Bleed Blue

Winning and losing are part and parcel of cricket. Right? Yes, but when it is an Indo-Pak affair, you can throw this cliché out of the window. The much anticipated encounter between India and Pakistan of the cricket World Cup would be one of the most exciting matches of the 14-team quadrennial event.


The importance of this match can’t be stressed enough. A defeat in this high octane clash would be a bitter pill to swallow for the people of both the countries. The semi-final match between the two cricketing giants of South Asia is much more than just a match. It has been labeled as “THE WAR OF THE DECADE”or “THE JUDGEMENT DAY”. Pakistani players would be very eager for this match to get underway because they have a point to prove and some unfinished business with the Indians to take care of. I being an Indian support India and wish my team good luck and I know that defeating India in India would be an impossible thing for Pakis.

"Final haarna manjoor hai, lekin yeh wala toh kabhi nahi (India vs Pakistan)!!!", says one of my friend's facebook status. So, one can estimate the intensity and the hunger to win than an Indian has when it comes to a win over Pakistan. Interestingly, both the arch-rivals have won World Cup title once, India in 1983 and Pakistan in 1992. The encounter has already warmed the temperature in the two nations.


India in India are favorites, there is no doubt. But as a unit the Pakistan team has been very composed in this World Cup, so the team which attacks more will win. Pakistan have regrouped themselves in the current edition of the ICC Cricket World Cups from a turbulent past year of controversies leading to a ban on three of the top Pakistani cricketers by the ICC. India kicked out Australia from the World Cup 2011 after Pakistan ended their 34-match winning streak at the World Cups in the group stage. Pakistan literally thrashed West Indies by 10 wickets in their quarter final. So, none of the both teams can dare to underestimate the other.

One thing is for sure, if you are a cricket player and want be remembered in history, an Indo-Pak encounter is an ideal opportunity to reach stardom in a flash. But be ready to feel the pain if you lose it or become immortal if you win it. Take Chetan Sharma for example, great cricketer of his time, bur few of us know that he was the first one to take a world cup hat-trick but all of us know the six that was hit to him by Javed Miandad on the last ball of a match when just 4 were required.

India Pakistan encounters have always been a treat to eyes. India had defeated Pakistan in the quarter final by 39 runs at Bangalore, a match which is renowned more for Aamir Sohail-Venkatesh Prasad tussle (videos of which are very frequent on facebook). Current coach of Pakistan cricket team, Waqar Younis can never forget that match in which Ajay Jadeja blasted him to all corners of the park. No one can understand the agony better than Waqar, and he is lucky to have another chance to erase the bitter memories. Lets see what does Pakistan team do under his guidance. Akthar will be a player to watch out for, a team man with a lot of aggression and zeal. Though he wasn't given a chance in the previous game, but it will be an interesting contest for sure when Sehwag and Sachin come out to bat and if Rawalpindi Express is asked to open the attack.

The Pakistani players have got a point to prove if not to their nation, at least to the franchises of IPL teams. After the Mumbai attacks in November, 2008, the tension between both the countries rose very high due to the Pakistani players were sidelined from the 2nd ,3rd and 4th edition of IPL. Elimination from participation in IPL and a series of some unfortunate events will be a great motivational factor for the men in green. And similarly the hopes of billions of people will boost the Indian team to outwit their rivals from across the border. People of India would hope that the roar of “MASTER BLASTER” might prove to be too much for the Pakistan team to handle. India is playing at home and are odds on favorite to win but playing in front of your home crowd with the expectancy of a win would definitely add some extra pressure on them. Certainly counting Pakistan out and taking them lightly would be the biggest mistake men in blue will ever make.

Alongside the fierceful Indo-Pak encounter, a window of opportunity has opened up to put relations between India and Pakistan back on track. An editorial appeared in the News International Sunday, a day when Gilani accepted the invitation from Manmohan Singh to watch the match at Mohali on Wednesday. Even though the cricketing contest will bring much of the patriotic fervor that marks all contests between Pakistan and India, it could also help create the friendship that is so badly needed. In more ways than one, this is vital for the future of both countries and their people.

