For players it?s just another match

Each time India-Pakistan take the field, the match is surrounded by the intense rivalry which affects national pride. But according to the players it is another game of cricket, writes Amrit Mathur.

Each time India-Pakistan take the field, the match is surrounded by mystery and myth, as the intense rivalry on the cricket pitch affects national pride. Cricket is accompanied by much misinformation which pushes truth into the background.

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Popular view says India vs Pakistan is a war and cricket is another Kargil where players are supposed to do or die.

The reality is less exciting, less romantic. Players, keen to reduce pressure and avoid the swirling hype, erect protective defence structures around themselves. Says Dravid, lowering the temperature: "It is another game of cricket. We prepare and train for it the same way as with any other team."

Dravid constructs his words with precision, the way he puts together an innings in the middle. But here, he is cleverly playing around with words to create a convenient illusion. An India-Pakistan game is different, it can't be equated with a match against Zimbabwe or Kenya or some other

popat

side. The difference in class, character is all too evident.

A player offers a more correct assessment of the situation: "Against Pakistan all of us want to do well. There is an extra incentive to perform considering past history and the importance of the match. This is a chance to become a hero and to find out

kisme kitna hai dam."