First hurdle is the biggest

Pakistan captain Zeeshan Ashraf believes that people back home may excuse the teams possible bad show at the Cup as long as they win this game against India. Our performance against India will set the tone for the tournament, Ashraf said.

It would be difficult,then,to consider the match as just another game,though that is exactly what India chief coach Jose Brasa wants his team to do. We have very good relations with the Pakistan players and staff. I have told the boys to take the match against Pakistan just as a normal game and nothing else. In the Champions Challenge at Salta,the players were way too excited, he said.

That,however,may not be easy. India are out of the world top-10 at the moment and need a good result in the tournament,and the first game is likely to set the tone. In the lead up to the event,the team havent had much match practice and have lost their last three games against the Green Shirts,including at the Asia Cup and the Champions Challenge the latter by a 6-3 margin.

In terms of tactics,there is little to separate the teams,though both team managements admit that in an India-Pakistan match,strategies often take a backseat. The 5-3-2 combination was supposed to be the Asian style but that is history. Theres no such thing as subcontinental hockey,and anyway,formations matter only till the game kicks off, Shahid said.

The recent track record pitches Pakistan as firm favourites but India will have a sellout crowd rooting for them. Goalkeeper Salman Akbar will be the man to beat for Indias frontline of Prabhjot Singh,Deepak Thakur and Shivendra Singh. The actual game,though,will be played out in the middle,with Pakistan fed by Wasim Ahmed and the Indian midfield marshalled by Arjun Halappa.

The last time Pakistan played in the capital was in 2004 when they won 3-1,with Sohail being the man of the moment. The drag-flicker remains Pakistans most potent weapon,and will be joined upfront by Rehan Butt as the rest seek to create short corners for Abbas.