The Melbourne Cup may be the race that stops our nation of 26 million, but another contest in the Victorian capital will stop two nations on Sunday when India take on Pakistan in the T20 World Cup.
There won’t be much crime in those two countries that day as hundreds of millions will be at home, glued to their TV sets. The illegal betting industry of the subcontinent will enjoy an unprecedented bonanza.
For Indians and Pakistanis, brothers and sisters divided 75 years ago by an illogical, cruel and bloody partition, it is a rare match between the two as India refuse to tour or play Pakistan in bilateral series.
For cricket fans, the absence of the contest certainly makes the heart grow fonder and, if black-market ticket prices are an indication, wallets lighter.
For Australian cricket aficionados, the pre-eminent rivalry is with mother England, for the Ashes. An India-Pakistan game not only attracts 10 times the interest and eyeballs garnered by an Ashes contest, but the passion is probably dialled up by a factor of 100 — if that is possible. The combined population of the subcontinental neighbours exceeds 1.7 billion (almost a fourth of humanity) compared to a total populace of under 90 million, when you add Australia to England.
Opposing captains Rohit Sharma (India) and Babar Azam (Pakistan).Credit:Getty
You only have to tune in tomorrow, if you are not lucky enough to score a ticket to the noisy, colourful cauldron that will be the MCG, to experience the sheer madness.
Drums, dances, slogans galore amid the waft of curries. A sea of blue, the colour of team India.
Pakistani fans will be there too in their greens, but are usually outnumbered five to one — reflecting the population.
The rivalry is not merely pantomime, it can get tense and passions run wild, occasionally bordering on rudeness. In these times of hyper-nationalism, subcontinental fans are no exception and Indian fans in particular are no wilting lilies. For many, cricket is not merely a game; it is an expression of national identity. Losses are irrationally taken to heart.
Wins are celebrated with processions, joyous dancing, fire-crackers and distribution of sweets. Losses are greeted unforgivingly with stinging criticism, effigy-burning and abuse. Twenty to 30 years ago, players’ homes used to get stoned in India if their performance was perceived as lacklustre. These days there is social media for the keyboard warriors and armchair critics to vent on.
It would be fair to say there might be some forgiveness for returning home without winning the World Cup, but without the mitigation of winning against their traditional rivals? Only great scorn awaits and heads may roll. Return to the country via the back door of airports is not unusual and a safer option.
India have an enviable record against Pakistan in World Cup games, but of course that counts for nothing in a format where an explosive performance with bat or ball can change fortunes within a few minutes. Both teams have some mercurial players — Hardik Pandya for India and Mohammad Rizwan for Pakistan, to name a couple.
Fans can be jingoistic and even antagonistic, but the relationship and respect between the teams is heartening and warm. It always has been, thus. Virat Kohli has a massive following in Pakistan, reminiscent of the great Imran Khan’s following in India in the 80s, and he will be the standout player whose every move will be cheered, nay scrutinised. Don’t be surprised to see a cheeky poster by a Pakistani fan saying “Give us Kohli and we will give you Kashmir”, alluding to the troubled bone of contention between the two countries, for the past 75 years since independence.
There can only be one bigger game than an India-Pakistan World Cup game – an India-Pakistan final.
India v Australia is a distant second, but these days, interest is rising fast.
Alas, this writer will miss the colour and the din, but will scour the net desperately, for a live feed in distant Istanbul.
Darshak Mehta is chairman of The Chappell Foundation and has witnessed ICC World Cup games in 11 tournaments, across England, India, Australia and South Africa.
Watch the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now
