Former strength and conditioning coach of Indian team Paddy Upton revealed why IND vs PAK semi-final match in 2011 World Cup was non-negotiable | File Photo (AP)
India-Pakistan matches have much more stakes than any cricket rivalry in the world. Since the bilateral ties were discontinued in 2016, the arch-rivals face each other only in multi-nation tournaments organised by International Cricket Council (ICC) or the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The World Cup 2011 semi-final between the two neighbours in Mohali still remains one of the most memorable games between the two sides as dignitaries, film stars from both nations attended the high-profile clash.
“There was an additional extraneous political pressure that nobody spoke about but everybody was acutely aware of: if India lost, Pakistan would go to Mumbai and stay at the very same Taj Hotel that was a target of the terrorist attacks. Each one of us knew the symbolism of that without having to say it. That was not really ideal to allow Pakistan to win and go to stay at Taj; it didn’t stack up on an energetic level. So, there was that additional pressure that this was to be a non-negotiable game to lose.”
Upton wrote that the rivalry is more for the spectators than the players as the team members of the two sides don’t have any bitterness against each other.
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“The fierce Indo-Pak rivalry is more about spectators; players themselves don’t have that fierceness and animosity. They know each other fairly well and get along well. Pakistan was always a very easy game for which to prepare the Indian team for as they didn’t need any extra motivation,” Upton added.
The Indian team won the game by 29 runs following Sachin Tendulkar’s 85-run innings which helped India get to a competitive total of 260 runs on the board.