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India Pakistan Cricket World Cup 2011 Semifinal: The build-up
This weekend, as the Pakistani players arrived in Mohali and were escorted by a ring of security personnel without the usual fanfare that greets cricketers when they arrive at airports in this part of the world, one could not help but feel that this was more than a cricket match. Irrespective of how many of ex-players, coaches, diplomats, and peaceniks urge restraint and friendship - there is no mistaking that friendship will be the last word on the minds of the twenty-two men who will take the field on Wednesday, March 30 in Mohali.
To understand - India plays Pakistan for the first time since the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and the setting is not far from the famed (perhaps infamous) Waga border. Of course, not every Indian will look at this encounter the same way.
For the ardent cricket lovers, it will be a chance to watch two very talented teams and bitter rivals battle it out on cricket’s greatest stage. For some, this will be a chance, admitted in hushed tones among confidantes, to humiliate the heroes of the foremost enemy state, perhaps of Kasab himself – and that too in as civilized a setting as possible. For others, it will be a chance to mend bridges and celebrate good will and sharedness of history and culture.
India and Pakistan: Cricket, Geopolitics, and Beyond
Pakistani Geopolitics and a Crisis of Confidence
Pakistan, as has been said so often, is an embattled cricketing nation. More pertinently perhaps, it is an embattled nation, dealing with perhaps its most troubled phase in history, at a time when brand Pakistan has been muddied, sullied, and then some more - through domestic turmoil, political unrest, and visceral anger from the international community for housing terrorists that then spawn and attack nations near and far.
On the cricketing front, Pakistan has had its share of struggles with inner demons for as long as I can remember. It is the larger backdrop of what it means to be Pakistani to the larger international community - that must occupy the mind space of Pakistani cricketers as they come face to face with their arch rivals on Wednesday.
Growing Presence of Brand India
To say India's situation is in stark contrast would be an understatement. India is perhaps at a stage when the international community is more bullish about its markets, more excited about its culture, and generally more pro-Indian that at any stage of the nation's history. And of course, this has not been a result of plain luck. Indian businessmen have distinguished themselves at an international stage, and noticeably so in the last decade. Indian engineers, doctors, scientists, and even investment bankers have made news and brought tremendous glory to the nation. Bollywood is increasingly an industry that has caught international imagination, as have Indian philosophies, literature, music, and last but not least, the fortune of the cricket team, which has successfully held on to top rankings in most forms of the game.
There used to be a time when India and Pakistan were more equal sparring partners, or even enemies, if you will. India now looks at China and even the US as the superpowers they aspire to surpass in terms of economic, political, and diplomatic clout. The attitude towards Pakistan has shifted, to say the least.
Ironically, the fortunes of the cricket team have followed closely on the heels of the fortunes of the nation. There was a time when Indian batsmen would fear playing Pakistan because of the latter’s awe-inspiring fast bowlers and a handful of world class batsmen. But the attitude towards the Pakistan cricket team has also, in my opinion, shifted.
Prediction for the India-Pakistan Semifinal
So why is this match being labeled as classic in the making?
It's because Afridi's men have topped their group by beating a confident Sri Lanka, a hapless Australia, and other not-so-impressive teams?
If you ask me, it is because for the first time in history, Pakistan faces India at a time when they are, without a doubt in my mind, a very clear but aspirational underdog. The Pakistan team’s great talent has far less to do with the billings of this contest than the clear and visible determination of this embattled underdog.
Granted, Pakistan looks like a well-oiled unit, Afradi is bowling well, the batting has clicked now and then, and Umar Gul is a more effective bowler than before. But my money will not be on Umar Gul reverse swinging his way to a significant wicket haul, nor on Afridi or Ajmal being able to choke or trick the Indian batting line-up. Frankly, whatever Pakistan's bowling lineup can dish out, the Indians are likely to have an answer to. And if Shoaib is even slightly wayward, then God help the aging warrior.
The Vaunted Indian Batting Line-up vs. Pakistani Bowling
To my mind, this Indian batting line-up is not over hyped. It is under hyped. And I say this without any bias towards the team or nation. This is a team that is a part of generation Tendulkar. It is a team that has grown up watching not the scores of home-track bullies in batting or spin bowling that India used to turn up in the 90s - the Manoj Prabhakars, Chetan Sharmas, Rajus, Rajesh Chauhans, and Robin Singhs of this world. This is a team that has been built on the legacy of pugnacious Bengali boy Saurav Ganguly, the class and composure of Sachin Tendulkar, the steel of Rahul Dravid, and the competitive instinct of Anil Kumble. The team and the squad have been further polished, at least mentally, by hobnobbing with the best of world cricket through the IPL. It is no wonder that a young Suresh Raina dares to whack Brett Lee for a straight six of the front foot at a time when the Australians tried every aggressive tactic in the book that would have earlier worked disappointingly well.
Last but not least, Dhoni's team has also developed almost as a direct result of the burgeoning consumerism of middle-class India, and the resulting riches of the cricket economy of the land. They have become the nation's foremost celebrities, and as a necessary price of stardom, have mastered the ability to handle pressure.
Why then would you put your money on Pakistan on Wednesday?
Sure, it's a game of glorious uncertainties (whatever this frustratingly quaint term implies). And yes, I could well be eating my words come Wednesday. But prognosis has its limits, and given such, my money is firmly and squarely on India. My heart however might just be somewhere else. Enjoy the game!
