For all those who want to see a high-voltage one-dayer between India and Pakistan on March 1, our recent results must be a bit of a dampener. However, the reversals we faced in South Africa and India's poor show in New Zealand will not have much bearing on what happens in SA. The World Cup is the summit of every sport and every sportsman knows this is the real thing. The Pakistanis and Indians are no different, and I'm sure they will be better-prepared for this tournament than for the recent series.
We have not played India for over two years now, and there are quite a few Indians to whom I'll be bowling for the first time. Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif have all come into the Indian team after the last India-Pakistan encounter. I have only seen glimpses of them on television, and they are all very capable players. I am particularly impressed with Sehwag. I'm not a great one for watching ball-by-ball coverage of games on the television, but there are two Indian batsmen I watch whenever I catch them batting. Earlier, it was only Sachin. But now I watch Sehwag as well. It's not that there are no better batsmen than Sehwag, but there is always a buzz of excitement and anticipation when he is around. You never know what's going to happen next, he could either get out to an awful shot, or hit a perfect delivery out of the ground. Outside the subcontinent, I feel that buzz when Adam Gilchrist is at the crease. All these three are popular because they have that dash of unpredictability that adds to their unquestionable talent.
Like Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi in Pakistan, Kaif and Yuvraj have added a spring in the step of the Indian side. Yuvraj did not have a very good time in South Africa in the 2001-end tour. It remains to be seen whether he can cope with the bounce and pace on those pitches.
Among the bowlers, I am impressed with the two left-handers—Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra. They are young, athletic and aggressive, and I think it will serve them well in the future. Pace bowlers are supposed to be fearsome on the field, and in the past I've seen plenty of Indian pacemen not trying to induce fear. This did not make them bad bowlers, but I think they would have benefited from being a little more wound-up and in-your-face. I have seen Indian bowlers following up a fast bouncer with a genial smile—not my idea of how to deal with batsmen. Zaheer and Nehra are all keyed up when they come in to bowl and that's a good sign. A better sign is the fact that both have added the ball that leaves the right-hander to their armoury. Being a left-arm bowler myself, I think this is a very important skill to possess.
So, can this side maintain India's 100 per cent record in World Cup games against Pakistan? It depends on who is better on the day. The gap between sides in international cricket is very, very small these days. God willing, Pakistan will succeed at Centurion on March 1. Our bowlers will play a crucial role, with Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Sami being the guys who will have a crucial role. In New Zealand, India struggled against Shane Bond, so these guys will have to exploit the Indian batsmen's tentativeness while facing extra pace.
Our batsmen too will be ready for the challenge. They have been toughened after facing the relentlessly accurate South Africans only a few weeks ago. The Indian bowling attack must look sharp if they want to keep the likes of Inzamam-ul-Huq, Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi in check. Centurion is a good track for pace bowlers, and can also be good for strokeplay once you come to terms with the bounce. It will essentially be a tussle between the Indian batsmen and our bowlers. There are many players on both sides who will be playing their first India-Pakistan match. My advice to them is to enjoy the moment and try your best. Also, a sense of proportion is required. At the end of the day, it is a league match and not the finals. If they lose on that day, that's just the way it's meant to be and focus on the next game. After all, it's not the end of the World Cup, let alone the world.