The Semi-Final Preview

The World Cup is at a stage where it is now beyond Prediction Time. As for the quarter-finals predictions, 3 out of 4 successes for me with only the South Africa-New Zealand game going the other way (there I had put in the disclaimer about the South African choke). Now to semi-finals. Or rather THE SEMI-FINAL.

India vs Pakistan at Mohali. The game has already been hyped up beyond just a match. The Prime Ministers are attending (Aside, last time PM Manmohan Singh attended a big match, India lost 8-0 to Australia in the CWG Hockey finals, So I am worried, very worried). People are talking about a national holiday on Wednesday. The whole country is likely to come to a standstill. There is a general sense of nervousness  and anticipation in the air. No one is even thinking beyond this game. So while I try to calm my nerves for the big match, I present here a small compilation of India-Pakistan World Cup highlights as a preview for the match. (All India favoring as we have an AWESOME record in World Cups)

1. The Kiran More - Javed Miandad altercation in 1992

2. Ajay Jadeja's slog overs bash in 1996

3. The Prasad-Sohail encounter in 1996

4. Sachin blasting Shoaib & Waqar in 2003

5. Joginder Sharma bowling the last over to Misbah in the 2007 T20 WC final (Ok it was not an ODI but still a World  Cup only)

6. The bowl out in the weirdest ending ever (from the same T20 WC)

7. The Kanitkar moment in Bangldesh indepence cup (Ok, not a World Cup moment but a great victory moment for Indian fans). This was an example of an entire international career being defined by one memorable shot)

Given the history of the rivalry, God Only Knows what 2011 will provide. But something will linger on definitely.

P.S. In case the match ends in a tie, it will an OOPSE moment for all (Explained in detail here)

The World Cup Memories - 1992

The 10th edition of the ODI World Cup is almost here. So its time to turn back and recall some of the memories I have associated with the World Cups. The 1992 edition is the first one which I remember.  The 1975 & 1979 editions belong to the Before Nishant era. 1983 - I was barely born. 1987 may have watched it but certainly do not remember it. So 1992 is what I would call my debut World Cup. 

I was in Std 5 in Patna then. Cable TV had just arrived and Prime Sports was the channel which showed all the matches, although DD also was showing most of them as well. The matches in Australia & New Zealand meant waking up early (and unlike now those days host countries did not keep Indian viewers in mind while scheduling the games). Most of the matches would be over by the time I returned from school. Even the final was held on a week day. 

India had just been through a long, loss filled tour of Australia. And the disasters continued in the World Cup. Close losses against England and Australia opened the campaign and it went on going worse and worse. The only saving grace from that tournament was the win over Pakistan. This game also gave the never to be forgotten scene of Javed Miandad jumping up and down in front of Kiran More after a few heated words. A few other things which come to mind about this edition, the rain rule which robbed South Africa in the semi-finals, Inzamam's stunning daylight robbery in the other semi-final, Jonty Rhodes flying in to run out Inzamam, Ian Botham taking out Australia single handedly. And also all teams in coloured clothing which was a first. And finally Imran Khan lifting the cup.
So this was 1992 World Cup as I remember. Hope to follow up on the other editions soon.