On March 21 this year, India began their fourth match of the one-day series against Pakistan with a do-or-die going. Being 2-1 down in the series, they simply had to win to stay alive.
Pakistan face a similar predicament before Sunday's match against India at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. Inzamam-ul-Haq summed it up in three sentences - "If we win on Sunday, we qualify. If we lose, we don't. It is as simple as that."
Nothing was simple for the Pakistan batsmen in their previous game against Sri Lanka as they crumbled for just 122. Bob Woolmer lamented that almost every dismissal being self-inflicted and how the team had to work out a way to avoid such disastrous days.The bowling was off colour in all three games with the extras bug haunting them throughout. Given that 35 wides were conceded in the last two games, one wonders what all the pre-tournament talk about shortened run-ups was about.
India, with no must-win caveat, come into the match after a stroll-in-the-park eight-wicket win over Bangladesh. Sachin Tendulkar made a fine 82 and clarified in no uncertain terms that he still "enjoyed his batting", while Sourav Ganguly got some batting practice.
Among the bowlers, Zaheer Khan has passed a fitness test to play in the game while Irfan Pathan's recent exploits, including a spell that stunned Pakistan in the last one-dayer that these teams played, have made him a huge threat.
John Wright, the Indian coach, isn't too concerned about the Shoaib Akhtar factor, and was quoted in The Times of India as saying, "We have done our homework against him and are ready."
India are likely to go into the game with seven batsmen and Harbhajan Singh will make way for the return of Zaheer. India must ensure against losing wickets in a heap, like they did against Sri Lanka, and whether Ganguly will bat at No. 3 or 4 remains uncertain.
Will Pakistan continue to gamble with Shoaib Malik at No. 3? Two failures in that position, apart from the fact that both Inzamam and Yousuf Youhana could occupy that spot, indicate that he may not.
Younis Khan might have smashed a modest Hong Kong bowling attack to pulp, but it has been a while since he has performed on the big stage.
Considering recent results and individual form, the odds are definitely stacked against Pakistan. But they just have to look back five months to realise that it may well be possible.
India chased 294 that night at Lahore and went on to clinch the series three days later. And whoever said India-Pakistan matches were about form anyway?-Wisden Cricinfo
AFP adds: Pakistan's new coach Bob Woolmer on Saturday said his team had an uphill task ahead in their crucial Asia Cup super league cricket match against India.
"We are playing against the second best team in the world and we need to play really well to beat them," Woolmer said about Sunday's crunch game, which is virtually the semifinal of the tournament.
Hosts Sri Lanka are almost sure of advancing to the final on August 1 after beating Pakistan and Bangladesh. India and Pakistan have played one game each in the super league with India having beaten Bangladesh.
"We have seen many times on television that you can't mess with them and let us make no bones about it, it's not going to be easy," said Woolmer, who took over from former captain Javed Miandad earlier this month.
"This game is important not because it's an India-Pakistan game but because if we lose we are out of the tournament. It's a sudden-death situation and it's like the first of three finals for us," he added.
Woolmer, however, felt the defending champions had it in them to bounce back despite their loss to India in both Tests and one-dayers at home earlier this year.
"The boys are much more focussed, I don't know why they weren't focussed in the last series but they have really worked very hard in the last two days. Skipper Inzamam-ul Haq is right in saying the players need to take more responsibility," he said.
Woolmer, a batsman who played 19 Tests for England between 1975 and 1981, was the coach of the South African team from 1994 to 1998. He is Pakistan's 11th coach in eight years.
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