India and Pakistan battle nerves to clinch final ticket

India and Pakistan battle nerves to clinch final ticket

Reuters | Mar 30, 2011, 07.18am IST

(GOOD WISHES TO INDIANS AND PAKISTANIS.ITS A GAME SO TAKE IT AS A SPORTS AND SHOW/LEARN SPORTSMANSPIRIT AND PLZ UTILIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN TWO COUNTRIES.DON'T TAKE IT AS A "MAHAYUDHH" OR"WAR WITHOUT WEAPON", BUT SPREAD LOVE AND PEACE, JOSH AND JUNOON FOR UNITY AND CHANGE IN MINDSET TO RESOLVE OLD PROBLEMS.INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN RISK AND STEP AHEAD AFTER 26/11 INCIDENT TO RESOLVE ISSUES FROM THEIR SIDE FIRST, SO MUST RESPECT THAT!! I HOPE NOW ONWARDS INDIAN-PAKISTAN TEAM WILL PLAY THE GAMES TOGETHER AND BAN ON PAKISTAN PLAYING IN INDIA WILL BE REPEALED!!...SO GOOD WISHES TO WHOLE INDIAN TEAM...EACH AND EVERYONE!!SAARE JAHAN SE ACHHA HINDUSTAN HUMARA...WRITTEN BY IQBAL WHO LATER ON GET SETTLED IN PAKISTAN!!....VIBHA TAILANG)

....BHAI HUM NA TO HINDU HAIN NA MUSALMAN HEIN...HUM TO 'KABIR' KO MANNEWALE HEIN JISSE JITEJI DONO NE NAKARA(USED TO GET MIXED REACTIONS BECOZ OF HIS SECULAR/NEUTRAL VIEWS AND 'KHARI-KHARI DOO TUUK BATEIN"....BUT WHEN HE DIED BOTH CAME TO RECLAIM HIS BODY FOR ANTIM SANSKAR SAYING HE BELONGS TO US HINDU'S OR US MUSLIMS!!!)

MOHALI: Fierce rivals India and Pakistan will have to deal with huge expectations from their cricket-crazy fans when they clash on Wednesday for a place in the World Cup final.

Anything but a win will be a shock for either set of supporters when the neighbours, who have fought three wars since their 1947 independence, meet in Mohali under a heavy security blanket.

The presence of the prime ministers of both countries in the stands will also add a political fervour to the match.

"The biggest, distinguished guests will be there to see the game, but they are here to enjoy cricket, so we have to be at our best," India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni told reporters on the eve of the match.

India will bank on their powerful batting line-up while Pakistan will pin hopes on their bowling variety in the match which has gripped the sub-continent's imagination.

Batting mainstay Sachin Tendulkar will have another shot at glory when he walks to the crease needing one more century to complete a hundred international tons.

With the flamboyant Virender Sehwag as his partner, Tendulkar will look to wrest early control for India at the top.

Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, in-form Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni and Suresh Raina will complete a strong batting line-up and Pakistan would need to make the new ball count.

FITNESS STRUGGLE

Speedster Umar Gul and captain Shahid Afridi have been the main strike-force for Pakistan and they might be tempted to play Shoaib Akhtar, who will retire after the World Cup, as another wicket-taking option.

Shoaib, 35, who is known for his raw pace, is struggling to get fit for the high-profile match.

Pakistan's batting, on the other hand, has failed to set the tournament alight as none of the batsmen have registered a century yet.

But despite that, the team notched up confidence-boosting victories against Sri Lanka and Australia in the group stages and went on to maul West Indies by 10 wickets in the quarterfinals.

Afridi, the highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 21, is confident the team is not solely reliant on its bowling attack.

"My team is very balanced. I got some very good experienced players alongside the youngsters and our bowlers are doing a great job," Afridi told reporters.

Both captains have failed to shine with the bat and would like to set that record straight in Wednesday's pot-boiler.

Past records, however, suggest that India know what it takes to tame Pakistan in the showpiece event, having defeated them on all four occasions they clashed in the World Cup.

Whoever wins the match will take on Sri Lanka in the final on Saturday in Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium.