War. Friendship. Cricket. ~ Cricket Bakchod

Put the kids to sleep. This is serious sport!

The mother of all sporting rivalry is India Vs Pakistan in cricket. If it's taking place in a World Cup then it simply doesn't get bigger than this in sport. Oh okay I already hear voices of dissent from some elite sports watchers. One at a time kids!

Yes, Federer vs Nadal is a nice little rivalry, but it won't be there 5 years from now. India vs Pakistan is for the ages, it will be there forever or at least until one of our scientists accidentally blows away our nuclear warhead in our own territory.

And Fuck No you stupid white american kid. Yankees vs RedSox is no sporting battle. Baseball anyhow is a dwarf in front of the great game of cricket. The rivalry is as intense as two Indian school girls fighting over who is "cuutteer"(sic), SRK or Hrithik.

And Yes German brother, I have to agree with you since you look tall and strong. Eng vs Germany in football is some battle. There is history. There is hatred. The two countries have been at war. Brilliant to watch. But hey, now the two countries are friends in Eurozone. Also white men can't hate each other like us brown men can (yes I have stolen it from a Russel Peters joke). They will see each other in a bar and talk about white folk stuff and have a drink, may be abuse each others sports team and laugh and walk away. We hate people from different state much more than you white folks from different countries hate each other.

Okay enough dissent already. Time to talk. India and Pakistan have fought real wars and are almost perennially in a warlike situation, not just during the show they put up at Wagha border but in real battlefields as well. During the matches, firing across the border is often reported. People die of heart attack during every game. I can go on and on. "Cricket Diplomacy"!! Is any sport rivalry so big that it's actually used as a diplomatic machinery?

Every cricket fan has memories about India Pakistan matches. Sweet memories of Sachin smashing Akhtar for a six over thirdman. bitter memories of Miandad hitting Chetan Sharma for a six of the last ball. And some bittersweet memories of Pakistan beating India in that Chennai test by 17 runs, and then getting a standing ovation from the "knowledgeable" Chepauk crowd (Frankly I hated the crowd at that moment for standing up to these guys who have just beaten us, but now its a cherished memory).

My first memory of India Pakistan battle is not even a cricket match. I think I was some four five year old when a kid on the street taught me a song. "Aao bachhon tumhein dikhaayein jhaanki Hindustan ki, Kapil Dev ne chakka maara pant phati Imran ki". Yes, I am slightly embarrassed to say that I remember this. In fact I sing this in my head often. Remembering Kapil Dev, that hero of the masses. And Imran Khan, that great all rounder, a guy we feared and revered in equal quantity. But mainly people in India hated him because our women who didn't care at all about cricket, would stop for a moment to look at the tv screen just to watch him running in with his flowing hair and bare chest.

So, the night of heroes will be back soon. Cause no matter what else you do as an Indian or Pakistani cricketer, you will always be remembered for that one great feet against your rival nation. An Indian will forever remember the image of Venkatesh Prasad dismissing Aamir Sohail after a tiff in 1996 World Cup quarter final and a Pakistani may never forgive Wasim Akram for missing that match despite being genuinely injured! Hrishikesh Kanitkar could have continued playing international cricket and scored hundreds but his biggest moment would still be that 4 he hit off Saqlain at Dhakka. Or biggest of them all, that wily old street fighter Javed Miandad. Considered one of the best batsmen of all time. Scored runs everywhere against the best attacks in the world. He is still remembered for that one six he hit off a full toss bowled by someone like Chetan Sharma. Such is the nature of this rivalry!

On 30th September, form wouldn't matter as much as the nerves. There would be one man of the match but there could be one hero for life or as in Misbah's case a villian forever. Bring on the Super Sporting Sunday!

- rajesh@cricketbakchod.com