Pressure on India to deliver

Preview : Having lost the first game, Dhoni's men need to win today against Pakistan to stay alive

 The clash between Pakistan and Bangladesh on Wednesday had around 30,000 fans visiting the Eden Gardens while Thursday’s match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan attracted a crowd of about 20,000 — more or less what Dharamsala can accommodate.

On both days, the buzz that the iconic Eden can create while bursting at its seams was missing but the two matches (both involving a qualifier) have given a peek into the chaos one can expect when India and Pakistan battle each other here in a World T20 Super 10 game on Saturday.

There has been tight security around the stadium but not remotely as suffocating as it will be during an India match. Though thousands of people have been flocking the venue, it will be nothing compared to a sea of humanity that will head to Eden on Saturday. On a normal day, the traffic in Kolkata can be chaotic but on Saturday it will be a security nightmare as over 60,000 ticket-holders and thousands of others, who will drop by in the hope of landing a ticket at the last minute (mostly in black), stream towards Maidan area where the Eden is situated.

There is a political mileage to gain as well out of this marquee clash. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be felicitating four former captains from India and Pakistan just before the toss while Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan will render the national anthem. Though players from both sides will want to shut out of their system the pressure generated by huge expectations from the people and the general hype everywhere around them, eventually it will all come down to who handles the nerves better in this big-ticket match. And the Indian team, who stare at exit in their own party in the event of an unfavourable result on Saturday, will be under more pressure.

That said, India have been quite adept at keeping themselves immune from all the commensurate distractions that a clash with Pakistan can bring along; their unbeaten run in 10 World Cup matches (50 overs and T20) reflects their superiority. While India definitely have wood on Pakistan when it comes to big events like this, the visitors will look with hope at their impressive record at the Eden where they have an all-win record (four out of four in ODIs) against the hosts. Either way one streak will be broken on Saturday.

The 47-run defeat against New Zealand may have disappointed India but it would hardly have broken their spirits. They have been in these situations before and have successfully wriggled out of them. It’s unlikely India will encounter a similar pitch at the Eden which has seen some good scores so far. That will be music to Indian batsmen who are unstoppable when the ball is neither seaming excessively nor turning prodigiously.

Rohit Sharma, who has hardly put a foot wrong with the bat at this ground, will fancy his chances while Shikhar Dhawan will look to make up for his folly in Nagpur. Virat Kohli will be hurting with what transpired against New Zealand and it’s no secret that Pakistan often bring out the best in him. One of the top three will have to fire if India are to undo the Nagpur batting fiasco. It’s also unlikely India will make any changes to the side that played in Nagpur though there have been clamours to bring Ajinkya Rahane in place of Yuvraj Singh.

Having seen what New Zealand have done to India, Pakistan too will hope to inflict the same on the home team though with a different set of attack. If it was spin for New Zealand, Pakistan will back their battery of pacers to do it for them. Mohammad Aamir, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Irfan provide variety but what sets them apart is the pace at which all three bowl. In Shahid Afridi, Shoiab Malik and young Imad Wasim, they have a capable spin arsenal as well should the conditions assist them.

India and Pakistan are coming on the back of contrasting results. While India would be wary as a second loss would virtually put them out of the tournament, Pakistan, upbeat after a big win over Bangladesh, would look to play on that fear. It remains to be seen who will emerge winner from the cauldron that Eden will be on Saturday.