Hyderabad: 24 October 2021: It's here, finally. Billed as a blockbuster for entirely commercial reasons, do not be fooled by lack of depth in analyses, which mostly sway based on whose side you're on.
But here's my unsolicited two pennies: Man-to-man and, then, team-to-team, India edges Pakistan easily. India is a settled side and its confidence is not only superior but evident from miles! Traditionally, Pakistan thrives when it has a strong, authoritative leader, which Babar Azam isn't. Why, he cannot even hold his own on a broadcast mic, let alone engage in psychological warfare! And today's game is his real first test as a captain at this level.
Virat Kohli, on the other hand, may be out of form, but not his team. Azam, for all his trade as a batter of silken class, hasn't often passed the ultimate test of greatness in finishing matches. So holding his own may still not be enough in the ultimate analysis.
So will Pakistan be able to offer any decent competition, or theoretically speaking, break the World Cup jinx stretching 29 years?
On paper at least, won't put it beyond them entirely, but they will not only have to play out of their skins and handle that god-damned pressure, which they are so Proteas-choke-like at meeting, but also hope India has an unbelievably bad day at the office. If that happens, the floodgates will open.
Kamran rehmat