<p>Date: October 14, 2023. Venue: Narendra Modi stadium. City: Ahmedabad.</p><p>The powers that be have decided that this is when and where India will take on Pakistan in the latest edition of the World Cup. This, quite plainly, is a carefully orchestrated intimidation tactic from the hosts for they wouldn’t want to leave anything to chance against Pakistan. </p>.<p>Not that that is much of concern given that the Indians have never lost to their rivals the last seven times they have met at the marquee event, but why take the chance? Why not have your way and dictate the terms when you’re the host?</p>.<p>The level of hostility Pakistan will have to endure at the stadium is not something they will be able to fathom until they set foot there. </p>.ICC World Cup: Aussies have a plan for Indian spinners, says Cummins.<p>While some members of the team do have an idea for they were with the 2016 T20 World Cup squad in India (the last time Pakistan travelled to India), most others will not be accustomed to such a stadium dynamic. The push and pull of over one lakh people, most of whom will be strongly behind the home team, is not something anyone can entirely prepare for. </p>.<p>Perhaps that’s why Pakistan have never been able to break the Indian jinx since the sides met for the first time during the 1992 World Cup. </p>.<p>Pakistan may have gone on to win their first title that year, but that didn’t stop them from losing by 43 runs in Sidney. Ironically, the face of that game happened to be Javed Miandad’s comical mockery of Kiran More. Not one of Mohammed Azharuddin coolly walking off the field after a job well done. </p>.<p>Then, 1996 came rolling along with erstwhile Bangalore (now Bengaluru) hosting the sides. </p>.<p>It looked good for India at the start when Navjot Sidhu’s 93 and Ajay Jade’s 45 pushed India to 287, but any signs of comfort were shed when Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail added 84 runs at the top. </p>.<p>Anwar’s fall to Javagal Srinath was crucial, but Venkatesh Prasad’s dismissal of Sohail was epochal. </p>.<p>That sight. That send-off. That crowd. The noise of the bullring that the M Chinnaswamy stadium can become was deafening, and so it was the case on a balmy March night. </p>.<p>Bangalore roared. Pakistan wilted. India won. Pakistani players’ homes were vandalised. </p>.<p>These two games are not canonical to the story which follows, but these are important games in the context that Pakistan were the favourites against India and yet they buckled. </p>.<p>India did, quite evidently, become a powerhouse thereafter. The roles reversed but the results didn’t. 1999 (won by 47 runs), 2003 (won by 6 wickets), 2011 (won by 29 runs), 2015 (won by 76 runs), 2019 (won by 89 runs [DLS]).</p>.<p>To a very large degree, these games have not been engrossing. They have yielded moments worth remembering and revisiting, but the results themselves have been fairly one-sided. </p>.<p>Take even the recent Asia Cup for instance, India hammered their ‘arch-rivals’ by 228 runs. It was quite an eye-sore, but it was one which revealed just how dominant India are when it comes to Pakistan. </p>.<p>In fact, when Pakistan beat India at the 2021 World T20, by ten wickets no less, was the first time they had ever beaten India in a World Cup game. They will hope for that ‘run’ to spill into the 50-over event but…</p>.<p>Truth is, Pakistan have found innovative ways to jeopardise their chances at every marquee 50-over event. From Pakistan Cricket Board’s constant shuffling to a carousel of talents gone missing, they have somehow managed to hit their lowest point before World Cups. </p>.<p>This time around, they wear a similar cloak, one which betrays their actual talent. A host of injuries have rendered them a bit meek, but they still have a stellar set to choose from, and perhaps that will help them realise their dream. </p>.<p>India, on the contrary, have a fully ready set and they all look primed to perform, excel even. Whether they do or not is an entirely different matter, but the fact that they all have all their cards in the deck is useful enough. </p>.<p>Then, and perhaps more importantly, there’s the crowd. The visitors will need an abnormal level of chutzpah to overcome that sound, those hecklers, the optics. The entire episode is designed to inspire fear. Now to see if it works.</p>
