Image Credit- ICC
Thunder and lightning were present. People fled for
cover as a passing sprinkle developed into a downpour in order to protect their
physical match tickets so they could return the following day to see a cricket
match, the IPL final no less.
It ended up being the game of the tournament and
possibly even the fans’ lives. Many were still enjoying the celebrations that
followed that emotional roller-coaster of a final as people made their way to
the exit at 3am, more than 30 hours after the contest was supposed to start.
The promise of a similar spectacle, possibly even
larger, for a match they were all certain would take place in Ahmedabad later
in the year delighted them. Ahmedabad was the epicentre of Indian cricket that
evening.
With 132,000 spectators, including a sizable number of
celebrities, industrialists, politicians, friends of politicians, and, of
course, cricket administrators, gathered at what is allegedly the world’s
largest cricket stadium to watch a match that is supposedly the lifeblood of
the cricket industry—bilateral non-relations notwithstanding—Ahmedabad will not
only be the epicentre of Indian cricket today, but also of world cricket.
Welcome to episode eight of the men’s 50-over World
Cup match between India and Pakistan. Depending on whether you’re wearing blue
or green that day, you might feel like bragging about your unequalled record or
you might not need to be reminded of the duck you’re hoping will turn into
“ek-saath.” Literally, word means “together” — as will be
the case for administrators from both sides who argue in boardrooms and the
media — but in this context of cricket, it alludes to the final score that
Pakistani supporters and players will be hoping for: 1-7.
Pakistan is one of the teams at this World Cup that
will travel the least, having spent two weeks in Hyderabad. That should be a
blessing in disguise, whether it was done on purpose or by accident, since a
game of this magnitude requires a lot of recovery time. In a strange way, the
Pakistani players might have it a little bit easier because they won’t have to
worry about arranging match permits for a big list of friends and relatives
owing to all the visa complications.
It is the kind of game that can occupy your thoughts
for days or even longer. For instance, Sachin Tendulkar admitted that he had
been thinking only about Centurion for over a month prior to the teams’ meeting
on that fateful day in March 2003 because he kept being reminded of it
everywhere he went and by everyone he saw, including those working room
service, spectators, and members of the media. Prior to the 2011 Mohali
semi-final, MS Dhoni, whose hotel room reportedly was never closed while on
tour, decided he needed to make an exception.
That’s really the crux of the India vs. Pakistan
conflict.