Welcome the Incredible match (you creeds of cricket) because this encounter is being accompanied by a lot of talent to watch out for and that too from both sides, world class bowling attack (Zaheer, Bhajji, Umar Gul and Akhtar hopefully), world class batting (Sachin, Sehwag, Misbah) and some of the best all-rounders (Yuvraj, Afridi, Razzak). And one last essential thing without which a cricket game is no fun and that is sledging, and to which 'Hindi' language adds a unique flavor. The battle will be more in the minds than the field itself. It will certainly be a battle of nerves. Who will come out on top? Something that we will just have to wait and watch! Only time will tell. 

Till then you keep bleeding blue because that is what Indians do.

IPL fever- R U Ready?

Nothing grips India’s imagination the way cricket does – no, not even the lovely Aishwarya Rai – Bachchan. Even as the common man gears up to spend hours glued to the TV set, games are never any good without some fun first! With less than a month to go, it's nice to see the fever rise in each of us. What better way to manage the fever than by spreading it!!

So, if you are an ardent fan of the modernized cricket and you enjoyed the glamour and excitement that came along with the Indian Premier League – Then you have a reason to cheer about. The much awaited IPL is back to make the country go crazy in 2010.

There were 97 players who had registered for the IPL 2010 auction. The list of players includes a maximum of 26 players from Pakistan. Several individuals and companies have shown a growing interest in owning IPL teams, such as actors Ajay Devgan, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt, and the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.

So are you ready to feel the heat? Though, last time the great Marathas could never capture the crown of Delhi in their proud history. But, this year the Chattrapati – Sachin Tendulkar is a whole new form and seems to be in a mood to show every ball, the fence. This year was one of the best, just 2 months have passed and he has already added five centuries to his account. Sachin's greatness can not be expressed in words, its his bat what has been reminding us of his clout. 20 years of international cricket, 17000 international runs, most number of centuries, almost every record is on Sachin's profile.So, we need to wait to watch his bat shine in shorter form of the game as well. He is also blessed with a whole troop of warriors recruited from the South (Karthik, Maharoof and Sanath).

On the other hand, the dudes are from the Delhi middle-order with the exception of Dilshan and Gambhir. Till now I mentioned big names only, but minnows can not be ignored as well. I hope there is no need to remind you of that. The team, Deccan Chargers finished last in first edition of IPL went on to win the 2nd edition. How can we forget the army ward, Manish Pandey who created history, becoming the first Indian to hit a century in IPL.

Its not just about big shots and bowling into the block hole. This form of business demands good analysts and managers. Like I have a word of praise for Mumbai Indians Management. Getting Dwayne Smith and Andre Nel as late additions in the last IPL proved to be a boon for them, though they didn't win it, but brought home some respect for sure. Then is our own Dhoni bhaiya, the super cool captain. Chennai Super Kings were either super lucky or simply super cool in pressure. They managed to win all of their tight games.

The IPL 2010 will begin on 12th March and the final match will be on 25th April, 2010. The final schedule of IPL 2010 which is to be played in India rather than an international location has been announced. The first match will be held between the defending champions Deccan Chargers and the Kolkata Knight Riders. A few new venues – Vishakapatnam, Ahmedabad and Dharamsala have been added.

This huge amount of money was never seen in the history of cricket. The prize money announced was three times the prize money of a cricket world cup. IPL has managed to squash everything in its way and create history in the world of cricket. This is the main reason why the cricketers from all around the world are trying to make their place in the Indian Premier League.

How does India benefit from it? BCCI should also keep a close watch on Shane Warne. He continues to get the best out of his guys. Kamran Akmal and Pankaj Singh came in for this game and made their skipper proud. Employing him in some capacity with Indian Cricket should be priority number one. And make him the coach when Gary Kirsten gets sick of the Indian board. If anyone can make India true world beaters, it is Shane Warne. He has managed to get even Munaf Patel motivated and kicked up.

IPL has also witnessed a few unfortunate incidents, be it from ethical point of view or personal ire. The bhajji-sreeshant slap episode, then politically influenced protests against the cheer leaders, then racist attack on one of the cheer leader and the latest being the ban imposed on Rajasthan Royals team all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

Such incidents are very much unfortunate and are not expected in a country where cricket is considered to be more like a religion than just a sport. So it’s going to be yet another season full of enthusiasm, excitement, glamour, &ample fun. The pre-IPL craze says it all. It is going to be a success story all over again. So gear yourself up and get ready for IPL 2010. You surely wouldn’t want to miss it, would you?