CHAK DE INDIA may have been a reel life story but the Twenty20 match played between India and Pakistan in the ongoing world cup was certainly nothing short on the excitement and drama that we witnessed in the movie.

India versus Pakistan is always an interesting encounter, be it a cricket, hockey or any other sports match. However, India against Pakistan in a cricket World Cup match, with millions of people holding their breaths and praying for their team, is probably the biggest showdown that could be there in the world of sports. Add to it the thrill of a twenty20 game and you will have all the ingredients of a match that cannot just be missed.

Before the start of the game, the statistics were stacked against the Indians while Pakistan had already made it to the Super eight. India was facing the prospect of an early exit from the world cup (their second first round exit from the world cup in one year!) if they lost to Pakistan by a big margin. The weather added to the anxiety as the meteorological department predicted a 60 per cent chance of rain.

Earlier, batting first, India did not start quite well and lost four quick wickets against the fiery pace of Mohammad Asif. A flashy innings by Robin Uthappa (50) and a resilient knock of 22 by Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni saw the Indians crawl to a challenging but not quite enough total of 141. The Indian innings was halted a number of times due to a steady drizzle in Durban.

Winning the match by restricting the Pakistan batting line-up to a lower score was all that the Indian team had in mind, however, their first target was to ensure Pakistan did not achieve the required target in less than 14.4 overs, which could mean India’s exit from the world cup.

The bowlers started well and kept a check on the Pakistan batting line-up, taking wickets at regular intervals. The innings saw a number of exciting twists and turns as both India and Pakistan struggled to inch ahead of the other. After the departure of Shahid Afridi, when it looked like India were on the verge of victory, the glorious uncertainties of cricket came back, and coupled with a brilliant knock of 53 by Misbah-ul-Haq, took Pakistan to within inches of victory. The drama did not end there and the last ball saw Misbah-ul-Haq being run out and the match finishing in a tie. The whole of India went delirious with joy, as not many knew that the rules of the Twenty20 cricket do not allow a game to end in a tie. The result would now be decided via a bowl out.

In the bowl out situation each team has to choose five bowlers who would then bowl at the stumps. The team with the maximum number of hits will be declared the winner.  While all of the Indian bowlers - Virendra Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and Robin Uthappa successfully hit the stumps, none of the Pakistan bowlers - Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi could manage to do so, giving India their first win in the ongoing Twenty20 world cup.

India had won one of the most thrilling encounters in the history of cricket and with the win ensured that their record of never having lost to Pakistan in a cricket world cup match was kept intact. Now the boys will have to perform even better in the tough matches coming ahead. We wish them all the luck. Chak De India.