PHOTO: AFP
The Pool B contest was sold out in 20 minutes and no other team in world sport will be under as much pressure as the two that day with 1.3 billion unforgiving cricket-crazy fans following the contest ball by ball.
Emotions run high every time the south Asian neighbours, who have fought three wars since independence and share frosty relations over the Kashmir region they both claim, clash on a cricket ground.
Pakistan, champions in 1992, have never beaten twice winners India at a World Cup. Many of their fans would not mind their team crashing out from the World Cup early, providing they beat their neighbours.
The rivalry assuming the Orwellian concept of serious sport - war minus shooting.
"For many, it's bigger than the World Cup," former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar told a cricket conclave in Delhi on Monday.
"It completely locks out 1.3 billion people. The tension is unbearable and the players' effort level doubles. We could never beat India in World Cup but, God willing, that would soon happen," said the quick bowler known as the 'Rawalpindi Express'.
A veteran of many such contests, Harbhajan Singh was part of the eventual champion Indian team who beat Pakistan in the 2011 semi-final at Mohali, a contest that gave him sleepless nights.
"The dressing room atmosphere is always tense," said the feisty off-spinner who could not make the cut for this year's World Cup.
"Much before the dressing room, you think about it in your hotel room. Before last World Cup's match in Mohali, I could not sleep the night before, thinking what if we lose."
"Fortunately we won the next day and again I could not sleep, this time because I was so overjoyed."
"A defeat against Pakistan means media would roast us and fans would pelt stones at our house," said the 34-year-old.
His team mate from the 2011 squad, Piyush Chawla, said the pressure does not come from the team management.
"It comes from elsewhere. Even family members and friends remind us it's a match against Pakistan," said the 26-year-old leg-spinner.
"Fielding in the deep, you often hear the crowd behind warning you 'better win this match or it won't be easy to get out of the stadium'."
COMMENTS (16)
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@Shazia Bangash: Just like a Pashtun has nothing in common with a Sindhi and a Baloch with the Punjabi? Going by your logic of finding differences all countries should be split in a dozen more based on linguistic and racial basis. No two sons of are father similar If you ignore their similarities and concentrate on their differences. For thousands of years even our current provinces were separate states even swat was a princely independent state. We are similar due to many customs, behaviour and physical appreanances etc.
@Timorlane you mean to say the culture changes when you cross Wagah border into indian punjab? All the ethnicities you have, also exist this side of border. They are either an Indian state or form a community. Only difference is the way they pray. Because it was partition of lands.. Ofcourse you don't have commonality with Tamil "ethnic group" they have commonality with Srilankans and are Dravidians, Or north East state "ethnic communties" that look same as chinese people(Mongloid race). But North Western india and Pakistan are same and have same ethnicity, Aryan race,culture.
Both sides need to mature. It's just a game and only one team will win and it's just a start of the series. Indian performance is not great both bowling and batting lately so is a good chance for Pakistan to win first time in a world cup event. For obvious reasons Indians would want to win the world cup for India and vice-versa. But the attitude from both side should be Chaakde India or Chaakde Pakistan should one of the country not progress further.
Recent historical thrashing of both India and Pakistan in ANZ is the reason that most of us have lost any interest in this match. I think match between India and Pakistan will decide which team is the worst.
I agree with Sabyasachi - we are indeed alike - the pakistanis I have met - I have found it so easy to make conversation - we understand the jokes - desi stuff etc. complexions may differ, languages certainly do - but really, essentially we are the same whether you like it or not. You need to have an open mind about it though and ignore the superficial differences. We Indians have no issues - because a tamilian and a bengali and a punjabi are very different in any case.
As the prospects of reaching finals for both countries appear to be remote, this is the virtual final between the two neighbours and whosoever wins can celebrate it as lifting the world cup.
@Shazia Bangash: Resp Mam , Then why our nation abandoned nearly 240 millions Muslims living in India.? Don't you think they should be brought back and resettled respectably in their fatherland where they deserve. Is't it unfinished agenda of "Two Nation Theory".
I am sure that likes of Bilawal Bhatti, Ehsan Adil and the rest would contribute significantly towards the return in form of Kohli on 15th February.
Let PEACE be the winner!
Sure Pakistan has never beaten india in any World Cup matches but the overall win record of Pakistan against India is way way better. Pakistan has won 72 ODIs out of 126 while India has won only 50 with 4 matches bearing no results. So fellow Pakistanis, just chill yaar. We are way ahead & InshAllah will always be :)
@Sabyasachi: I have been to India and there's nothing similar between the two whether its language, food, dialects, customs, dresses even features and complexion of people. There's no similarity except in the minds of pseudos who make money from India
Another farce in the making for this hopelessincredibly cunning yet incurably dunce nation
@Sabyasachi: At every opportunity some Indian or the other will leave a comment about how "we are the same people" and Jinnah's two-nation efforts were wrong. Sorry! "India" was a word coined by the British. Out of 6,000 years of history, Hindustan and Pakistan were one country for hardly 500 years in total - under Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Aurangzeb and the British raj only - for the rest of the 5,500 years they had completely seperate histories. Otherwise a Swedish European is more similar to an African from Morocco than a Telegu person is to a Chitrali or a Baloch. Whether we speak of religion, race, cuisine, culture or anything else there is absolutely nothing in common between a Pashtun and a Tamil. "We are one people" is a silly myth propagated by commentators on the payroll of the Indian propaganda machine.
Both sides needs to grow up. You win some you lose some. Let's not make it war.
When will we learn that we are two sides of the same coin?The DNA of Pakistanis is no different from that of the Indians.Why can we not live like Canada and USA?We resemble each other more than we differ.Let the media not fish in troubled waters.Let them not unnecessarily hype the match.Let us enjoy a good game of cricket and may the best team on the day win.We have so much to gain loving each other than hating one another.Enough is enough.
To all of us, lets take this as a game only. Taking it seriously means, another dozen of deaths of heart attack, or riots igniting somewhere.
All desires can never be fulfilled in this world. So, India beats Pakistan again, or Pakistan clinch the first ever win in WC history against India. It should only matter to sports.