“I feel you should stop asking this question on the rivalry. This is not a rivalry anymore.”
With his trademark smile plastered on his face, Suryakumar Yadav responded how he wanted to when he was asked in Dubai on September 21 if Pakistan had raised their standards from the previous Sunday, when they had been brushed aside in the first of three showdowns against India at the T20 Asia Cup.
There was a sense of indignation in the Pakistani ranks after India’s T20I skipper brushed off any talk of rivalry. How could he, some bristled. Why shouldn’t he, others countered, pointing to India’s 12-3 record over their cross-border rivals in all Twenty20 Internationals.
With no little help from Tilak Varma, India extended that record to 13-3 exactly a week after the ‘not a rivalry anymore’ quip following their five-wicket victory in the final of the continental bash. India boasted a perfect 3-0 record in the Asia Cup and are currently sitting on a five-match winning streak against Pakistan, but Suryakumar struck a more diplomatic note on Saturday evening, ahead of the T20 World Cup faceoff between the sides at Colombo’s Premadasa Stadium.
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“That is history. There are other political tensions. That is why the atmosphere is like this,” he maintained when asked if he stuck to his ‘not a rivalry anymore’ guns. “India is at the top. Pakistan is not there. They were playing good cricket there in the Asia Cup and they are playing good cricket here too. But at the same time, for the last one year, we have also been playing good cricket. Whoever plays good cricket, the result will be on their side.”
Suryakumar will be hoping his side is the one that plays the better cricket on Sunday in a match that almost didn’t happen, but is now so swiftly upon us. Pakistan’s call to rescind their original boycott India threat of February 1 was driven by numerous considerations, not least financial; now that that storm has passed, the immediate objective for both outfits will be to snatch bragging rights this early in the tournament and make a statement of sorts with the Super Eights beckoning.
The teams have charted a near identical path to date. Like Pakistan did in the opening game of the tournament against Netherlands, India too had to dig deep to overcome United States that same night in Mumbai. Both pulled off comprehensive wins in their respective next matches, India overwhelming Namibia and Pakistan packing too many guns for US, who upset them in a Super Over in Dallas some 18 months back.
Pakistan have been in Colombo for nearly a fortnight, India only arrived late on Friday night from New Delhi after their defeat of Namibia nearly 24 hours previously. However, both of Pakistan’s previous games have been at the SSC ground and therefore they don’t hold any sneaky advantage against their rivals, who in any case know the Premadasa like the back of their hand.
Where Pakistan have gone spin-heavy at the World Cup – four spinners against Netherlands burgeoned to five against the Americans – India have put out more balanced attacks with a slight tilt towards pace. Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel have been their only two spinners but that could change with Kuldeep Yadav coming into the equation, potentially at the expense of Arshdeep Singh, and Washington Sundar not such a left-field choice to replace the beleaguered Rinku Singh if that’s how they read the conditions. That won’t alter the strength of their bowling group even if the dynamics are somewhat altered, though Suryakumar opted to play typically coy and refused to commit himself to even the kind of combination India are looking to embrace.
India received a boost as Abhishek Sharma teed off at Friday evening nets; for the first time in the competition, they will have their entire 15 to choose from though whether they are willing to punt on left-handed opener Abhishek remains to be seen. There is a long way yet to go in this tournament and while India will miss the No. 1 T20I batter in the world if they opt to rest him, benching him won’t be the worst course of action if he isn’t fully recovered.
Pakistan’s five-pronged spin attack against US included a 28-year-old off-spinner who is suddenly being spoken off in hush-hush tones. Usman Tariq is no spring chicken though on his World Cup debut, he has made heads turn and tongues wag with a unique delivery style built around a significant pause before releasing the ball and bowling with his right arm almost parallel to the ground, offering the kind of challenges India haven’t encountered in a long while.
Having missed out on getting good practice against Gerhard Erasmus, the Namibia captain who also slings his off-breaks without the pause before letting the ball go, India tried to replicate the Tariq style at nets. It’s amazing that in a match with some many proven and pedigreed names, the one with the least experience – Tariq has played only four T20Is – is the cynosure, but Indo-Pak cricket holds the reputation of having a life on its own and this merely reiterates that truism.
Pakistan have made a strategic switch by pushing Babar Azam down to No. 4. With efforts of 50 not out and 46 in two of his last three hits coming at strike-rates of 138.88 and 143.75 respectively, Babar has justified that ‘demotion’; whether he can do an encore in a high-stakes, furious battle for bragging rights will be one of many developments watched with unwavering focus.
Numerically and nominally, India possess more match-winners than Pakistan and will fancy their chances in front of a Premadasa audience potentially in the region of 35,000. But Pakistan are nothing if not scrappers and fighters, even if their win-loss equation in T20 World Cups can’t be wished away. This may not be a rivalry in the truest sense of the word anymore but this is also not just another game, as Suryakumar conceded gracefully on Saturday. Strap in and brace yourselves for a bumpy ride in choppy waters, no matter who you are supporting. And why not so?
