By Denzil Fernandes

Feb 8: There is no love lost as arch rivals India and Pakistan cross swords in what may become a nerve gripping match of the ICC 2015 World Cup, to be played at the Adelaide Oval on February 15.

It is ironic that just a day after sweets, chocolates, cakes, roses and flowers are shared all around, the cricket stars from both India and Pakistan will reserve their best to fight their rivals and send them into a crushing defeat.

Following the Valentine’s Day celebration the first match in their pool ‘B’ will be a battleground to show their supremacy in front of their massive supporters who will be craving for revenge from their seats at the stadium. The very fact that the tickets for this particular match were sold out in a few minutes proves that the battle in the middle will be worth going miles to see.

India has won the World cup twice before and are now attempting to retain the Cup which they lifted in 2011 beating Sri Lanka by 6 wickets in the finals. Skipper Dhoni will have fond memories of that win and will be keen to repeat that feat. The new look Indian side will have only 4 players from the earlier World Cup with captain Dhoni being the oldest at the age of 33 years and spinning sensation Axar Patel youngest at 20 with the average age of the squad being 27 years. India should be holding the advantage having been in Australia for the last 3 months playing tough cricket against the Aussies. However, despite their batting strength they have still not won a single match on the current tour. Fatigue could be a factor which will put skipper Dhoni under great pressure. Star performers like Virat Kohli, Raina, Rohit and Dhawan have to whack the runs non stop if India have to win. Their bowlers have looked totally out of place and only a great turnaround can change the fortunes for the Indians. Jadeja and spinners Axar and Ashwin will have to surprise the opposition.

Pakistan have won the Cup once in 1992 and are gearing up to have another go at the World Cup. Their side is loaded with talent plenty which has to click at the right time. In captain Misbah ul huq they have an experienced campaigner hitting the low and high which is common in Pakistan cricket. Misbah is as solid as anything while batting and along with another veteran Younis Khan can lay the foundation for a very tall score. Swashbuckling all rounder Shahid Afridi can be a matchwinner on his day both with his bat and ball. At the same time, Afridi is a classic case of being a zero and hero at the same time. Umar Akmal is another star performer who can be merciless with his batting although he may miss his brother Kamran who is not with the team. Bowlers Junaid, Hafeez and Irfan will be required to get the wickets mainly.

Very interestingly, contenders India and Pakistan are in the same group and have to later play red hot favourites South Africa and West Indies apart from lesser known Zimbabwe, United Arab Emirates and Ireland. In any World Cup, each and every match is vital and there is no scope to relax.

For Indian skipper Dhoni this will be one hell of a chance to leave the World Cup scene with a memorable victory. But that will not be easy with teams like joint hosts Australia and New Zealand along with England, South Africa and Sri Lanka keen to impress.

There are so many players from various teams who will hit the jackpot if they do well for their teams. Some of the names which come to mind instantly are: Clarke, Smith, Faulkner, Maxwell, Mitchell, Warner (Australia). McCullum brothers, Guptill, Anderson, Williamson, Southee (New Zealand). De Villiers, Amla, Du Plessis, De Kock, Morkel, Steyn (South Africa). Morgan, Anderson, Broad, Bell, Finn, Butler (England). Misbah, Shehzad, Hafeez, Afridi, Younis, Umar, Irfan, Junaid (Pakistan). Virat, Raina, Rahane, Rohit, Dhawan, Axar, Ashwin, Jadeja, Dhoni (India). Mathews, Jayawardene, Sangakkara, Dilshan, Malinga, Mendis, Kulasekara (Sri Lanka). Samuels, Bravo, Gayle, Ramdin, Sammy (West Indies). There is also the chance for other cricketers to emerge on the world cricket scene and come good.

At the end, when the final takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 29, 2015 one expects hosts Australia to be there along with either India or South Africa to battle.

Unless, of course, other teams perform and progress to triumph !