The India-Pakistan hypothetical 11

Modified May 25, 2011 11:35 IST

The Indian bowling has been the talking points of the world cup so far. The team which was deemed the overwhelming favorites coming into the world cup is suddenly touted as being too heavy on batting and too feeble in the bowling department. Does the team seriously deserve such criticism ? To be frank India are not the best bowling sides in the world cup but this weakness can be compensated for, by following a more pragmatic and clear strategy of bowling to the field and fielding better. Wait, but that’s our problem too. With sluggish guys like Munaf and Zaheer , Sehwag’s half broken shoulder and Bhajji’s casual attitude on the field , we surely are not the best fielding units too. But we are not the worst fielders in the tournament either . This prize goes to our neighbors and erstwhile brother nation Pakistan , who made a very bright start to the tournament. However led by their mirthful keeper Kamran Akmal they have truly exceeded the expectations in the fielding department. Watching Pakistan field , the Indians can surely say that they are doing better in the fielding department. However we cant say the same in the bowling department where Pakistan have done really well with their Enigmatic captain Afridi leading the way. Fortunately for Pakistan , he has stopped biting balls and is instead busy biting his nails watching Pakistan field. Funny how despite being separated by more than 60 years , we still have so much common . We are bound by the common bond of hapless fielding. Also isn’t it surprising that while India has the best batting line up of the tournament , Pakistan probably has the best bowling line up! This brings me to the important conjecture. What if India and Pakistan were still a single nation. With our batting and bowling complementing each other , we would have been a truly formidable team. Here’s a hypothetical look at how the Indo-Pak team for this world cup would have looked had we not been separated during partition.

OPENERS

Sachin Tendulkar and Virendra Sehwag

MIDDLE ORDER

Younis Khan and Misbah Ul Haque