INDIA SHOW NO MERCY

Much-anticipated contest turns out to be a one-sided affair again as holders crush Pakistan

- SWAROOP SWAMINATHAN

India's Kuldeep Yadav (C) celebrates after dismissing Pakistan's Mohammad Nawaz. The win on Sunday helped defending champions secure Super Eights berth | PTI

(PTI)

AND, so, on the ninth day and after 26 matches, the World Cup’s big match — world cricket’s big match not for entertainmentor action but purely for the toxicity this game seems to generate these days — arrived at a suitably decked up but neutral R Premadasa Stadium.

The thousands who had made their way past the turnstiles had begun queueing up a good four hours before the first ball was going to be bowled.

After more than a month of boycott talk, intense back-channel lobbying and a last-minute U-turn by the government of Pakistan, both captains came out for the toss. When it finally happened shortly after 7.00 PM local time on a relatively breezy Colombo evening, world cricket finally breathed a sigh of relief after holding it in for 2026. Sweet release.