What will be Pakistan's strategy when they cross swords with India in the first test against India at Ferozeshah Kotla. While India goes strength to strength ,Pakistan cricket seems to struggles to find its way to victory. When Pakistan landed on the Indian soil a few weeks ago for one of the most talked about encounters it was ironical to all expectations the tour was not hyped as it happened back in 1999.Probably because the two arch rivals were playing against each other after decades which was a complete package for cricket loverz. Pakistan cricket is known for its aggression and combative approach and one thing which these Asian giants have in common is to rise to the occassion,surprisingly which is completely missing in this Pakistan side.The Pakistan team toured India led by Wasim Akram or "The Master of toe breaking Inswingers" Waqar Younis had an inherent killer instinct which made them interesting and thrilling.A lot of factors might have contributed towards the seismic change in the character of Pakistan team touring India this time.oming down to India without Wasim and Inzamam and the speedster Shoaib making a comeback to the side added pressure on Pakistan,especially after losing it to India in the Twenty-20 finals.The two forms of Cricket are different in nature altogether,though ! Shoaib has been rusty and it shows.He was an intimidation for any batsman in the world when he toured India last time.He was young as so he is now,but he was not one of the seniormost players of the side,so his aggression and fire was harnessed to the fullest. He has been wayward at times but if you handle him well he is a player every skipper wants to have in his side. He has looked rusty,his run up is not rythmic which might take some time. He is a wonderful cricketer to watch when in full flow. The wayward Leo has that fire in him which makes him worthwatching. One one hand where India is enjoying every game as compared to their counterparts, Pakistan is still picking up the pieces. After being made mincemeat by the traditonal rivals in both the formats of modern cricket,its going to be a tough ride for the Pakistanis.The lack of cohesion is more significant in the side and the chinks are getting wider with every game they play. Even the former cricketers like Wasim,Waqar and Rameez were spotted giving their frank opinion which is very unusual. It shows that things are out of sync in the Pakistan dressing room. There are legends who the newly appointed Skipper Shoaib Malik can take a cue from them but it's always easier to be said than done. Captaincy is an ordeal and there are a few to come out unscathed. Shoaib is naturally talented and he has shown his temperament as a crickter but the responsiblity handed over to him is just not about it. He gotta make sure that harmony amongst the XI is nothing less than perfect which does'nt seem to transpire for Pakistan in the offing. It clearly shows that now everyone is playing for himself and trying to save their skin. No wonder if they want a few runs or wickets to their credit for merely passing the buck. Both the teams will be playing under new captains,but Anil Kumble has played much more cricket than the former one. The co-operation for the new captain will be there all the time as he has been quite a character. India has been phenomenal and unbeatable in both the quickie format as well as the ODI's. Nothing to say that Pakistan are out of the game before it has started but it is all about the team spirit which makes you do what you thought you could never do. When two sides play one has to leave the ground as the losing side. India seems to be on a high of the team spirit with no intentions to stop flirting with Pakistanis hearts. Let's see whether their counterparts have some surprises in store for them !
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