The Complexities of Playing With India

history might be on the side of pakistan but present pakistan team has a weak batting line-up, lacks experienced players and too much is made of shoaib and sami. shoaib was smashed all over the ground by tendulkar in 2003 world cup match.

my prediction is that first one day match will be won by india. rest we will see.

While cricket is big in Pakistan, it is far bigger in India. I noticed this, after watching one of the World Cups with a large group of Indian friends, over a period of two weeks. In Pakistan, only the games in which Pakistan played, sold out. In India, regardless of who was playing, the games seem to sell out. Also, when India lost to Sri Lanka, the crowd littered the field with bottles, and the match had to be called off. In a later series, when India lost to Pakistan, the whole crowd had to be forced out of the stadium. This shows how emotional Indians are about cricket.

It is quite obvious that India`s refusal to play Pakistan, had quite a bit to do with the fear of losing to Pakistan. Apparently, that can have poiltical affects in India. During this time of cricket ban, every other type of Indian team toured Pakistan - inlcuding polo, water polo, track, kabbadi, ludo, chess, sychronized swimming, ice-dancing, curling, hopscotch, soccer etc.

But not the cricket team. Apparenly cricket was the only sport affected by what was going on in Kashmir. Others were not affected.

Now that the cricket team is touring, it is an idication that the relations are improving. But more importantly that the Indian politicians feel that India has a chance to defeat Pakistan, in cricket. Otherwise, with an election around the corner, they would not have taken a risk.

I would tend to agree with the Indian politicians. This is about a good a chance as India has ever had to defeat Pakistan. Tradiitionally, Pakistan has dominated India in all forms of cricket. However, now India has finally started showing some spine overseas. And Pakistan is still rebuilding (although it has won two test series in succession - not a an easy task).

Indian batsmen are too good to not be able to score on Pakistani wickets, regardless of who is bowling. So they will score a lot of runs. The key will be whether Indian bowlers, who are below average, can get the Pakistani batting out, which is, at best average. If they cannot get the Pakistanis out, then we will have a series of draws.

Based purely on current form and experience level, my prediction would be that India wins the Test series 1-0. And it wins the one-day series 3.2.

However, there is one missing link: Indian teams always put themselves under too much pressure, while playing Pakistan. Thus even with better teams, they end up losing. Pakistan does the same, when it is playing South Africa (not counting the last series).

So if this missing link is present, I will have to say the result will be 1-1 Test series, and 3-2 (India`s favor) in the one-day series.

P.S. If Harbajan and Kumble do not tour than 1-0 (Pakistan`s favor) in Test series, since Nehra, Ajit and Zaheer will not be able to do much on Pakistani wickets.

#2 shamsul

here we go again..... another teen who likes to beat India at every cost without knowing why. whats wrong with loosing... winning......loosing and winning again, isnt thats the whole idea in sports?grow up shams.

u make me sick...

I was reading your bio and have one question for you, you claim to love allah and prophet pbuh..but under random thoughts you wish to follow footsteps of ``Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Qadri`` WHY? why not Prophet pbuh...just curious

Let me put my neck on the line and make a humble and very modest prediction:

Pakistan will beat India. Our strategy will be very simple. We will begin by instilling fear in their hearts by having Imran Khan out for a handshake with them at the start of first match. My reliable sources have told me that even today, young Indian mothers curse their disobedient sons by saying ``may bhagwan make you face imran`s in-swing``. Then we will proceed to terrorize them on the field. Shoaib and Sami will be instructed to teach Indian batsmen what an in-swinging outswing ball is like; what an out-swinging inswing yorker is like; and finally, how to avoid flying shards from shattered wickets. From there on a slow process of dismantling Indian spirit will begin. This process will culminate with the defection of India`s top ranked batsmen to Pakistan. They will be granted assylum on humanitarian basis, so they will never have to fear facing Pakistani artillary, otherwise known as Shoaib and Sami.

Dhaka will be avenged.

And that is just my modest prediction.

Saad,
I am hopeful that in the newly emerging thaw between the two countries and the bonhomie at a people to people level, we will stop this maniacal, proxy war mindset on the cricket grounds. It is just too immature. It is fine to be competitive and have a healthy rivalry, but let`s keep it at that. What is the big deal about winning or losing in a cricket match anyway ? Let`s say that in the next 100 matches, India loses to Pakistan. Will it change anything in India or Pakistan ? I don`t think so. The same holds true for Pakistan. We desis tend to get emotional and carried away over useless matters, to the point that fans start making death threats to players, mourning collectively at a loss as if someone has died, or celebrating in a frenzied manner over a victory. It is time that we grew up on both sides and take it simply as a sporting contest. The rest of the world laughs at the sight of a bunch of brown beggars fighting over a cricket match.

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Would be an amazing series. India`s current batting attack on subcontinental wickets is sensational. The youthful look of the Pakistani batting will be tested.

Though Pakistan maintains an advantage in the bowling department, it hasn`t really come out with a sensational bowler since Shoaib Akhtar.