For eight hours on Saturday, the eyes of the cricket world will be trained on the action that unfolds at the Narendra Modi Stadium. On paper, this is just another league clash in the 2023 World Cup, but how can India-Pakistan be just another match?

To many, this is the final before the grand final at the same venue on November 19. Understandably, the contingents from both teams don’t share that view, well aware that while the trappings around the game will develop a life of their own for reasons beyond their control, what they can control is the effort they put into the contest.