There has not been a match between India and Pakistan yet that did not have plenty riding on it one way or another. The rivalry, which stretches over 59 Tests, 135 one-day internationals and 12 T20s in 75 years, is as intense as any in international sport. But this latest game between the teams is being played for strange and unfamiliar stakes.
Over this past week, it has become clear the success of the entire New York leg of the T20 World Cup is going to hinge on it and that the whole multimillion dollar project, which involved the construction of a 34,000-seat stadium, has been organised around this fixture.
