If you were to wind the clock back to the 1950s, it would be hard to imagine the hype that is associated with India v Pakistan cricket today. For over two decades after the bloody Partition, both sides were happy playing out dull draws in Test cricket, which was the only format that existed then. Right through the 1950s and early 1960s, the two sides played some of the most boring cricket. If that kind of attitude were on display today, the broadcasters and sponsors would pull the plug on the ‘rivalry’.
For nearly 18 years between 1961 and 1978, there was no cricket between the two sides. Instead, India and Pakistan fought two wars. The only interaction between the two sides was when Sunil Gavaskar, Farokh Engineer and Bishan Bedi mingled with Zaheer Abbas as part of a Rest of the World side in 1971-72. That too at the height of the Bangladesh war.
Then, much later, when Indian and Pakistani players sparred against each other in English county cricket; Bedi, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Engineer were the prime Indian movers on the English county circuit in the 1970s. There is a famous photo before an ‘opening ceremony’ ahead of the 1975 World Cup, the inaugural edition featuring players from both India and Pakistan. That was about all the interaction the two sides had before regular cricket resumed in 1978-79, when Bedi led an Indian team to Pakistan, as part of a cricket diplomacy.
For the next 11 years, both sides played each other regularly - either at home or away - in both Tests and ODIs. This was where the seeds of rivalry were sown as the ODI format ‘forced’ both sides to abandon their safety-first approach of the early years. Earlier, both sides were reluctant to lose to the other. But with the introduction of the ODI format, they could never run away from forcing a result.
The addition of cricket in Sharjah to the annual fixtures list only heightened the drama surrounding the rivalry between the two countries. The drama associated with Sharjah cricket coupled with the presence of Hindi film celebrities and the political who’s-who from Pakistan at the matches made for compelling viewing. The sight of an excited Parmeshwar Godrej dancing up and down when the engrossing 1986 Australasia Cup final was played is still vivid in everyone’s memory.
But then came a moment when it all changed in that very 1986 Australasia Cup final. Javed Miandad struck a six off Chetan Sharma which unequivocally changed the dynamics of all Indo-Pak cricket for a while.
From that moment on, Indians never knew how to seal a win against Pakistan, especially at Sharjah. It so happened that between 1986 and 1987 India went on a losing streak in ODI cricket against Pakistan. They lost in Sharjah and in India. They lost from positions that they would generally have won, but Pakistan found new heroes each time. Manzoor Elahi, Salim Malik, Wasim Akram, Imran Khan and Miandad were some of the names which haunted India in ODI cricket.
India somehow managed to pull off an odd win in Bangladesh during the 1988 Asia Cup, but it was more an exception than a norm. Then with the advent of the 1990s, everyone in India hoped for a change in luck.
The arrival of Sachin Tendulkar did bring hope because he did not have the baggage of the 1980s. He was a breath of fresh air in the team as he played with fire. India still managed to keep up the losing streak in Sharjah and in faraway Toronto. But somehow at 50-over World Cups, India always managed to best Pakistan.
Pakistan was arguably a better side than India from early 1980s till the end of 1990s. The most important factor was that they had a better bowling attack. They invested in young fast bowlers like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Aqib Javed in the 1980s. Then in the 1990s, it was that speed demon Shoaib Akhtar who came to the fore.
India, on the other hand, was the land of batsmen. So, it was always billed to be a contest between Pakistan’s bowlers and India’s batters.
It required one more shot to swing the momentum back in India’s favour in the time-tested rivalry. That shot came off the speed of Akhtar in that grudge clash of the 2003 World Cup in Pretoria. It was an upper cut over point from Tendulkar which single-handedly broke the shackles that had existed for close to 17 years. These were erected by Miandad at Sharjah in 1986. It was like a stranglehold that Pakistan had over India, and it required the genius of Tendulkar to break the hold.
Over the next few years, we witnessed how India won a Test and ODI series in Pakistan for the first time in 2004 on that historic trip. Then in 2006, India followed up with another ODI series win in Pakistan.
New formats were introduced, the style of play changed and a whole new confident bunch of Indian cricketers turned up. The result stayed the same. In fact, the new lot of Indian cricketers continued their hold over Pakistan.
This was most evident in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the inaugural edition. India first beat Pakistan 3-0 in the bowl-out and in the final won a game that they would have lost in the 1980s. For a generation who grew up watching India snatch defeat from the jaws of victory in the 1980s and 1990s, this 2007 triumph was exhilarating.
India’s hold over Pakistan in 50- and 20-over World Cups continued without a glitch. Only in the Champions Trophy it seemed like Pakistan had a hold over India. The 2017 Champions Trophy final was a disaster for India as Jasprit Bumrah forgot to maintain discipline. But normal service resumed thereafter till disaster struck again for India.
The 2021 T20 World Cup was a debacle for India as they just could not separate Pakistan captain Babar Azam and his key aide Mohammed Rizwan. Both during the 2017 Champions Trophy final and the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai, the jeers on social media and some official broadcaster campaigns had a positive effect on Pakistan as they became united in the face of pressure.
This was the theme of their fantastic run against Pakistan in the 1980s and 1990s. In the 1980s there was strong leadership from Imran Khan and in the 1990s Pakistan had a great bunch of cricketers. India, on the other hand, managed to get that balance right since the 2003 World Cup and then the arrival of Mahendra Singh Dhoni ensured that there was a complete break from the past. The contacts between the two sides reduced, much like in the 1960s and 1970s, hence there was a lot of hype about any kind of match the two sides played against each other.
Just when it seemed like the balance was once again tilting Pakistan’s way, came another six from Virat Kohli at the T20 World Cup in 2022 when all seemed lost. Kohli’s straight six off Pakistan’s paceman Harris Rauf had the same effect that Miandad and Tendulkar’s shots had in their respective eras. This was a decisive blow which ended all of Pakistan’s hopes in that game and once again ensured that India would be able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The last four decades of rivalry are clearly built around three sixes from three maestros of their respective eras who have been talisman for their respective sides. It is therefore no surprise that when the two sides go head-to-head on Saturday. October 14, all eyes will be on who plays that decisive shot which will once again tilt the balance in their respective country’s favour.
One thing is for sure, unlike in 1983, when Pakistan’s late magical spinner Abdul Qadir danced with the Indian team to celebrate their World Cup victory, this time there will be no such tamasha for all of us to feast on.
The only tamasha we will have is the build-up to the first ball at 2 pm India time. Quite a big change from the dull days of the 1950s, but then again that was a different time. The hype is worth it if it does help a format struggling for survival.
See you at the game!
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