Let the drums roll

As the much-anticipated World Cup clash between India and Pakistan unfolds in Ahmedabad today, cricket fans, regardless of their allegiances, are poised to savour every sumptuous bit of action.   

No other cricketing rivalry comes close to matching the magnitude of the one between India and Pakistan, and very few sporting events can claim to be able to attract billions of fans.

When it comes to the World Cups, the excitement surrounding the match inevitably reaches fever pitch; to such an extent that the final match of the tournament ends up taking a back seat in terms of the anticipation factor.

A crown jewel of World Cup matches, no doubt; the two teams had lived up to the billing, time and again, producing timeless moments of dramatic affairs and brilliance under pressure that got rightfully integrated in the cricketing folklore.

Results in the apex event, however, have not translated to the level of competitiveness associated with an India-Pakistan clash as India's 7-0 lead hardly does justice. 

Sustained political tension has denied fans from seeing the two neighbouring countries play a bilateral series since 2011-12. Pakistan last toured India in 2016 for the T20 World Cup and, therefore, there could be no better stage to make up for the vacuum than the world's biggest cricket venue: the 132,000-capacity Narendra Modi Stadium.

The organisers of the recently concluded Asia Cup had tweaked the tournament rules to have a reserve day for the India-Pakistan Super Four fixture. While that decision garnered criticism, the reasoning behind it is understandable. 

And regardless of how amusing it may seem, it is no surprise that traveling fans have resorted to checking in at hospitals near the Ahmedabad stadium to find reasonable lodging since hotel prices have shot up by 20 times ahead of the blockbuster match.

In World Cups or otherwise, India-Pakistan matches have rarely failed to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The stage is thus set for stars to achieve legendary status, for unlikely heroes to emerge as household names, or suffer the worst case of being the villain; for any ball bowled, any run scored possesses the potential to forever be etched in one's memory.

Their timeless rivalry has, indeed, aged like fine wine. No matter who comes out victorious on the day, the sport itself will be the winner as yet another compelling contest awaits.