India vs Pakistan World Cup 2011 Semifinal Match: Thrill Unlimited

The initial few matches, despite this ICC Cricket World Cup, have been the kind of stuff dreams are made of. India’s unexpectedly early exit in the first round during the previous World Cup had ensured a huge loss of revenue for the organizers, but this time India’s performance has ensured that everything goes according to plan. India defeated the once invincible Australians, it was a gear changer and now the India-Pakistan clash of the 2011 World Cup promises to be the biggest showdown in recent memory.

A cricket match between India and Pakistan witnesses a range of emotions from almost everyone in the two countries and the fact that the two are meeting after almost four years will surely add more fuel to the passion. If India reached the semi-finals by defeating Australia, Pakistan also reached the semi-finals on the strength of playing as a well-oiled cohesive force. One of the most unpredictable teams in the cricket world, Pakistan can be unbeatable if it wants to. Similarly, the pool of pure talent in the India neighborhood is not something that can be topped.

The player who holds the key to the outcome of the match is Yuvraj Singh. With four Man of Matches awards to his credit, Yuvraj’s all-round performance has taken India through some seriously tough times. Except for a single match where he didn’t really set the pitch on fire with his batting, Yuvraj’s bowling has also been good at the right time.

India might have delivered an upset in the form of R Ashwin in the last two games but Pakistan, like India, is naturally inclined to deal better with spin and with Indian bowling lacking in strength aside from the exception of Zaheer Khan, batting as always will. become the mainstay of India. Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, and Suresh Raina or Yusuf Pathan are enough to hold or chase any total, but they would have to outlast an inspired Umar Gul. Shahid Afridi might be the highest ground taker at this World Cup, but Pakistan’s formidable paced battery would be more dangerous than Afridi’s slower ones.

Like all India-Pakistan matches, this one too has seen its share of conspiracy theories. Some believe India will continue their winning streak against Pakistan in international tournaments on Wednesday night. Since 1992, India has never lost a match to Pakistan in the World Cup. There are rumors that the political scene in Maharashtra will not be conducive for Pakistan to meet in the final. In the past, political parties like the Shiv Sena have not allowed Pakistan to play in Mumbai; so if Pakistan were to play in the final it would mean that they would have to beat India at Mohali and if that happened who knows what kind of atmosphere would greet the eleven members of the Pakistan team at the DY Patil Stadium during the final.

Another strange thing that happened in the run up to the semi-final clash is the strange warning issued by the Pakistani Home Minister. Is there more to Rahman Malik’s quirky morale-boosting effort in the form of a warning against match-fixing on the eve of the big game? Why would an official say such a thing? Could it be a lifesaver for the result?

No matter how much we try to call Wednesday’s game just another game, the truth is that it simply isn’t. There is a lot of pressure on both teams to beat the other and the players would be better off without the added pressure from almost all sides. But it is impossible to imagine an Indo-Pak cricket match without the tamasha that he tends to accumulate. With heads of state and who’s who of both countries queuing up for the match, Mohali on March 30, 2011 would be a great match and, as experts believe, in the end it would be the team that doesn’t go bankrupt. Pressure.