Given the number of times India and Pakistan have played each other in the past few months, you’d have expected that some of the intensity associated with the contest will have abated somewhat. Think again: Both teams are charged up for what will be their eighth match against each other this year. As Anil Kumble said: ‘‘Just because we have played them seven times doesn’t mean that the steam has been let off. The pressure is still very much there, with the public of the two countries charged up for the occasion as much as we (the players) are.’’For Pakistan, every match now is an opportunity to settle scores for the home series defeat earlier this year. They’ve already won two on the trot, with Shoaib Malik man of the match in both games. And he says hunger has been the difference between the two teams of late.‘‘We were more bitter after that series and we wanted to win more badly. We spoke after the series defeat at home and swore that we would give the next game against India more than hundred percent. And we managed to keep to that promise’’, he says.With a wise head on young shoulders, Malik is in touch with reality. ‘‘A defeat against India on Sunday and no one will remember what I have done in the last two games. Public memory is very short.’’His senior partner Abdul Razzaq is more confident and believes that Pakistan’s target is more Australia than India. ‘‘In the last two matches we have shown that we can beat Australia. We should have won both those matches but I would say that more than them winning it, we lost those games.’’Vice-captain Yousuf Youhana, however, believes that despite winning the last two games against India, the match will begin on an even keel. ‘‘Both teams are evenly matched. What we lack in our batting when compared to India’s, we make up with our quality all-rounders and better bowlers’’, he says.Mohammad Kaif believes that the team that takes care of the small things wins the big, high pressure games. ‘‘If our bowlers can bowl with discipline and our fielding is a hundred per cent we have a very good chance. The more disciplined side will win’’, he says. History is the key, says Kumble. ‘‘We have done well against them in the past, we have always done well against them in England. We beat them in the World Cup and though they are a good side and we respect that, we are pretty good ourselves. If we keep our cool we will win’’, he says.One startling factor though will work against India keeping in mind the last eight encounters between the two sides and that is the absence of Sachin Tendulkar. Strike off the names of Zaheer Khan and L Balaji too and you lose your second best performers with the ball with nine wickets a piece in these games.Whatever happens, the team that handles the pressure better on Sunday will extend their stay in Birmingham for the semi finals.
