India versus Pakistan: it is more than just cricket - Part 1
Where there is competition there is bound to be rivalries. In the world of cricket however, there is one particular rivalry with more on the line than just a result and bragging rights. Whenever India and Pakistan meet on the cricket field the words ‘special
occasion’ do little justice to describe the event. All either side wants to do is to humiliate the opposition for the world to see.
The spirit and vigor in which these matches have been played are truly a spectacle unmatched and unrivalled in the sporting world. Perhaps the closet comparison that can be made is not in the world of sport, but rather can be found on the Gaza Strip and
the ongoing tensions between http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Israel-c2925 and Palestine.
If one really wants to understand why both sides have such an inert need of beating the other a brief history lesson is in order. The Subcontinent was under British rule for over a century, with the local population, namely the Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs
wanting independence.
The Muslims and Hindus could not agree on a united homeland and thus India and Pakistan were born. To say religion did not have a major role in dividing the two countries would be a lie.
Since then, both countries have had an issue that is still to this day unresolved. That issue is Kashmir. Wars have been fought and countless lives lost. Diplomacy and talks have failed. Cricket has been used as a medium to try and bring the sides together
with varying degrees of success.
The Sahara Cup played in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Anil-Kumble-c44737 the biggest and best talent from
both countries would meet on the pitch.
The tournament started in September 1996 and was held annually for the next two years until in 1998 when it sadly ended, two years short of the original agreement between the Board of Control for Cricket in India and Pakistan Cricket Board had originally
decided. The reason, a war between the two sides that resulted in the severing cricketing ties till 2004.
Pakistan won the first cup beating India 3-2 in a thrilling five match series. India destroyed Pakistan in the second claiming the cup after beating their bitter rivals 4-1, before Pakistan reclaimed it again the following year beating the Indians by the
same margin.
After the Sahara Cup, the two teams did not meet on the field until http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 in 2004. The first time they visited the country in 15 years. It was a huge moment for both countries as the five match One Day International series and three
test matches got underway on the 13 http://www.senore.com/Cricket/March-c74391 in Lahore to a capacity crowd. Pakistan lost the series 3-2, but the world witnessed some of the most intense cricket between the two sides to date.
Every match went down to the wire, as both teams desperately wanting to emerge the victor. The test series was played with the same intensity and it was clear that India were the better side by the end.
Pakistan India series became common for a while after that, as they played some exhilarating cricket on a regular basis. Every single match was as if it was a matter of life or death for both sides. For everyone watching, it was cricket at its electrifying
best.
Continued in Part 2
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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