MS Dhoni in action against England during the World T20 2014 warm-up game, 19 March. Reuters
India vs Pakistan,
at a World Cup, swords wielded, shields out, the first of many marches
towards that title. The hype has been minimum, the build-up nearly
non-existent, as all eyes remained glued to the Associate sides, and
Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, as they slugged it out to make it to the Super 10 phase of the tournament.
The warm-up games, where both of India's matches were televised, has further made this particular India vs Pakistan encounter fall a little lower on the Richter Scale.
But still, it is India vs Pakistan, and regardless of the hype, or
the lack of it, it still is one of the biggest, if not the biggest - Australia and England will have a say for sure - match in world cricket.
Add the fact that it is the opening game of the main draw of the
World T20 2014, the man-I-can't-wait-for-this feeling just gets a little
higher - maybe not a week ago, maybe not even 24 hours ago, but with a
few hours remaining, that excitement will only keep building.
Where to Watch Live:
World T20 2014: India vs Pakistan Super 10 Match Live TV and
Streaming Information (Match starts 7.30 pm local time, 7 pm IST, 1.30
pm GMT, 9.30 am ET)
| Country | TV Broadcaster |
| India | Star Sports 1, Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD1, Doordarshan |
| US and Latin America | ESPN |
| Canada | Sportsnet |
| UK and Ireland | Sky Sports |
| Middle East and North Africa | OSN Sport Cricket |
| Australia | Fox Sports |
| Sub Saharan Africa & South Africa | SuperSport |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport |
| Europe | EuroSport |
| Pakistan | PTV and Ten Sports |
| Sri Lanka | CSN |
| Bangladesh | Bangladesh TV, Maasranga TV and Gazi TV |
| Country | Online links |
| India | HERE |
| US | HERE |
| UK | HERE |
| Middle East | HERE |
| Canada | HERE |
| Australia | HERE |
| South Africa & Sub Saharan Africa | HERE |
| Latin America | HERE |
| New Zealand | HERE |
| Europe | HERE |
| Pakistan | HERE |
| Sri Lanka | HERE |
"The intensity is there of
course. It is somethingthat you cannot really take away from the game
irrespective of which opposition you are playing," India skipper Dhoni
said. "India vs Pakistan matches always capture the imagination of
people from either side.
"I feel it has mellowed down to some extent, whatever the
reason maybe, you do not see many altercations on the field. But still
you see very competitive cricket which I feel is very important."
This will not be a match between two supreme nations at the height of
their powers, though. The chinks are more visible at the moment than
the strengths, and at the end of the day, it will be all about which
team hold their nerve - like Shahid Afridi did so well in the 50-over
game not so long ago.
Also, India have that mental advantage, having never lost to Pakistan
in a World Cup, be that the 50-over format or the slam-bang World T20.
MS Dhoni's men sensationally lifted the first ever World T20 by
beating their biggest rivals in the final in 2007; but then Pakistan
have since gone on to win the trophy once themselves, while India still
wait for another glorious moment in the 20-over game.
"A lot of people talk about it but what is important is what kind of
cricket you are playing on that particular day," Dhoni added when asked
about India's unbeaten record against Pakistan in World Cups. "All the
teams that are participating, they have got a fantastic side.
"What this format does is, the difference between the best sides and
the not-so-good sides is very narrow. Even the team who make it to this
stage, you see they have also got the talent to upset some of the big
sides, which means we have to play good cricket and that is what it is
all about. It is not really about the stats or what you have achieved in
the past."
The familiar noises of trouble within the squad has reared up yet
again from the Pakistan camp, with reports suggesting Hafeez and the
team management, led by former wicketkeeper/batsman Moin Khan - someone
quite familiar with India-Pakistan matches - do not see eye to eye.
It could all be bunkum of course, and there is no better team in
world cricket that overcome adversity better than Pakistan, such is the
talent that exists - and in a T20 game, all it takes is one outstanding
individual performance to take the team home.
The mercurial Shahid Afridi will be the cynosure of all eyes during the India vs Pakistan game. Reuters
"Yes, an India-Pakistan game is always important but this is not the
whole tournament and we want to give a good show in the whole
tournament," Hafeez said. "The first game is always important as you
want to do well in that game so that you can get the momentum right. We
are looking forward to this and hopefully the boys will do well to get
the best results for Pakistan."
Neither team will be out of the tournament if they lose this huge
game on Friday; but starting with a win against your biggest rivals
might just be the tonic needed to take you all the way to the title, and
as a result, the stakes remain as high as ever.
Team news: India: First match of the tournament, and
the biggest to go with it, Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher are unlikely to
experiment too much with the first XI. So, expect the usual suspects,
with Amit Mishra, despite his recent impressive performances and the
heavy dew, likely to sit the game out, as will, most probably Stuart
Binny, with Ajinkya Rahane expected to be preferred as the extra
batsman.
Pakistan: Shoaib Malik is always a man for the India
vs Pakistan occasion and could be included while Kamran Akmal, who
showed good form in the warm-up matches, is likely to be given a chance
at the top, at the expense of either Ahmad Shahzad or Sharjeel Khan.
Key men: India: Dhoni's return to the lineup is a
huge boost for India. The Men in Blue missed their captain quite a bit
at the Asia Cup, and the calm head as well as the ridiculous finishing
powers will be greatly welcomed.
Pakistan: Cannot look beyond Afridi, who has found
his bating mojo yet again. If the right-handed tyro unleashes his power
against India one more time, then Dhoni and co. could be in for a long
evening. The only slight issue will be Afridi's fitness, with the
swashbuckling all-rounder still not quite at 100 percent after suffering
a hip strain during the Asia Cup.
"He is in good form and we have seen that in the Asia Cup," Hafeez
said of Afridi. "It is a good sign for us because we always wanted him
to bat lower down the order and finish the game well for Pakistan, and
it is always great to know that he is in form, and in a good frame of
mind.
"It is always great when your senior players are looking forward to
challenges. The way the momentum has shifted, it is a boost for our
morale. I hope he repeats his heroics and pleases Pakistani fans again."
Expected lineups: India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar
Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, MS
Dhoni (capt), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed
Shami.
Pakistan: Kamran Akmal, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammed
Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Bilawal
Bhatti, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal.
