INDIA VS PAKISTAN @ OVAL, 3 PM
BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO THE MOST VOLATILE GAME IN WORLD CRICKET
WHAT'S IS IT ALL ABOUT? Sectarian violence and murder during the Partition in 1947 on the foundation of India, West and East Pakistan, wars that year and then again in 1965 and 1971, continued conflict over Kashmir and the Mumbai terror attacks have made tempestuous, frequently toxic bilateral relations the backdrop to the all too rare meetings between the two on the cricket field that have been limited by political intransigence to ICC events, three matches four years ago aside, since 2008
ON-FIELD RIVALRY Pakistan have yet to beat India in a World Cup match but have defeated them twice in four Champions Trophy ODIs and still lead 72-52 overall, largely by virtue of their early dominance of the tie. India have won four of the last five but they have never faced each other in an ICC 50-over final, not even in the days of a four-team Asia Cup. Sunday’s match will be unique
FLASHPOINT Off the field all too many and the most notorious incident during a match also took place away from the pitch in 1997 when Inzamam ul-Haq, tired of being barracked for two days in Toronto at the Sahara Cup by an India fan with a megaphone chanting “mota aaloo, sara alloo” (‘fat potato, rotten potato’) snapped. He ran into the crowd to confront him, traded blows, retreated to pick up a bat and was about to wrap it around his tormentor’s teeth when he was restrained by security and his team-mates
Cricket is a pressure game and when it comes to an IndiaPakistan match the pressure is doubled
Imran Khan
It’s probably bigger than the Ashes. As far as Indians and Pakistanis go, I don’t think they watch this game as a game of cricket, it’s more of a border rivalry
Ravichandran Ashwin