Asia Cup final preview: India-Pakistan cricket rivalry is like a war, but it is also just a game

When it comes to India and Pakistan, cricket is just a medium. The real game is politics, and it is a chaotic one. The Asia Cup final in Dubai on Sunday will be no different.

Such is the nature of the rivalry, infused by recent diplomatic tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack, that even game enthusiasts are eager to know how certain pre- and post-game rituals pan out. 

If betting were legal, there would be punts on whether Pakistan's skipper, Salman Ali Agha, will taunt his counterpart, Suryakumar Yadav, with a handshake during the toss, or will Sahibzada Farhan dare try his gun-firing celebration again should he make another fifty.

Agha revisited the handshake drama from their first meeting in the T20 event on the eve of the final. "Have played competitive cricket since 2007. Never seen a game go without a handshake. It is not good for cricket. Even in the worst times, players have shaken hands," Agha said.

India's cheerful captain wouldn't and shouldn't pay heed, unless, 'to heck with it', he extends a not-so-friendly hand once the game is won, and decides to show who is the boss.

That brings us to the real deal of how the game could be won or thrown away. India were hardly in trouble since the continental event began on September 10. In at least five of their six matches in the UAE, India made short work of the opponents, sometimes with due respect, and at least twice with just as much disregard - if you count the two times India played Pakistan earlier. 

The one time they were found guilty of underestimating the opposition was in the last Super 4s meeting with Sri Lanka on Friday. The islanders so nearly chased down India's highest total in the Asia Cup before forcing a Super Over after the scores were tied at 202. India snatched a morale-boosting win in the one-over tie-breaker, but got a wake-up call, just in time. 

It wasn't quite as easy the second time India played Pakistan. Unlike in their September 14 meeting, when India humiliated their arch-rivals by 7 wickets, chasing down a modest target of 128 with 25 balls to spare, the second encounter was a tad tighter, requiring a chase of 172, and getting over the line with just 7 balls remaining.

Pakistan would be hoping they can put India in trouble by removing swashbuckling opener Abhishek Sharma early. The left-hander has smashed 309 runs from 6 innings at an average of 51.50. He's clubbed Pakistan's pace spearhead, Shaheen Shah Afridi, for 31 runs in 14 balls, with three sixes hit in the process. If Pakistan lets Sharma have his way, good luck stopping the Indian juggernaut. 

Haris Rauf was the pantomime villain in the recent meeting, and the pacer was lucky to walk away with a fine for his unsporting and provocative behaviour. Indian batters must calm their nerves around Rauf and let their bats do the talking.

Kuldeep Yadav has already got four Pakistani wickets in the event, and the spinner should be itching to add to his 14-wicket tally. Sanju Samson's role will once again be scrutinised, whether he bats at No 5 or warms the bench like he's done thrice in the recent matches. 

In the end, it wouldn't be too much to ask for if both sides accepted the outcome and left their campaigning outside the boundary ropes. Because at the end of the day, cricket is just a game.