India vs Pakistan: A rivalry resumes at Asia Cup

DUBAI: It's ironical that at a time when India and Pakistan are looking for ways to bring about a thaw in their diplomatic relations, their cricket teams will lock horns in the sweltering heat of the UAE in a fixture that has grabbed the attention of the cricketing world.

READ ALSO: Six moments when the rivalry boiled over

This country has tossed up some of the most memorable clashes between the two teams in Sharjah, and Dubai is not a bad replacement venue.

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed set the tempo for the match on Wednesday by saying: " Jo bhi achcha karta hain inn matchon mein, woh apni kaum ke liye bada ban jata hain (Whoever performs well in these India-Pakistan matches becomes a big name in his nation)."

It's been 15 months since these two teams last played each other. Both countries have stood firm on their respective diplomatic stands, with the Indian government's reluctance to allow cricket with Pakistan on home turf forcing the Asia Cup to move out to UAE.

READ ALSO: Roller coaster matches between India and Pakistan

Imran Khan becoming Pakistan's prime minister has re-ignited hopes of reviving India-Pakistan matches, and the buzz in Pakistan media suggested that Imran might show up during the match as he is expected to be in the Gulf on a diplomatic tour.

Imran's likely presence at the match notwithstanding, ' junoon' (passion) was the operative word for Pakistan as Sarfraz pointed out on the eve of the match.

" Junoon is there, you know you've to perform against India," the feisty wicketkeeper said, revealing the emotions running through his camp.

It's different in the Indian camp. At least that's the impression stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma gave. He pulled out the 'we treat all oppositions equally' cliché ahead of the match against Hong Kong, which preceded the 'big one' by a day.

"Obviously, it's a big match but we will think about the game only after the match against Hong Kong," Rohit said on Monday.

That leaves the Indian think-tank around 16 hours to train their minds on the game, one that the fans back home hope will make amends for the defeat in the Champions Trophy final in June last year. Even if Sarfraz claimed that this match is different from that Oval final, a loss is bound to hurt the Men in Blue.

Rohit side-stepped the significance of the game, but the Indians have quietly gone about preparing for Pakistan's most lethal weapon - Mohammed Amir and the battery of left-arm pacers. They have brought in a left-arm throw-down specialist to prepare batsmen for the quick left-arm bowling they are expected to play.

Source : timesofindia[dot]indiatimes[dot]com