Possibly a $64 billion question!
For once, a semi-final is more important than the Final.
The only countries Australia lost to in the 2011 CWC or, for that matter, since the 1999 CWC, have been India and Pakistan.
Although they have participated in all CWCs since its inception in 1975, Pakistan and India have played each other only twice: in Sydney in 1992 and in Centurion, South Africa in 2003.
And India won both times. Will Wednesday’s semi-final provide a hat-trick of wins for India?
I recall their SCG encounter on 4 March 1992 as if it was yesterday.
India won, and the lingering memory is that of Pakistan master-bat and zany character, Javed Miandad, mockingly leaping up and down like a wild animal. He was imitating India’s wicket-keeper Kiran More’s over-enthusiastic appeal earlier on.
India made a modest 216 and Pakistan were well on track ,at 3 for 127. But they lost their last 7 wickets for 46 runs and India won by 43 runs.
Despite this loss, Pakistan went on to win the World Cup for the first, and so far the only time, beating England by 22 runs cheered on by 90,000 on the MCG.
The far from friendly neighbours met again in Centurion on 1 March 2003.
It was the Cup’s most feverishly talked up game, and incredibly, it lived up to the hype. With opener Saeed Anwar scoring a breezy 101, Pakistan totalled 7 for 273.
Not to be daunted, Sachin Tendulkar played a magnificent innings of 98.
To quote Wisden 2004: “Chasing 274 against a testosterone-propelled pace attack, he hit a vivid and memorable stream of shots, none so perfect as the cut six and the two fours which concluded Shoaib Akhtar’s first over.”
Sachin went on to strike a memorable 98 off 75 balls, despite cramps.
And in 2003, Shoaib on occasions touched 160 kph speed. The clash of the titans was the highlight of the Cup as India won by 6 wickets with 26 balls in hand.
India went on to make the Final, but lost to Australia.
If Shoaib is fit, he and Umar Gul will spearhead Pakistan’s attack against India’s mighty batsmen Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, the in-form Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and captain wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
In skipper, leg-spinner, and pinch-hitter, Shahid Afridi, Pakistan has a potential match-winner. In fact, he symbolises Pakistan cricket: terrific one day, terrible the next; awesome one day, awful the next.
I know I have said this a few times in the past but will continue doing so.
Pakistan is full of temperamental cricketers who could be hard to beat on their day. Similarly, they can fall apart when batting or drop ‘dollies’ which under-14 schoolboys would hold.
India, on the other hand, is more predictable.
Despite their middle-order collapse against England and South Africa in this Cup, their openers Tendulkar, Sehwag and Gambhir can tear any attack apart. And if they misfire, they can fall back on Yuvraj, Kohli, Raina and Dhoni.
Apart from reverse-swing expert Zaheer Khan, India’s bowling resources appear patchy, and unless Harbhajan strikes form at the right time, we will see a high scoring match going down the wire.
Only a genius or a fool can predict a winner, but my money is on India entering the final to meet Sri Lanka.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Bayman, I tend to agree with Brendon. Australians, on the whole, lose interest when Australia loses. Nothing else matters. Introverted? I am generalising but to an average Australian only Australia and England exist; Australia to love, England to hate! In rugby, perhaps New Zealand to hate! Only since 1970s India is on their horizon and that is because of money, the genuine love for Bedi and Tendulkar, and the hatred for Harbhajan. The epic World Cup semi-final on Wednesday received little media coverage here and the final has not produced headlines either. Can you imagine the front page hype if Australia was in the Final? I concede that the Indian press these days tends to be anti-Australia for which I am ashamed. I am a proud Australian and a proud Indian and appreciate the good and bad of both countries. But can you visualise the number of comments this post would have received if Aussies had made it to the semis and then to the the Final?
Bayman
Guest
Brendon, I tell you what, mate, how about you comment on whatever interests you and don't try to guess what others may be thinking. Because, frankly, you would not know. By the way, happy to see Ponting gone from the captaincy and I hope Sri Lanka win the cup.
