Same continent, yet different!

India players celebrate the wicket of Pakistan’s Mohd Rizwan at Melbourne on Sunday. Pic/AFP

What a difference four days can make. Sunday night at the MCG - that was as close to T20 perfection as can possibly be. If both India and Pakistan could have flown at that rarefied altitude for the rest of this World Cup, it would be a case of same place, same teams on November 13 for the final.

If, and it's a big IF, both teams could sustain that level of skill execution, it was hard to imagine anyone else being able to run with them. India have done nothing to shatter that illusion, but Pakistan's limp performance against Zimbabwe suggests that their reputation for running very hot or very cold remains more than an unfair stereotype.

Last over drama

The great irony of course is that the only time in the India v Pakistan game when someone possibly choked was that last over when Muhammad Nawaz couldn't close out that impossible chase. Even then, he found a moment of perfection when he bowled Kohli, only to see the bizarre case of the deflection for three byes. Has there ever been a case of byes being called after the batsman was bowled?

The danger for India is peaking too early. The significance of the occasion in front of a packed house was always going to mean that it was almost the game of the tournament, regardless of who wins the Cup. I doubted that the players could possibly be that perfect for three weeks in a row. For Pakistan, a team that lurches from one extreme to the other, sustaining sudden death mode pressure cricket is a big ask. But if you think back to 1992, they were saved by rain against England and that was all they needed to come home with a wet sail.

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They will indeed need to fight like tigers, but their first challenge will be to beat another pride of South African lions who have seen what their brethren from across the border can do with timid tigers. If Pakistan progress through to the next stage, they will be a resurgent and dangerous opponent. If they can get there with both Babar and Rizwan missing out, that should give them enormous self-belief for when both men inevitably hit their straps. The problem with Pakistan is that when they are good, they are very, very good, but when they are bad, they are horrid. India are less likely to have a dreadful game. Their class is spread throughout the squad and not top-heavy. For goodness sake, Rishabh Pant can't even make the starting team!

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No predictions yet

World Cups are rarely won in the first round, hence the constant threat that Australia or Pakistan pose if they somehow manage to squeeze through. Thus far, most of the games have been played in excellent spirit, but I suspect that this will be a false dawn. It's almost at the point where another loss could be terminal for some teams. And that sort of pressure inevitably leads to white-line fever. Match referees might end up playing a crucial role if it leads to a big-name player being suspended for a knockout game. It's almost as inevitable as Virat Kohli being Player of The Tournament. Class tends to be permanent; being classy is not as easy.

Michael Jeh is a Brisbane-based former first-class cricketer