Cricket World Cup 2015: India – Pakistan meets today
World champions India are desperate to retain the Cup of Cups. Desperate, not eager or keen as much as simply desperate. And there’s a reason why.Form has been tardy, consistency has been a concern and the only win since the team’s flight Down Under in November has been against Afghanistan in a warm-up match. They are world champions but they hardly look the part.
M.S. Dhoni has won the toss & opted for bating first.
The biggest advantage that the Indians have over their Pakistani counterpart is that they have never lost to them in a World Cup. Regardless of how close and tense the matches have been, the years 1992, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 have seen the tri-colour flying high and handsome.
If past records though could win a cricket match, India would be unbeatable.
Players however can make a team unbeatable and that’s where the likes of captain MS Dhoni and vice-captain Virat Kohli come in. India’s strength lies in their batting and while Kohli can set the stage on fire, Dhoni can spark the final pyrotechnics with his late blitz. The absence of Pakistan’s spin sensation Saeed Ajmal and an injured Mohammad Hafeez can ease the pressure.
Ask any Pakistan fan why the national team has failed against India in World Cups and the standard reply is the team’s overall record against the rivals. That Pakistan have won 72 duels as against India’s 50 does lend a lot of credence to this line of argument. But as with India’s record in World Cups, past numbers cannot guarantee wins to Pakistan eitherThe biggest cheer in the Pakistan camp comes from the fact that the Indians are not in the best of form. Not that Pakistan team itself is in great shape but watching the rival’s dismal performance in Australia can surely boost morale. “They (Pakistan’s World Cup 2015 players) can be the team that breaks the record. They could be the ones that make history,” chief selector Moin Khan said recently.
For all their raw talent, Pakistani cricketers are also comparatively more susceptible to succumbing under pressure. “India have won all their World Cup matches against us because they played well and deserved to win,” admitted Moin. Even former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar told NDTV that Pakistan cricketers would be better off if they don’t let pressure get to them. “Both teams are out of form but Pakistan cricketers have been guilty of feeling the pressure (when playing against India in a World Cup) more than us,” he said.
If the team buckles, the dismay of not having Ajmal and Hafeez can be felt even bigger than it already is, going forward in the tournament.
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Source:ndtvsports
