'Cricket is a funny game'. We're honestly tired of this cliche, aren't we? There is another one. That famous 'anything can happen' statement that gets the best of experts the answer that gets them out of the woods. Both these sayings have been used and abused amongst the many abuses muttered during India-Pakistan World Cup games. There's no way to measure how many times they might have been used but a look back at the last World Cup thriller in Mohali could serve as a great reference point.
1. Yes! It was the highest viewed television program in the history of Indian television. It was unprecedented. It was the first time India and Pakistan were facing off against each other in the Semi Final of the World Cup. India and Pakistan's attention had moved to Mohali, Punjab. The army had taken a 360 degree turn and turned its attention on that match. Chandigarh was a fortress. The who's who of Indian Celebrities was trying to find a bed in a hotel and a seat in the stadium. In the midst of the chaos that marks an India-Pakistan world cup game, five wise men of Indian cricket probably muttered 'anything can happen' and drove from Chandigarh to Delhi BEFORE the game begun. Despite having confirmed hotel bookings in Chandigarh, the national Indian selectors were denied accommodation due to an unprecedented demand for rooms. The BCCI and ICC could do little but pay for the drive to Delhi.
2. They say the most difficult job to do in India is be the Indian Cricket Captain. It is even tougher than being the Prime Minister. Now imagine, playing the role of India's Cricket Captain in an India - Pakistan encounter in nothing else but the Semi Final of the biggest stage of them all, the World Cup. It was the biggest test for any Captain. MS Dhoni did what few other Indian Captain's dared to. He was simply honest. He admitted 'We had misread the wicket, we went with the safe option' on being asked why he picked Ashish Nehra ahead of R Ashwin. Honesty may be the best policy but ask Indian Cricketers of the yesteryear's and they'll say 'sure it is a good policy but not when you're facing Pakistan'. Any mistake against them is never forgiven.
 3. Let's just keep this one short. India gave the first extra of the innings after the 36th over in that India-Pakistan Semi Final. Cricket is a really funny game.
 4. Can somebody please tell me who drops Sachin Tendulkar 4 times in a match. Any match! Wait! Pakistan did that. Not just in any match but in the Semi Final of the World Cup? The extremely frustrated look on Shahid Afridi's face said it all after he finally caught Sachin on 85.
5. Imagine pin drop silence in 2 countries at the same time. That is what happened when Sachin Tendulkar was batting on 23. Saeed Ajmal bowled a delivery that he seemed to have trapped Sachin LBW. The man who  mattered, the umpire, felt the same and agreed with Ajmal. Gambhir, the non-striker disagreed. Sachin took the last review available to India. The 3rd umpire/hawk-eye adjudged it not out. It was close. Very close. 3 years later, Saeed Ajmal was quoted as saying 'I was left dumbfounded when Hawk-Eye gave Tendulkar not out in the semi-final. I am telling you: Sachin was 100% out. He was lbw. As far as I am concerned, it did not reflect the truth of the event'.
Isn't cricket a funny game?