There's only one more day until we get cricket again. Yes, Pakistan take on India in a match most Indians have already decided will be theirs as they march inevitably and triumphantly to the final and ultimately to the crowning glory of victory in Mumbai on Saturday.
Newspapers, the internet and the man in the street is talking about nothing but this game. Heads of state, normally at odds with one another will sit side by side sharing in the soothing diplomatic balm of cricket. Where numerous delegations have failed, where decades of politics have seen only entrenchment, cricket, it is predicted, will finally offer the chance for both countries to bury the hatchet.
Indeed, when the final ball is bowled and India have won a tight game played in an exemplary spirit by 1 wicket (Tendulkar 143 not out of course) none of us should be surprised if the politicians turn to each other, shake hands on a nuclear disarmament treaty and agree on the spot to a binding and mutually acceptable partition of Kashmir into the bargain. Then again, if it was that simple you'd think the UN might have tried staging a match between Israel and Palestine by now.
But wait. Haven't we forgotten something? It'll come to me in just a second. Oh yes. The other semi-final . And doesn't that take place today in Colombo between my tip to be champions, Sri Lanka, and perennial overachievers New Zealand? Indeed it does and it could well prove to be a more fascinating game than pundits and the public are giving it credit.
Sri Lanka tore England apart on Saturday with a ruthlessness and skill that ought to terrify all remaining teams in the World Cup. In winning by 10 wickets chasing 230 they laid down a marker and announced their credentials, but of course no one has actually noticed in the furore accompanying tomorrow's high profile event. A team of all the talents, Sri Lanka have but one weakness; a stodgy lower middle order and long tail. But the top four of Tharanga, Dilshan, Sangakarra and Jayewardene are so exceptional the relative shallowness of the batting may not be tested.
With the ball, on their own ground where bowlers are rewarded for sticking to tight lines and lengths, they are probably matchless. They have adopted a four spinner strategy, dispensing with a second front line seamer in favour of Angelo Matthews as a back up to the phenomenon that is Malinga. They have been bested in this World Cup only once, and that by an atypically consistent Pakistan side after being set 277 to win at Colombo. They fell a mere 11 runs short.
So, what hope can New Zealand realistically have? Well, they possess in Guptill, Ryder, Taylor, both McCullums and Oram players who can hit out of the park. Styris is a fine player of spin and with the ball they have seven genuine options including an array of spinners led by their returning skipper Daniel Vettori.
Against South Africa in their quarter final they adopted a strategy of batting first upon winning the toss and digging in. They will look to "take the game deep", to keep themselves in the contest as long as possible and hope to up the tempo with wickets in hand in the final 7 overs. They have prodigious strikers of the ball lower down the order and with Southee at 11 they really do bat all the way down.
The 19 people outside New Zealand and Sri Lanka who have remembered this game is taking place at all, to a man expect the hosts to turn over the Kiwis with some ease. And if Sri Lanka win the toss and bat first that could well turn out to be the case. But with the final within touching distance and a massive expectant crowd piling pressure on their heroes, an awkward run chase could turn into an epic anti-climax for the Lankans if they lose a couple of quick wickets.
There may be no 30-strong diplomatic delegations in attendance. The game may look like a one-sided mismatch and you may believe that the winner will inevitably lose to the mighty Indians in the final anyway, but I'm not so sure on all of those counts. And since we need distractions to wile away the time between now and Wednesday I urge you to give this match your full attention. We could be in for a surprise.
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