By Javagal srinath
Given the emotions that surround every high-profile India-Pakistan cricket match, and especially one in a tournament such as the World Cup, what I was worried most was how the reactions would be to the result. Quite obviously, one of the sides had to win and the other had to lose, and the criticism losing teams in the past have had to go through has been pretty heart-wrenching.
Now, with the proliferation of the media and the availability of so many social media platforms, it is even easier to propagate the blame game, point fingers and make sinister insinuations. In both our countries, fans and followers of cricket are very high on emotion. The adulation when you win can sometimes be over the top. By the same token, the criticism is also extremely stinging and hurtful.
What I took heart from is the spirit that the followers of the Indian team displayed on Sunday. Roads were deserted across cities in the country as the fans lapped up the entertainment from Adelaide.
Back to the match, and this was a wonderfully scripted win by the Indian team. The Indian batting was all about Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina. Shikhar set the early tempo, while Virat was exceptional. His ability to stand up during big matches is his USP, the big stage is where he excels and is at home. The drive over extra cover off Yasir Shah kicked things off, and after that, he was in his stride. He was ably supported by Raina.
The Indian innings was about partnerships. All three of the batsmen who topped 50 all were highly responsible in their approach.
The Indian bowling has issues, but their performance on Sunday should really lift their morale. It was a wonderful collective effort, and it is non-negotiable that India carry that rhythm with them to the next game against South Africa. To me, it was R Ashwin who really turned the match. He put pressure on the batsmen with his control and his guile, and wickets came from the other end. Given the kind of surface in Adelaide and with scoreboard pressure to egg them on, everything clicked for the Indian team.
I was quite impressed with how Sohail Khan bowled for Pakistan. He kept varying his pace towards the death and was extremely accurate, both praiseworthy under severe pressure from batsmen looking to explode. He kept Pakistan in the game by picking up wickets at a time when India looked primed for a final onslaught, but even though India made only 27 in the last five overs, they had enough on the board.
I truly hope the Indians have found form at the right time. With this big morale-boosting win, they should take their chances against South Africa in Melbourne, on what will be an entirely different kind of surface. If India can follow up their win over Pakistan by beating South Africa next Sunday, then it will change the perception of other teams about India. In tournaments like this, it is very important how other teams perceive you as, and with a second straight win against a strong opposition, India will set themselves up as one of the teams to beat going forward. That psychological edge counts for a lot in a World Cup, and I am sure MS and his boys are aware of that.