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Certain aspects of our daily lives are exasperating, one of them being proved wrong in one's own column. India hit all my predictions for a six. When Pakistan lost four early wickets last night, I had a familiar sinking feeling in my gut. It was time again, I thought, when my better judgement would be called seriously to question. The kind of feeling you know you had a week after buying those stocks in 1996. Was Pakistan about to crash? Was I about to lose face? Was Azhar going to save his?

Once again India and Pakistan defied logic, reason and the most obvious of odds, to put on a show that was just about fit for the gods. India had won the toss and batted, minus Ganguly, but with Tendulkar in the opener's slot. Akram and Akhtar in full cry, Tendulkar tentative, Ramesh scratchy and all at sea. No wonder India averaged only two runs per over for the first six. Ramesh hung around long enough to get 20. More importantly, he denied the Pakistanis the early breakthrough. Dravid carried on from where he left off and Tendulkar, after a hesitant start, looked the familiar Tendulkar of old.

Just when the hard work was done, Tendulkar inexplicably hit one down mid-off's throat. Pakistan had their foot in the door, especially when Jadeja too surrendered meekly. Enter Azharuddin with the most obvious albatross hanging round his neck. It was a Gladstone sort of situation. Cometh the hour, and for once India found its man, in the most improbable person of its beleaguered captain. Dravid played a cultured knock before throwing it all away. Azhar had to team up with Robin Singh, India's poor man's Lance Klusener, to try and make a match of it. The two ensured India had a reasonable total. More importantly, Azhar found his touch and his elusive form, to post his first fifty of the competition.

Pakistan for some obscure reason struggled in the field. The fielding was ordinary, the bowling of Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain Mushtaq just about par with park amateurs. The two strike bowlers gave away 122 runs between them for just one slog over wicket. For the skipper, who bowled admirably for his own spell, this was heresy in the ranks. Still, 227 was gettable, especially in view of India's pedestrian bowling. Pakistan, however, proceeded to make a mockery of pre-match predictions. Wasim Akram ``practised'' all the wrong moves. I was not the only one eating crow last night.

Indian bowling was a revelation, its fielding quite extraordinary. The bowlers bowled to a plan, and the fielders held everything that came their way, Ramesh excepted. Azhar led from the front in the field, ringing the changes and taking two blinders in the slips. Azhar would of course be the first to admit, he was helped in no small measure by some very shoddy and inept batting. The sight of Inzamam labouring for over 90 deliveries for just 41, sums up the Pakistani approach. Prasad enjoyed himself hugely with some cheap wickets, while Srinath provided the usual breakthroughs.

Ever since the Bangladesh match, Pakistan have been on a downslide. Three defeats in a row mean something is grossly wrong somewhere. Unless they can get it right before the next match, the Pakistani dream just about runs the risk of turning sour. At this stage, after having come so far, that would be the unkindest cut of all. But, Pakistan as so often in the past, have no one to blame but themselves. They are the prisoners of their own shadows, and their own enemies by far.

India have now placed themselves, firmly and fairly in the laps of the gods. There is just that faint glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel. They have left it too late though. The light may just be the train coming in. India have a match to play, so do Pakistan. Suddenly, their matches have acquired a peculiar significance. Whilst we wait and watch what might happen, spare a thought for the shell-shocked Pakistanis. Will they be able to fight the demons that Bangladesh have let loose after them? Remember, that really was the beginning of the end.