Yet another “more than a win” against India
OCTOBER 24 at Dubai, was yet another sizzling day for India which burnt it to a cinder in front of a packed crowd in full glare of media around the world.
Earlier it was 18 Jun 2017 in Champion Trophy Final at Oval, England where Pakistan humiliated India agriculturally.
In other words, it was a total pathology work by a team of caesareans who were in hurry for their pressing engagement elsewhere.
In specific terms, it was long handle of Fakhar Zaman and a chopper in hand of Amir who did the core work.
By 31 overs of Indian innings, Indian obituary was complete with an epitaph well written in disgrace.
Pakistan clinched the trophy by 180 runs which was the largest ever biggest margin of victory in a final of an ICC ODI World Cup. The world was dazzled.
India was demolished and left shell shocked to lick its deep wounds in and out yet it chose to continue residing in its own fancy world, built around Pakistan’s a dozen defeats in World Cup tournaments while conveniently ignoring other hard facts.
The Cricket Championship Trophy is not a mere cricket gala, held for fanfare and ado.
It is also a global cricket contest but India maliciously glosses over it in its mischief to craft and conjure up its mythical cricket prowess against Pakistan at high octane powered events.
Here, Pakistan has beaten India thrice out of its five outings. India could only vainly attempt to belittle its equal high tension phenomena.
Till 1990s, 88 ODIs were played between both the countries. Pakistan won 47 whereas, Indian tally was 27. The success rate of Pakistan was almost double.
Consequently, a perception emerged that Indians lack in nerve and grit to face Pakistan in a crunch situation as dual between the two is always nerve racking.
One is tested to the last reservoir of what one is endowed. In case of a cricket match, it is even more daunting because of its high voltage.
Millions across the fence and globe, wait and see the match with bated breaths. Indian cricket team could not withstand ensuing blistering pressure and started collapsing more often than not.
Precisely this led India to refuse playing against Pakistan at Sharjah because here, they were mauled with no quarter left. They came there only for their rupture.
The statistics vividly illustrate this fact. Pakistan beaten them 17 times as opposed to just five times. After percentage 1990s, the success % of Pakistan declined.
Out of 47 matches, Pakistan won 24 times and India bagged 23 wins. Though still Pakistan won more matches, yet India had the audacity to paint itself as probably they have come of age.
In particular, for them, their more wins at ICC World Cup Tournaments, was good enough reason to sketch out their image of a tough customer in comparison to Pakistan.
Essentially instant loss of Pakistan at World Cup encounters was as a result of bad luck, alleged match fixing on behest of India and mundane mindset at various echelons of Pakistani cricket during the period.
It has nothing to do with propaganda being spread that the Pakistani team melts down when they face Indian at a mega event globally. To the contrary, Indian team suffered such a bankruptcy.
India needed to know that a form is temporary but class is permanent, however, even its defeat at Oval with a whopping margin failed to make India see this proverbial fact.
Probably they needed an absolute humiliation to rest content with what they are and it descended upon them on Sunday in Dubai as of a blot from the blue nevertheless, it was so instant, spontaneous, programmed and all-encompassing that one phrase fails to describe amount of absolute humiliation heaped on India thus, being termed differently; India in a slaughter house, Pakistan tames India, a blockbuster and a blinder reduces India to size.
Rest are being omitted due to space reasons. India was trounced mercilessly, pulverized and vanquished unsurpassably. For easy understanding, defeat was inflicted upon India summarily with the greatest and unsurpassable margin; 10 wickets defeat.
Indian contemptuous and mischievous propaganda was that Pakistan does not make a perfect match with India when it comes to ICC World Cup fixtures. In Dubai, opposite happened.
There an imperfect match was witnessed. Virtually, there was no match. It was a one sided affair which just went through the motions and India followed tamely.
Indian propaganda was not cricket specific only. It had an overarching theme subtly; Pakistanis lack mentally to face them when stakes are high.
It is as hollow and implausible as it is mischievous. In this vein, India must also remember Pulwama clash which was a battle of nerves and India was unnerved by Pakistan in a declared move.
Possibly, Tea there and T 20 in Dubai have become synonymous to each other and would continue to act harsh rejoinder to India in times to come that It is not Pakistan but India which suffers an inferiority complex.
Besides, it also needs to peep through history frequently. Indian propaganda was quite painful for those who understand its psychological impact on a nation particularly, on impressionable minds of children.
Precisely this is reason that wins of Pakistan’s cricket team at Oval and Dubai have been termed “more than a win” under this discourse.
These triumphs have not only shown mirror to India but have also exposed their real worth to the world. Well done Pakistani cricket team. Nation owes a great debt of gratitude.
— The writer, a retired Lt Col, is a senior columnist based in Islamabad.
