A ‘dead-rubber’ militates against everything elite sport packages so well — excitement, anticipation, nervousness, jubilation and energy-sapping exhaustion.
But for players who have no hope left, it is an opportunity for one precious final triumph. For coaches who are increasingly smitten by corporate speak, it is about the search for takeaways. And for the paying public, it is a chance to deepen their belief that there is still bang for their buck.
At the Eden Gardens on Saturday when Pakistan takes on England, the expectation is for all of this to come true.
