As an Indian, and more importantly as a
cricket fan, World Cup clashes between India and Pakistan have always been
special for me. Not only because it’s my team that has gone on to win each time
– as I’m hoping it would in their super 10’s match on Saturday in the World T20
– but also because I have some indelible recollections about them. Especially
of the ones held in the new millennium.
While I was too young to appreciate what it
meant for India to play against Pakistan in 1992 – the start of the rivalry as
such – 1996 became synonymous for the team’s disastrous semi-final against Sri
Lanka. Just as 1999 was more about the start of Australia’s domination in World
Cups that lasted for the next two editions.
Not surprisingly, it’s the 2003 match-up
that I remember quite clearly. For one, the scheduling of the tournament
created a lot of ruckus with irate parents and teachers, who were worried about
10th Grade students not concentrating on the Board exams. To worsen
the issue, the Indo-Pak match was to be held on 1st March, four days
before the start of the Boards, which were to start on the 5th
March.
Since I too was giving my Boards that year,
the worrisome nature of the tournament had penetrated into my home as well. What
however made it even more worrying that instead of revising for my exams, I was
constantly mulling about the permutations and combinations of the Indian team
composition and the statistical significance of India winning it.
My pondering about the tie intensified all
the more during the course of the match. When Pakistan won the toss and decided
to bat first, it felt as if the omen was against us. It didn’t help that Saeed
Anwar unleashed himself upon our bowlers, who seemed to be clueless as to what
needed to be done to pick wickets.
The Pakistani openers, Anwar and Taufeeq
Umar kept the run-rate steady at around five – which, in those days, was a huge
thing – and it was only in the 11th over that Zaheer Khan managed to
end the opening run stand of 58 runs by scalping Umar’s wicket. His fierceness
was visible in his celebration and it’s one that I’ll never forget. Anwar went
on to score a century, before he was sent packing by Ashish Nehra for 101 runs.
Looking back it then, a century seems just an ordinary score, but back then, it
looked momentous for our opponents. As did the total Pakistan propped up at the
end of 50 overs, 273 runs.
Again, 273 will barely make anyone gasp
looking at how teams are chasing 400-plus scores. It’s another example of how
cricket, and time, has changed in little over a decade. 273 was then a
formidable total to defend, even though India did have a full-strength squad to
chase the target down.
And Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag
started out by making merry against the Pakistani bowling line-up that included
Shoaib Akhtar. Each ball was sent soaring, either beyond the boundary ropes or
into the stands as the Indian openers presented their version of
aggressiveness. Though the then-Pakistani skipper Waqar Younis took the wickets
of Sehwag and his Indian counterpart Ganguly (who was out for a duck) in quick
succession, Tendulkar was relentless.
Akhtar picking Tendulkar’s wicket – who, once
again became a victim to the ‘nervous 90’s’
– made hearts skip a beat, with almost 90-odd runs still to get. But then
we also did have our Wall to reassure
us.
Then there was Yuvraj Singh too. Singh’s
performances during India’s winning run at the 2011 World Cup have been well
lauded, but his being an integral part of the Indian team was set almost eight
years before, in 2003. And his partnership with Dravid in India’s chase against
Pakistan was yet another example of this. Singh provided an aggressive
counterpoint to Dravid’s assertiveness, with their duality setting the
remaining tone of the match that allowed India to get a relatively comfortable win
in the end.
While India wasn’t able to win the World
Cup, falling short – yet again to Australia in the tournament – the manner in
which the team played throughout the event, after overcoming its nerves, was
remarkable. As for me, in spite of my family members thinking that I wouldn’t
get good enough marks, I did pass out with distinction.
As I’m hoping India would do so again
today, in a different format with an altogether different, but no less
important, legacy to chase...
