Sports Reporter
THE biggest rivalry in cricket will be reignited today as India and Pakistan take on each other in the most anticipated 2019 Cricket World Cup clash of the tournament at the Old Trafford cricket stadium in Manchester.
The match is expected to draw a global television audience of at least one and half billion people. Besides the gigantic broadcast audience organisers had to deal with more than 700 000 ticket applications for the match.
The two countries rarely play each other outside of major tournaments, with India winning their past two meetings in the Asia Cup in 2018, and Pakistan victorious in the final of the Champions Trophy in England in 2017.
India have started well in the World Cup, winning their opening two matches against South Africa and Australia, before their match against New Zealand at Trent Bridge was abandoned.
Pakistan, in contrast, have struggled – beating hosts England but losing to Australia and West Indies.
India currently has the third position on the points table with five points from three matches. Pakistan is eighth on the log, with three points from four matches.
Weather forecasts had it that besides the players battling it out in front of the global audience another big rivalry will be between the sun and the clouds with a strong possibility of rain that might lead to yet another World Cup washout in England.
