The Game Responds:
*This World Cup is giving even The People's ARTIST a headache! Only Australia knows that they are going into the super sixes; quite amazing. People, That Is All.*
The standings in pool A after todays match...
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Its nice to see PAkistan in the fourth place. Thier run rate is lesser but obviusly winning two straight games against India and Zim wil help insha'allah :D. But we need to win one match atlesat with bigger margin like 70-80 runs.
Familiar foes square up for battle royal](http://uk.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2003/FEB/146972_WC2003_25FEB2003.html)
Often though England and India have met in one-day internationals in recent times, last year’s encounters pale into insignificance beside tomorrow’s Kingsmead day-nighter.
While India had England’s measure in last year’s classic NatWest Final as well as the ICC Champions Trophy, there is little qualitative difference between the two sides. India have the superior batting, while England’s opening attack is the more reliable.
Although the two teams have the same number of points, England have yet to take the field and lose, while India have come under the Australian cosh. Both sides have had a rash of minnow nerves, at the hands of Namibia and Holland respectively.
The toss tomorrow will again be vital. Should Nasser Hussain win it, the outcome could well rest on how Tendulkar, Sehwag, Ganguly and company deal with the threat posed by Anderson and Caddick in conditions that favour swing under darkening Durban skies.
India’s coach, John Wright countered: "Any side that is serious about winning championships such as this won’t worry too much about the toss. You have to worry about your own performance and the problems you have to solve out there in the middle.
“We respect England, they are developing and they had a good win the other night. The match is nicely poised and it’s an opportunity for both sides to make a statement. We feel if we can get out of the group we will be a tough proposition and they will possibly feel no different.”
If the ball does swing. England’s pace sensation James Anderson can expect to add to the nine wickets he has already bagged in the tournament at an average of 10.88. It is a point not lost on India’s leader, Saurav Ganguly.
“We have not seen him much, but we saw him bowl very well against Pakistan and he looks good,” Ganguly said.
It is Saturday’s win over Pakistan that will have enabled spirits to soar after the political turmoil of the previous month. What effect that had on dressing room morale is impossible to gauge, but at Newlands it looked binding. And nothing breeds confidence like success on the field.
On current form Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket looks like a pearl beyond price. So far his scores are 52, 36, 81 and most recently 152 against Namibia, his 34th one-day international century.
“He is enjoying being back in the opening position and with any great player they have the sense of occasion,” Wright added.
One of the bowlers with his sights trained on Tendulkar is England’s Andrew Caddick, who is far from overawed by tomorrow’s challenge.
“The key will be continuing the form we’ve been building up to and to remain level-headed about things and not allow Saturday to go to our heads,” Caddick stressed.
"The Indians are a very big threat. They have a very good batting line-up but the success they had against us in the Test series last summer has nothing to do with this match.
“Most of their games so far have been against lesser opposition so thankfully for us, their main batsmen further down the order haven’t played that much and hopefully we will be able to use that to our advantage tomorrow.”
For England, Marcus Trescothick will doubtless hope to emerge from his recent poor run against a team which he has often dominated over the past year. He has scored two centuries and earned two man-of-the-match awards against them.
“He is a very fine player and his record against India is sensational in one-day cricket,” Hussain said.
“He plays spin very well and he’s a big player for us. You can’t expect people to score runs all the time, however good you are. Even Michael Vaughan, Sachin Tendulkar and others like that will go through periods when they don’t score runs.”
Namibia’s coach Dougie Brown, who watched his side trouble England at Buffalo Park last week, believes England’s attack holds the key.
“England have just got to bowl straight,” Brown said. “And with the form they’re in, especially James Anderson, that should not be a problem. India do tend to struggle when the ball goes round in the air as it does at Durban.”
England are keeping their fingers crossed over the fitness of their captain and key batsman. Hussain is recovering from a stiff neck while Michael Vaughan hopes to be fit after ultrasound and MRI scans on the leg injury he sustained in Cape Town were both clear.
India are likely to retain just one front-line spinner - Anil Kumble has been left out in favour of Harbhajan Singh in their last two matches - with left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra hoping to be passed fit after turning his ankle against Namibia.
This one is going to be a cracker....
My feelings its gonna ebe Sehwag's match.A good inining is long due from him and he loves english. :)
Toss would be very vital though. Probably the team who wins the Toss wins the match.
