”
The game is a big game, obviously, especially given Pakistan’s stinging defeat over India, when the team last met in the Twenty20 World Cup in October 2021, in Dubai. India had never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup before, and the damage was particularly hard for the fans. Shaheen Shah Afridi cut the batting heart off in the opening spell and India had no way of coming back in the match.
But, while the focus is on the first encounter against Pakistan, the entire tournament is crucial for India. India are improving their combination ahead of the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia. Rahul has recently returned from injury for two months.
Kohli continues his quest to find form and has tried different options at different places. How do India find a place for Rishabh Pant, the only left-handed batsman in the top six? How did India squeeze in Dinesh Karthik, who was brought back to international cricket as a successful T20 finisher? Can Deepak Hooda get a look at his recent strong batting performance, especially as he takes the spin bowling easy at the party?
The Indian cricket loving fraternity may be looking to take revenge on Pakistan after the previous defeat, but the focus of the team management is not just on this tournament but on the World Cup.
Rohit explained, “We have tried different things because when you do that you get answers to the questions in front of you.” While he will not say publicly whether these questions have already been answered, much will be known when the squad list for India’s first match is announced.
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