India vs Pakistan: Cricket World Cup brings newest chapter to game’s biggest rivalry

India and Pakistan meet in the showpiece group stage event of the 2023 Cricket World Cup on Saturday, with the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad expected to overflow.

During their last World Cup meeting in England four years ago, more than 800,000 ticket requests were made for the clash at Old Trafford, a match which was watched worldwide by 273 million viewers!

While the Ashes – and meetings between England and Australia – certainly bring their own fierce rivalry, what sets matches between India and Pakistan apart is their rarity.

Due to political tensions between the two countries – with three wars between India and Pakistan since they became independent in 1947 – no cricket was played between the two countries between 1962 and 1977, while they currently only compete in Asian Cup tournaments. or official ICC events.

The two teams have not met in a Test series for 16 years and in a bilateral ODI or T20 series for 10 years. In fact, as recently as last month’s Asia Cup, India refused to travel to tournament hosts Pakistan, so hosting duties were ultimately shared with Sri Lanka .

The Pakistan team, meanwhile, is in India for the first time since the 2016 T20 World Cup and it took a high-level intervention this week for Pakistani journalists and fans to be allowed to travel to the country.

“It’s our biggest rivalry in the game,” Eoin Morgan said. Aerial sportscaptained World Cup-winning England in 2019. “Just meeting each other at ICC events amplifies the magnitude of it.

“There is a huge amount of rivalry and history between the two sides; it’s not just about what happens in the park.

“India has had the bragging rights for a long time. Both teams have started this tournament well.

“I have no doubt it will be an epic match.”

Who has the upper hand on Saturday?

On the field, the action is sure to be spectacular, with India and Pakistan currently ranked first and second in the world in one-day international matches and having both won their first two World Cup matches.

Pakistan comfortably beat the Netherlands and then broke the record for most run chases in the World Cup, scoring 345 to defeat Sri Lanka on Tuesday, while India are also two from two after impressive victories against Australia and Afghanistan – the latter performance being headlined by Captain Rohit Sharma’s seventh World Cup century extended the record.

Although face-offs between the two teams are rare, India and Pakistan met twice recently in the 2023 Asia Cup, although their opening match was ultimately lost due to rain.

India were dismissed for 266 in 48.5 overs, with Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi taking 4-35 – including bowling Virat Kohli for four – before Ishan Kishan (82 off 81) and Hardik Pandya (87 off 90) do not help save the sleeves. a little before the sky opens.

The second encounter was much more one-sided, with Kohli becoming the fastest batter to 13,000 ODI runs, inching closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s record hundreds in the format, as India beat Pakistan by 228 runs en route to win the tournament.

Kohli’s 47th century, which propelled India to a monster score of 356-2, leaves him just two tons short of Tendulkar’s record (49). In response, spinner Kuldeep Yadav claimed 5-25 as India bowled out Pakistan for just 128 – securing their highest ever score. ODI wins over rivals.

What about their World Cup history?

Both teams have enjoyed much success in the tournament, with India winning twice (1983 and 2011) and Pakistan once (1992). However, in terms of head-to-head encounters, it is a sorry read from Pakistan’s point of view.

India have won their previous seven World Cup encounters at 50, even reigning supreme in 1992 before Imran Khan’s ‘Cornered Tigers’ turned things around to finally beat England in that year’s final- there.

India’s two World Cup victories were rather contrasting in terms of expectations. They were heavy favorites in 2011 when they were again tasked with hosting the tournament and, despite intense scrutiny, emerged victorious, beating Sri Lanka in the final after beating Pakistan in the semi-final.

As for 1983, India did not face Pakistan that year and were not well liked both in their semi-final with hosts England and in the final against the two-time defending champions, West Indies. But, incredibly, Kapil Dev’s inspired team successfully defended 183 against the likes of Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Clive Lloyd at Lord’s to lift the trophy for the first time.

Pakistan’s World Cup record against India is atrocious, but they managed to break their duck two years ago – albeit in a different format.

Having also failed to win any of their previous five T20 World Cup encounters with India – including losing the 2007 final to them – Pakistan finally recorded a victory over their arch-rivals in an ICC World Cup by beating them by 10 wickets in the 2021 tournament, before normal service resumed as India won their encounter in 2022.

Who are the star players present?

Rohit has already left its mark on this tournament, continuing its remarkable record in the World Cup. The Indian captain now has a record seven centuries in just 19 World Cup matches, while his 131 against Afghanistan was also the fastest World Cup ton by an Indian batter, with the opener hitting triple digits in just 63 balls.

Kohli is the other star in the Indian batting line-up and already has two half-centuries to his name from the first two matches of the tournament. He will, however, blame himself that his 85 to help his team get over the line from a seemingly perilous position at 2-3, chasing 200 against Australia, did not become his 48th ODI hundred and does not place him in one of the Tendulkar’s records. .

With the ball, it was India’s spinners who did the damage against Australia, but their pace attack should not be ignored. Jasprit Bumrah leads from the front and took 4-39 against Afghanistan, and while Mohammed Siraj hasn’t really clicked yet, he entered the tournament as the world’s No. 1 ODI bowler.

Speaking of topping the order, the Pakistani skipper Babar Azam is currently the world leader in batting in ODI cricket, amassing 5,424 runs in his 110 matches to date, although only 15 of them have come from the team’s first two matches. However, form is temporary and class is permanent – and this man is one of the classiest around, averaging close to 60 in the 50-over format (57.09).

Also, Mohammad Rizwan are in superb form to start the tournament, having made an opening half-century against the Netherlands with a match-winning 131 not out in Pakistan’s record run chase against Sri Lanka.

Losing Naseem Shah to injury on the eve of the tournament was a major blow to Pakistan, but they still possess the supreme skills of Shaheen to trouble the opposition hitters. Averaging 24 with the ball in ODI cricket, the left-arm fast bowler can be unplayable at times, especially when throwing the new ball early on.

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