<p>Date: October 14, 2023. Venue: Narendra Modi stadium. City: Ahmedabad.</p><p>The powers that be have decided that this is when and where India will take on Pakistan in the latest edition of the World Cup. This, quite plainly, is a carefully orchestrated intimidation tactic from the hosts for they wouldn’t want to leave anything to chance against Pakistan. </p>.<p>Not that that is much of concern given that the Indians have never lost to their rivals the last seven times they have met at the marquee event, but why take the chance? Why not have your way and dictate the terms when you’re the host?</p>.<p>The level of hostility Pakistan will have to endure at the stadium is not something they will be able to fathom until they set foot there. </p>.ICC World Cup: Aussies have a plan for Indian spinners, says Cummins.<p>While some members of the team do have an idea for they were with the 2016 T20 World Cup squad in India (the last time Pakistan travelled to India), most others will not be accustomed to such a stadium dynamic. The push and pull of over one lakh people, most of whom will be strongly behind the home team, is not something anyone can entirely prepare for. </p>.<p>Perhaps that’s why Pakistan have never been able to break the Indian jinx since the sides met for the first time during the 1992 World Cup. </p>.<p>Pakistan may have gone on to win their first title that year, but that didn’t stop them from losing by 43 runs in Sidney. Ironically, the face of that game happened to be Javed Miandad’s comical mockery of Kiran More. Not one of Mohammed Azharuddin coolly walking off the field after a job well done. </p>.<p>Then, 1996 came rolling along with erstwhile Bangalore (now Bengaluru) hosting the sides. </p>.<p>It looked good for India at the start when Navjot Sidhu’s 93 and Ajay Jade’s 45 pushed India to 287, but any signs of comfort were shed when Saeed Anwar and Aamer Sohail added 84 runs at the top. </p>.<p>Anwar’s fall to Javagal Srinath was crucial, but Venkatesh Prasad’s dismissal of Sohail was epochal. </p>.<p>That sight. That send-off. That crowd. The noise of the bullring that the M Chinnaswamy stadium can become was deafening, and so it was the case on a balmy March night. </p>.<p>Bangalore roared. Pakistan wilted. India won. Pakistani players’ homes were vandalised. </p>.<p>These two games are not canonical to the story which follows, but these are important games in the context that Pakistan were the favourites against India and yet they buckled. </p>.<p>India did, quite evidently, become a powerhouse thereafter. The roles reversed but the results didn’t. 1999 (won by 47 runs), 2003 (won by 6 wickets), 2011 (won by 29 runs), 2015 (won by 76 runs), 2019 (won by 89 runs [DLS]).</p>.<p>To a very large degree, these games have not been engrossing. They have yielded moments worth remembering and revisiting, but the results themselves have been fairly one-sided. </p>.<p>Take even the recent Asia Cup for instance, India hammered their ‘arch-rivals’ by 228 runs. It was quite an eye-sore, but it was one which revealed just how dominant India are when it comes to Pakistan. </p>.<p>In fact, when Pakistan beat India at the 2021 World T20, by ten wickets no less, was the first time they had ever beaten India in a World Cup game. They will hope for that ‘run’ to spill into the 50-over event but…</p>.<p>Truth is, Pakistan have found innovative ways to jeopardise their chances at every marquee 50-over event. From Pakistan Cricket Board’s constant shuffling to a carousel of talents gone missing, they have somehow managed to hit their lowest point before World Cups. </p>.<p>This time around, they wear a similar cloak, one which betrays their actual talent. A host of injuries have rendered them a bit meek, but they still have a stellar set to choose from, and perhaps that will help them realise their dream. </p>.<p>India, on the contrary, have a fully ready set and they all look primed to perform, excel even. Whether they do or not is an entirely different matter, but the fact that they all have all their cards in the deck is useful enough. </p>.<p>Then, and perhaps more importantly, there’s the crowd. The visitors will need an abnormal level of chutzpah to overcome that sound, those hecklers, the optics. The entire episode is designed to inspire fear. Now to see if it works.</p>