B2
Roar Rookie
I agree........with............It's anyone's game! Bowling????????? Watch out for India in Mumbai!
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Ranger, Hold your horses. The Final is yet to be played. Both India and Sri Lanka have world-class batsmen but Sri Lanka has more penetrating bowlers. It's anyone's game.
Ranger
Guest
Yippeeeee!!!! We won !!!!!
Prasad
Guest
What a Big & Great news for Indians. In Indians Team all players played very well. In Batting position some players did not played well. After the completion of India batting then our bowlers & fielders performed very well. so we have to congratulate our team. In final which is going to be played with Srilanka on 2nd of this month India will also will play very well and win the cup also.
ANIL VERMA
Guest
It can happen only in India! The mother of all battles brought an entire city of nearly 18 million, as much as Australia’s, to a virtual stand still, that is what I saw, and I am sure same was the case with every other nook and corner of this magnificent God’s own country of over a Billion people. From the top politicians to the who’s who of the business and entertainment industry to cricket enthusiasts from every corner of the globe to the man on the street who maybe doesn’t even have a roof over his head it was only Cricket that mattered and all the attention was on a small industrial town , Mohall, which houses arguably one of the worlds most beautiful cricket stadiums. The buildup to the clash between one highly rated team and the other an occasional challenger charged the atmosphere with high voltage drama only because it involved India and Pakistan .For the past few days there was little else to discuss on any and every t v channel other than cricket. Politicians who have held Parliament to ransom on frivolous grounds were seen rubbing shoulders with their political adversaries on the cricket ground……cricket makes for strange bed fellows! Domestic chores forced me to leave the Big Screen for about an hour and while shopping for a few essentials in the local market place I felt, not for the first time, as if I was living on the border of two warring nations. A hit to the ropes brought a roar of approval from one side and the choicest abuses from the other, when suddenly two wickets fell and the other side burst out in jubilation it seemed as if war would break out. Needless to say it was prudent to hurry up and leave. By the time the match ended of course there was intense partying on the streets but there was also an eerie silence in another part of the city. Thank God the match was not played in Calcutta! After the last clash between these two here when they had the last rites of the match in an empty stadium with security forces only as spectators it would be fraught with security risks to even dream of it. What a pity because Eden Gardens was as Holy as Lords!
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Hi Anil, 5-0 indeed. Battle is over for India, now the War, the FINAL against the strongest team in the Tournament. Hoe you are keeping well, Anil.
ANIL VERMA
Guest
SIR KERSI ! NOT 4 - 0......... NOW........ 5 - 0 ........
B2
Roar Rookie
Sir Kersi!! India and Pakistan have played 4 times in the various World Cups and the score is 4-0......India's favour!
sheek
Guest
Kersi, It will be an awesome semi-final, & would have been a worthy final. I'm now tipping India to go all the way. They're building that consistency of momentum that is critical at the "business end".
Brendon
Guest
Yeah its going to be an interesting match. Too bad Australian cricket "fans" are too busy complaining and commenting about Ponting's captaincy retirement than be *gasp* actually interested in following cricket.
Kersi Meher-Homji
Guest
Yes, B2, Ashwin is a player for tomorrow. May he do well today. Apart from the three wins against Pakistan in WC as mentioned in my post, India also beat Pak by 39 runs at Bangalore in the 1996 CWC and by 47 runs at Manchester in the 1999 CWC. So it is 4 out of 4 for India so far. Will the fifth meeting favour Pakistan?
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
A risk for India is they will play their final against Pakistan, and then be flat against Sri Lanka.
B2
Roar Rookie
Bigger it is not because for any Indian supporter the emotions of beating Pakistan in this match will be far bigger than winning the world cup. Interestingly , Kersi ,you do not mention Ashwin. In my opinion he is the key in this match.His ten overs could literally put the cat amongst the pigeons.
FirstClassMent
Guest
Yes Kersi, it'll be a big one in the sub-continent. Not sure how it will register here in Australia, seems the general public don't care all that much. The cricket lovers will be into it though! Enjoy.