Babar presents a cool face amidst pressure

Ahmedabad: Amidst a volley of questions -- some of them even intended to provoke  -- on India-Pakistan rivalry, Babar Azam maintained an admirable equanimity -- a compliment returned by his Indian counterpart Rohit Sharma later in the evening.

Whether it was ending India's 7-0 win record in the 50-over World Cup or a potential threat to his captaincy should Pakistan lose the match, Babar negotiated each question with a straight bat. He was both boring and funny but added hardly anything extra to spice up the contest. 

As a tactician, Babar has a long way to go but he is an ideal person to lead a side like Pakistan whose fondness for controversy is as legendary as their penchant for producing quality fast bowlers. Even when a scribe pointed out to wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan's tweet in support of the Palestine cause, Babar refrained from getting into a debate -- a stand that may not be popular back home given the overwhelming sentiment there. But then Babar knows he has a duty to protect his team from needless distractions that could hold it from giving its best against the mighty India at the packed Narendra Modi Stadium on Saturday.

Pakistan do have the experience of playing in front of big, noisy crowds but Saturday would be unlike any other they have encountered before. When over 100,000 spectators paint the stadium blue, it will resemble a Greek Colosseum which can unnerve even the best in business.         

Quick trivia: None of the members of the current Pakistan team has played in India before.

And Babar knows a thing or two about the pressure of playing against India for the first time, let alone in India.

"We learn to handle pressure through experience. The more you go through it the better you know how to handle it," said Babar on the eve of the big match. 

"As a youngster, you feel that (pressure); when I played for the first time, there was a lot of pressure. But as you play, you share your experience with the senior players. You share how to play and how to handle pressure. So, it comes with experience. The aim is to give a positive message to the youngsters or the team."

And what's that message?

"It's a big game, a Pakistan-India match - how to handle it," he began. "Keep yourself calm. Keep your eyes on the ball. When you are in the field, keep your eyes on the ball. When you are batting, keep your eyes on the ball. That's it. Don't think too much. Just keep yourself focused. Look at the ball and the batting time."

If experience is a key to win the match then India are better placed to achieve that.

Rohit, himself included, knows he has the comfort of having men who know what it takes to get the job done in a match of this nature. While skills are obviously important ingredients to win this contest, equally significant is the ability to stay calm in a high-octane game in order to execute those skills.     

"I don't think there is a favourite or an underdog," Rohit said when pointed to India's unbeaten run against their neighbours in the 50-over World Cup. "Both the teams are equal before they go into the game. It's just about handling the pressure, dictating terms in your own way. All these things matter. So, I think for us it is more important how we are going into the game – now whether that is bowling first or batting - and then carrying that forward, getting that momentum forward is something that is crucial."