India-Pak 2006

Everybody ready for round 3 of India- Pakistan cricket ?! Do I hear an unconvincing YES? Well you're not the only one. The cricketers, media and respective boards have gone all out to hype the event which in itself seems rather odd, cos when was the last time you had to work to generate excitment for an Indo-Pak clash? But as odd as it seems, or maybe it's just me, I'm just not "feeling" it on the eve of the 1st test at lahore. Maybe once the game gets underway I may be drawn into the contest. I suppose it's a case of familiarity leading to normality. And normal is not a word usually used to describe an Indo-Pak encounter. How could it? Given the political and social tensions between the two warring nations ever since the dawn of independence, cricket was just one of the arenas where the group of eleven players on the field represent the hopes on an entire nation with the sole desire to defeat and humble the enemy. The ground was the battlefield, the cricketers being soldiers and the game no less than a bloodless war. Acts of heroism and courage were richly rewarded and acts of failure would lead to heavy censure and punishment (just ask chetan sharma..chetan who?..exactly). So it's understandable if the players feel the need to bring their A-game often resulting in tense, edgy contests. A victory would spark of wild celebrations and fireworks and defeat could mean humiliation, bandhs, and sometimes even suicides.

India's 2004 tour of pakistan was an epic, historical moment. Historic, cos it was the 1st time India were touring their neighboring nation in over 15 years but more importantly it seemed this was almost the perfect occasion for the two nations to come closer. And how brilliantly they did. Suddenly all barriers were broken. New breakthroughs were made - promises of a new, peaceful future. Security was unprecedented, All matches were sold-out and ticket prices went up the roof. Floodgates were opened as 1000's of Indians travelled across the borders and almost immediately felt at home, feeling the warmth of the welcoming arms of a generous host and connecting with the generation X of pakistan. On the cricket field, the most exhilirating, exciting contests as if paying homage to all classic Indo-Pak clashes, played out in front of delirious, house full crowds- a rarity in Pakistan cricket, producing an almost carnival like atmosphere, with colorful sights and sounds. And unbelivably vocal. And none more so than the deafening screams of BALAJI! BALAJI! , when a tall, lanky, dark-skinned, long-haired Indian fast bowler, who captured the imagination of the whole of Pakistan, who's heart was as big and wide as his grin, clobbered the thundering shoaib Akhtar for two expansive sixes driving the crowds and audiences into a state of heightened frenzy. The games were so highly-charged that the crowds were often reluctant to leave once the games were completed and both nations let out a collective sigh when the series came to an end, expressing a sense of sadness that it ended so quickly...like a fantastic date..you just wish it wouldn't end.

The series was an unparallaled success with both boards making a killing with the telecast rights. The series also highlighted the power of cricket as an uniter and saw the emergence of a powerful tool - Cricketing Diplomacy. Top brass and influencial political leaders of both governments were invited to attend matches, providing an informal channel for negotiations, not to forget countless photo-ops.

India beat Pakistan in both the ODI's and test matches, for the first time in many, many years which made it even more delightful for the faithful Indian supporters, bringing to close probably India's best season performances in decades. The team was high in confidence after an amazing performance against the Australians in australia and it showed in the way they played. Infact I would recommend that the Indian team be sent over to the Australia every year to ensure they maintain high standards...something along the lines of Quality control measures.
However when Pakistan visited India the following year the tables and results were turned even though India started off, albeit slightly rusty, as strong favorites. In hindsight, much of this defeat could be blamed on poor planning. India seemed over-confident (for once), targetting one or two threats in the Pakistan line-up (Inzamam, Youhana, and perhaps Razzaq) and almost believing that once they were removed, the rest of the team would crumble under the pressure. That never happened. Case in point the 1st test at chandigarh were the perfect opportunity to win the game was let go cos India never capitalized on easy chances. That made a crucial difference between a series victory and a drawn series. Secondary players such as Salman Butt, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Rana Naved kept coming up with the goods at the pressure situations. Now that the Indian team are more familiar with the present Pakistani lot I hope they won't be making the same errors in judgement.

And yes once again the familiarity between players is such a key. India and Pakistan have been playing a lot of cricket between each other especially since 2004 and reciprocal tour in 2005 and few a ODI tournaments and a champions trophy somewhere in between. So in a way the excitement levels are little bit down which admitedly is great for the players since they face less pressure. Infact a columnist wrote, I forget who, but I agree with him or her, that for the 1st time in an India-Pak series the focus in on the cricket and not on security. But one sincerely hopes that India-Pak matches never end up like say an India-Srilanka series..that would be end of cricket as I know it.

Go India Go!
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