What makes an India-Pakistan match so sought-after?

30th March 2011. Two teams were gunning for a spot in a World Cup final and would meet Asian giants, Sri Lanka. But these weren’t any two teams, and this wasn’t any occasion either. India were taking on Pakistan – their nemesis – in what was built up as the climax of an eventful World Cup. Hosts India were keen to see their idol Sachin Tendulkar hold the coveted trophy. After all, the 2011 World Cup was going to be his last.

Cricket is yet to produce a rivalry of that stature. Yes, there’s the Trans-Tasmanian affair between Australia and New Zealand, and who can forget England and Australia when they meet during the Ashes. But India and Pakistan bring a lot more to the table, and the pitch, and the cricketing world.

A semi-final of a tournament is often a more tense encounter than the final itself. And that all multiplied itself when the two teams walked out for their respective national anthems. India in a sparkling blue, and Pakistan sporting their dark green – two colours that defined a sporting contest like few other.

India won the toss and MS Dhoni had no hesitation in opting to bat first. His side had something called Virender Sehwag, who knew nothing else but to stand rooted to his crease and smash the first ball of the innings to the boundary. At the other end stood the maestro, a god-like figure whose ability to wield the cricket bat was second to none.

And so he did. 85 runs came off Tendulkar’s bat, over half of which came off spectacular boundaries. But there were hiccups. Several of them. Wahab Riaz was the chief architect of a mini Indian collapse. India finished with 260 on board, when they looked good for a total nearing 300.

As both sides geared up for the second innings, the cricketing fraternity took a step back to assess the significance of the next 50 overs. Here were two nations, who have had their differences – religious, political, territorial – and also two nations, to whom cricket is much more than a sport, staging the biggest spectacle in world cricket. Quite certainly the biggest spectacle of the year, and possibly of that decade.

Vortex of emotions

Bringing two nations together is what every sport strives to achieve. But when cricket brings India and Pakistan together, there’s a vortex of emotions that spontaneously rises. Wherefrom? Nobody is sure. But this vortex hits every cricket fan, regardless of nationality, caste or creed. The flags wave with that much more fervour, the chants from the stands are that much louder, and there’s an exceptional sense of expectation from every player. These are two nations born out of one larger entity, who have now made cricket their singular battlefield. And as for the players, this is their one opportunity to become eternal heroes in the annals of cricketing history.

As the political tensions between the two nations have grown over the years, the number of encounters between India and Pakistan on the international stage has dwindled. Only ICC tournaments, or the Asia Cup for that matter, have the power to bring the two teams together on the cricket field. Hence, the rarity of the Indo-Pak fixture has resulted in great anticipation and hype.

Meanwhile, at the halfway stage of the chase, Pakistan had lost Younis Khan. The scorecard read 106 and the men in green were still a 150 odd runs away from a spot in the final. Dhoni, as cool and composed as ever, trusted the ball with his spinners Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh. They both chipped in with two wickets apiece, and suddenly India were just 3 away from a dream final in Mumbai.

The India-Pakistan rivalry matches few others because of the balance it offers. India have produced some of the best batsmen in world cricket, one of which was fielding at deep mid-wicket with a floppy hat. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s seamers were a threat to any batting line up. This was certainly the perfect contest if cricket ever went searching for one.

Misbah ul-Haq, like in the thrilling World T20 final in 2007, was the last man standing in the way of India’s victory. As Zaheer Khan ran in to bowl the penultimate delivery of his spell, Misbah decided to launch one into the stands. All he could find was Virat Kohli’s safe pair of hands. India had triumphed, once again, in a World Cup encounter against Pakistan. Sachin Tendulkar would now descend upon his home ground in Mumbai, along with a billion other fans, to witness their ‘god’ lift the World Cup trophy.

The India-Pakistan rivalry might not be as anticipated as it was a decade ago, primarily because India have remained head and shoulders above their arch-rivals with their performances. But when the two teams do take on each other at the Asia Cup on September 19, the number of eager faces glued to the television screens will speak for itself.

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