The day 1/4 of the world came to a standstill!


This is a post is a tribute to the India-Pakistan match in the Cricket World Cup 2011.  If you said "huh?", read on.
Celebration in the Streets of Ahmedabad after a famous victory

Fireworks in Hyderabad

Visually impaired women following the commentary on a transistor radio
I Bleed Blue
Some quotes that will help sum up the game for those who don't know cricket


  • "A cricket match between India and Pakistan is a war without bullets".  
  • " If you took a survey of Indians and Pakistanis today, they will not be clear whether it is more important to defeat your neighbor in cricket or war. Quite likely, a majority will prefer victory in cricket."
  • "Indian and Pakistani cricket traditions are products of the same soil, but over the decades, India became a nation of great batsmen while Pakistan became a nation of great bowlers. How and why this happened is a mystery, although theories abound and the topic is a staple of Asian cricket discussions."
  • "20% of the planet can go back to what they were doing now"


Here are some links to articles and clips about the match:

1.  NPR: Cricket Diplomacy
2.  NPR Historic India Pakistan Match
3.  ABC News: The Thrilla in Mohali
4.  Andy Zaltzman's satire
5.  Saad Shafqat: The ultimate cricket contest  (I really liked this one)
6.  Sambit Bal: Only a match in Mohali (and this one)
7.  BBC: The joy and despair after an epic
8.  BBC: Slideshow - Great pic "I Bleed Blue"
9.  BBC: Video - the mother of all epic battles
10.ESPN Outside the lines: Why you should care about cricket by Wright Thomson (Thanks to Ravi Desai for pointing this one out).
11. Sidin Vadukut:  Thrilling account of an Indian in Switzerland trying to watch The Match - Kindle browser, stolen WiFi, dying batteries and all.