Tensions and tempers run tremendously high during an India-Pakistan match. So much so, if you ask players from both sides whether they secretly look forward to an encounter, they would say, ‘‘No, we don’t, and we hope we get over with it quickly’’. And, if it is a World Cup match, then only the players with the temperament of a street fighter tend to deliver. Well, such a match separates the men from the boys. There is no doubt about it for, over the years, I have seen players from both sides who play exceptionally well in other games freeze when they smell the atmosphere during an Indo-Pak match. That can unnerve many, but can bring out the best in some. I have played many a times against Pakistan and, like the Indians, they also hold a similar view: Come what may, this is a match no one can afford to lose, for millions in both countries and expatriates express their emotions through this game. As far as the form of the players from both the teams is concerned, India start as favourites for today’s crucial match. Never before has India had so many options to play around with. What with the likes of Anil Kumble, Sanjay Bangar, Ajit Agarkar ready to break into the team, the Indians couldn’t have asked for a better situation. That creates the problem of plenty and the think tank will have to get it dead right when they sit down to decide the selection of the final eleven. They just cannot go along with the views expressed by many former players through the print and electronic media. It’s the gut feeling that matters in such situations, and they should stick by it. India’s batting always looked formidable but, for the first time, the bowling department now looks better than that of the Pakistanis. For many years, the Waqars and the Akrams held the key to their success. But, at present, though they boast of being great performers they are not the same force they used to be. Shoaib, for instance, is fond of the speed gun and is happy to deliver the quickest delivery. However, he will have to concentrate more on line and length rather than just the speed to be effective. If India bat first, they must guard against the fast bowlers in the first 15 overs, for they are still capable of producing those wicket-taking deliveries. My strategy would be not to go for the big shots, but to see through the initial overs by concentrating on ones and twos. That will take the sting out of their attack. It’s always better to be 50 for no loss in the first 15 overs than 60 for 3. Pakistan’s batting, too, is quite brittle. Their main batsmen are not in form and short on confidence. It’s easy to say that the law of averages is bound to work for the likes of Inzamam, Anwar and Youhana. Well, it’s more important to have runs behind you to get the mind-body co-ordination working, rather than depending on the law of averages. Nonetheless, it’s going to be a humdinger of a match, and I, for one, just cannot wait for the umpire to shout, “Play”.
