India vs Pakistan! A warm Sunday afternoon. Wife on duty. Nobody else to disturb. What else do you want? My mind went wavering in to the past. Of all the India - Pak legacies which had been part of my life.
So, for my generation cricket started of with the 1996 world cup. Who can forget the Ajay Jadeja onslaught on Waqar younis and of course the famous Aamir Sohail - Venkatesh Prasad incident. Didn't we all show Aamir the way to the dressing room on that glorious night as Prasad did?
Do you guys remember the Independence day Saeed Anwar special? I almost killed my brother in an fit of anger since Inzamam kept going after Saeed. Oh! Who can forget the Rajesh Chauhan six to win a one day match. We all had tears in the eyes, didn't we?
Few can forget the test match loss against Pakistan when Sachin clutching his back and misread a saqlain doosra? Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akthar running in gave me chills in the spine then. And then the Kanitkar special? The long hours of discussion we had on the day after the kanitkar boundary?
2003 World cup game! I wrote a board exam the next day and remember every single shot played by the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar.That sparkling cover drive of Wasim Akram of the first ball of the chase and the huge six of Shoaib. Phew! Typing them give me goose bumps.
Who will not remember the T-20 world cup final? In the aiiiirrr, Sreeeessaaanttthhh, takes it, India win, those Ravi Shasthri's words still ring in my mind. And then the most important match of it all. The world cup semifinal of 2011. Wahabs pace and Raina's straight hitting made that day.
Sure, Pakistan is not the same anymore. Never did I think I will say this, but India's fast bowling attack looks better than the paki's for once. The fizz of the Pakistani middle order is missing. The stability of a Misbah or the sheer presence of an Inzamam is not there. But this is India - Pakistan. The mother of all cricket.
I'm ready for another thriller. Are you?
So, for my generation cricket started of with the 1996 world cup. Who can forget the Ajay Jadeja onslaught on Waqar younis and of course the famous Aamir Sohail - Venkatesh Prasad incident. Didn't we all show Aamir the way to the dressing room on that glorious night as Prasad did?
Do you guys remember the Independence day Saeed Anwar special? I almost killed my brother in an fit of anger since Inzamam kept going after Saeed. Oh! Who can forget the Rajesh Chauhan six to win a one day match. We all had tears in the eyes, didn't we?
Few can forget the test match loss against Pakistan when Sachin clutching his back and misread a saqlain doosra? Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akthar running in gave me chills in the spine then. And then the Kanitkar special? The long hours of discussion we had on the day after the kanitkar boundary?
2003 World cup game! I wrote a board exam the next day and remember every single shot played by the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar.That sparkling cover drive of Wasim Akram of the first ball of the chase and the huge six of Shoaib. Phew! Typing them give me goose bumps.
Who will not remember the T-20 world cup final? In the aiiiirrr, Sreeeessaaanttthhh, takes it, India win, those Ravi Shasthri's words still ring in my mind. And then the most important match of it all. The world cup semifinal of 2011. Wahabs pace and Raina's straight hitting made that day.
Sure, Pakistan is not the same anymore. Never did I think I will say this, but India's fast bowling attack looks better than the paki's for once. The fizz of the Pakistani middle order is missing. The stability of a Misbah or the sheer presence of an Inzamam is not there. But this is India - Pakistan. The mother of all cricket.
I'm ready for another thriller. Are you?
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