This is going to be a cracker of a match but I feel that conditions are swinging in England's favour. Durban is known for favouring the seamers, tomorrow's forecast is dull and warm so I think the toss won't be as crucial as it was against Pakistan. There should be plenty of help for the bowlers in both innings. If Nehra's not fit, India will have less options in this area and that could be crucial. If it was a day match played in sunshine I'd back India, but I think they'll struggle tomorrow.
Lads we have got to support England tomorrow against India. The reason being that if England wins against India they will have 12 points from 5 games and will be demorlaised after their defeat and more importantly desperate to win against Paksitan. This means they will be under tremendous pressure on saturday and that can only help Pakistan's cause. It is a selfish view but I am looking at it from purely Pakistan's point of view.
With apologies to the Indian guppies. :D
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Lads we have got to support England tomorrow against India. The reason being that if England wins against India they will have 12 points from 5 games and will be demorlaised after their defeat and more importantly desperate to win against Paksitan. This means they will be under tremendous pressure on saturday and that can only help Pakistan's cause. It is a selfish view but I am looking at it from purely Pakistan's point of view.
With apologies to the Indian guppies. :D
[/QUOTE]
Apologies accepted. ;) ;)
But the point is ...will pakistan like to go to super Six
with AUS & ENG and carry 4 points to super six
OR
with AUS and IND and carry 7 points to super six
By the way in both cases they have to defeat India.
Choice is yours :)
True AQ, but we will have more chance of defeating your team if they come through demoralised and desperate to win, then if they win against England and come to the match with high spirits. I know what you are saying about super sixes but at the moment the question is of getting into the super sixes and then worrying about other things later on.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
True AQ, but we will have more chance of defeating your team if they come through demoralised and desperate to win, then if they win against England and come to the match with high spirits. I know what you are saying about super sixes but at the moment the question is of getting into the super sixes and then worrying about other things later on.
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Dont worry Pakistan will defeat India in any case.
First time on Gupshup - Indians have more faith in Pakistani Team and Pakistanis have more faith in Indian Team. 
I am not counting my chickens till they are hatched. It is anyone’s game at the moment and both teams are struggling on various aspects, so no clear momentum with any team yet.
Remember if Pakistan fails to get through, I still have Kenya and England to fall back on.
Well I dont have any faith in those Yateem ,starved,flat track bullies. 
do U?
Ehsan bhai,
Do you know I was also born in Kenya.. 
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by andha_qanoon: *
Ehsan bhai,
Do you know I was also born in Kenya.. ;)
[/QUOTE]
No, you can't have a back up at this late stage, so pretending like this is out. :)
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
No, you can't have a back up at this late stage, so pretending like this is out. :)
[/QUOTE]
In that case you will have to show me your Birth certificate.Otherwise Gaddari ke ilzaam me Qatal kar diye jaoge...
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Lads we have got to support England tomorrow against India. The reason being that if England wins against India they will have 12 points from 5 games and will be demorlaised after their defeat and more importantly desperate to win against Paksitan. This means they will be under tremendous pressure on saturday and that can only help Pakistan's cause. It is a selfish view but I am looking at it from purely Pakistan's point of view.
With apologies to the Indian guppies. :D
[/QUOTE]
I thought it will be better for us that if Eng loses the next two games. That way we can also afford to lose against India and still be in contention assuming we beat Zimb convincingly . The run rate will come into play :) Ofcourse I dont want Pak to lose but you gotta have a backup plan, if it didnt work out right?
Beating Zimbabwe convincingly and relying on Australia to win against England after they have already qualified is leaving too much to chance. At least if England win tomorrow we know that it's in our own hands - win against India and Zimbabwe and we're through.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Mr Xtreme: *
Beating Zimbabwe convincingly and relying on Australia to win against England after they have already qualified is leaving too much to chance. At least if England win tomorrow we know that it's in our own hands - win against India and Zimbabwe and we're through.
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Looks like people are making assumption that ZIM is a pushover. I guess they did much better than IND and PAK against Aussies and can be tough customer in their home ground.
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by andha_qanoon: *
Looks like people are making assumption that ZIM is a pushover. I guess they did much better than IND and PAK against Aussies and can be tough customer in their home ground.
[/QUOTE]
but pakistan has zimbabve's number
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Sheraz CT: *
but pakistan has zimbabve's number
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yaar in the WC no one has anybody's number. It's on the day what counts.