Great Cricketing Rivalries: India vs Pakistan

Memorable cricketing games have always been centered on great cricketing rivalries. India and Pakistan games have been colossal to say the least. The atmosphere is charged with emotions running sky high, with the occasion being celebrated no less than a festival. Heroes have been born, villains have been made and more than a million people applaud, another million cry. Played between two cricket frenzy and political rivals, such battles define the sport. Almost every cricketer acquires tutelage in grit and determination through Javed Miandad’s innings against India in 1986, capped by the six off Chetan Sharma.Who can forget the 1999 Chennai test between India and Pakistan? Sachin batted through pain to score one of the most sensational 100’s ever, only for the Indian tail to surrender meekly. Cricket was the ultimate winner and Chennai the ultimate beneficiary.

India’s rivalries with Pakistan ensued from a war that was fought between the two countries. The animosity between the two nations was there for the entire world to be seen at the 1999 World cup. India defeated Pakistan and ended their run with defeats to Australia and New Zealand. However, Pakistan went on to reach the finals. The two countries went on to face each other many a time in neutral venues, with the series being dubbed as the ‘Friendship Series’. During the 2003 World Cup, an Australian cricket commentator was quoted as saying “ there is always great interest in India and Pakistan for they have fought three wars. There has been no war since 1971. So there is so much more excitement in this match ". A politician would charge the commentator for his words, but nevertheless it is hardly far from the truth. The 2003 World Cup encounter hardly misses the tea time talk between two cricket fans. Tendulkar took the game by storm, decimating the Pakistani bowling .The boisterous mirth that erupted across the stands when India defeated Pakistan then is still inexpressible.

The rivalries have been toned down a little bit with Pakistan touring India, and vice versa to play fiddle for stabilizing political relations between the two countries. By the time India faced Pakistan in the T20 world cup, many feared that the rivalry was nearing a placid end due to the number of games being played between the two. The games that followed were contrary to the assumptions. Ever as passionate as they were, India and Pakistan faced each other twice, with dramatic last over finishes on either occasions. India and Pakistan played the first ever bowl-out in the league stages. Misbah’s heroic innings in the finals almost won Pakistan the trophy, had it not been for Joginder Sharma’s stars. Joginder hardly raised any eyebrows after that, but he would go into the history books for that one wicket he grabbed of the last over.

Of late, the rivalry seems to have mellowed down a little bit, due to the number of competitive games being played between the two nations. Come world cup 2011, an India-Pakistan encounter will definitely prove that it was just a case of simmering and not toning down.

By: Anerudh Balaji S.R.