It’s a war on a cricket pitch in Johannesburg today

Himanshu Shekhar

It will be nothing short than a war on a cricket field in Wanderers, Johannesburg . When the two teams clash today, it will not just be a cricket match. Some words spoken here or there, adrenaline rush, and expectations heightning cricket fever in both countries, one can expect a high voltage match . It will be more than the Indo-Pakistan border that will crackle when the cricket teams of both countries face each other in the grand finale of the Twenty20 World Cup to be played in Wanderers, Johannesburg.

Cheers for every boundary hit and every wicket taken would rival cannon shots in millions of homes in the subcontinent. India has never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup match till date. The inspiring cricket showcased by both the countries in their run to the finals has been nothing short of a dream. Team India has distinctly shown excellent temperament in tough situations, but that applies for Pakistan as well. No one ever doubted the innate talent of the players from the subcontinent. What has been different in this tournament has been the temperament. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Shoaib Malik are both young in their captaincy but have carried off the burden with relative ease, in fact with great poise and some rousing performances. The two captains have shown the results that can be achieved from an uncluttered and fearless mind. Dhoni was courageous enough to throw the ball to newcomer Joginder Sharma asking him to put it on spot not fearing the result. The rest as we all know is history. September 24 will be another such opportunity; this time to prove to the world that victory was not just a fluke. India will just have the slight edge from the boost of their previous victory over their archrivals earlier in the tournament. But it was just. So Pakistan will not exactly be the underdogs either. For Pakistan, it presents them a unique opportunity to give tribute to their late coach Bob Woolmer in his own country. A loss in the final meanwhile can make or break few careers in the playing teams. Failure on the biggest stage will not fade away from the memory easily. One can ask Chetan Sharma or Mir Ranjan Negi if any body needs any confirmation. Yuvraj Singh is in dream form and even mistimed shots tend to hit the sweet spot on the bat. For Pakistan it is Misbah-ul-Haq who has shown exceptional talent. And Sohail Tanvir who replaces Shoaib Akhtar has grabbed the opportunity with both hands and put up a sterling performance. Exciting Asif, robust Sreesanth, focussed Dhoni, dangerous Nazir and whole of India and Pakistan must ensure that the final is remembered for good spirited cricket.