Aakash Chopra: Does Ind-Pak Match Still Ignite The Same Feelings?

As India and Pakistan get ready to lock horns in the Champions Trophy, we ask ourselves if an India-Pakistan match ignites the same feelings anymore.

Is it still a matter of life and death? Is it war without the weapons?

When I toured Pakistan in 2004, cricket came out of the sports pages and appeared on the front pages of national dailies. There was an extensive coverage in electronic media too. An India-Pakistan cricket match was always special, for the countries identified their progress with the progress of their cricket team. Since both countries were still developing into independent nations, there wasn't too much to boast about.

Winning a cricket match was a means to assert superiority. While there was always keen interest, the kind of media interest in a cricket match we saw in 2004 was unheard of, and it hasn't changed since then. Even though the actual cricket is not half as exciting as it used to be in the 80-90s, media hasn't stopped milking the cash-cow called India-Pakistan game.

Let's get down to business and look at what India needs to do to start the campaign on a winning note. And if there are any concerns that need addressing from India's perspective.

Start Strongly

In 2013, Indian openers added 382 runs in five games, which included 2 century and 2 half-century partnerships. Both Dhawan and Rohit started strongly against South Africa in the opening game and continued in rich vein of form throughout.

Four years later, the same combination will be starting the innings. Dhawan came into this tournament on the heels of a successful IPL and hit the ground running in the warm-up games, which should keep the naysayers at bay. Rohit, on the other hand, had a stop-start IPL and missed out in the only warm-up game he played, but he's too good a player to miss out for long. Unlike the IPL, he'll be opening the batting and therefore will have ample time to get his eye in. He will fire sooner than later.

Number 4

The last time India played ODI cricket, there was no discussion about the number 4 slot, for Yuvraj made a stunning comeback. He scored a century against England and sealed the deal for the Champions Trophy. But he has been under the weather for a few weeks--he missed a last couple of games in the IPL due to a finger injury and reached England suffering from viral fever. His absence allowed Karthik to stake a claim for the spot and if Yuvraj is not a 100%, he'll be an automatic choice. It'll be interesting to see if India will go with Yuvraj even if he's not fully recovered.

Hardik Pandya or Ashwin

The biggest question that the Indian team has to ask is if they'd like to go with five proper bowlers or four bowlers and an all-rounder in Pandya. It's a given that Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah and Umesh will be three seamers, and Jadeja seemed to have sealed the fourth bowler slot too. It's going to be a toss-up between Ashwin and Pandya on the basis of team's preference. Since Virat has been vocal about playing five bowlers on most occasions, it won't be surprising if he plays Ashwin. But if he isn't fully confident about the batting form of some of his batsmen, he might opt for Pandya as a cushion in case of a collapse. I've always believed that playing 5 bowlers is the right thing to do but Hardik's finishing abilities have presented a very tempting option for the team.

There was a time when finding fast bowlers was a problem for Indian cricket but now, it's fortunate to have a problem of plenty. It'll be unfair to finish this piece without mentioning Shami, for he's been outstanding whenever he's played for India, and there's a good chance that he will be forced to warm the bench on Sunday. If the cricketing logic were to prevail, India should win this contest without fuss but then, an India-Pakistan encounter often throws the logic out of the window.