India, Pakistan brace for the greatest rivalry in cricket today
A PACKED and vociferous crowd will witness the fiercest rivalry in cricket today as India host Pakistan at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh, and it will be unlike anything seen anywhere else in the world. England’s Ashes rivalry with Australia is, without doubt, the most historic and established, but it has nothing of the intensity, ferocity, magnitude and sheer cultural significance of India-Pakistan.
Today’s clash is set to be frankly monstrous as both sides chase a place in the World Cup final in the subcontinent, and a great deal of national identity, pride and honour will be at stake.
Cricket fever will hit a crescendo when the neighbours, who have fought three wars since their 1947 independence, meet in Mohali with the dreams of two cricket-crazy nations resting on their shoulders.
Watching them from the stands will be Prime Ministers of both the countries, along with a large number of politicians, industrialists, celebrities and cricket fans lucky enough to grab a ticket.
If Mahendra Singh Dhoni wins the toss, that feat in itself will prompt a roar more deafening than any heard in an Ashes series, with each and every boundary being met with an ear-piercing response.
Make no mistake, there is a great deal of animosity between the two sides and each and every dropped catch, missed stumping and fumbled take from Kamran Akmal will be fervently greeted in equal measure.
The stage could well be perfectly set for the Little Master Sachin Tendulkar, the world’s greatest batsman, who will be fiercely focused and determined in what is likely to be his final chance to play in a World Cup winning side.
Tendy has plundered two tons and now has a maximum two chances left at this tournament to record a 100th international century before a home crowd.
Outside the Pakistan camp, the clamour for Shoaib Akhtar’s inclusion continues to grow, with the Rawalpindi Express having not played since Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand in the group stages.
Media reports said he had fallen out of favour after an argument with wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who dropped Ross Taylor twice in one over. Understandable, no?
Taylor went on to score a match-winning century, but Shoaib appears to have paid the price.
Surely, Pakistan need their 35-year-old talisman among their ranks for one of the most important matches in the country’s cricketing history. (Yahoo Sport)