An India vs Pakistan cricket showdown is not just a game. Cricket pundits would argue that the Ashes between Australia and England is the greatest rivalry on the 22 yard strip. Mate, hold your horses. Netflix’s latest documentary The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan shows that it is a MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN!
The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan
Directed by Chandradev Bhagat and Stewart Sugg, The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan is a three-episode docu-series chronicling the emotions and stories beyond the iconic cricket showdown between the two countries.
If you are born in the 90s, this series will take you down memory lane through the anecdotes by cricket icons who headlined the rivalry. Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar, Shoaib Akhtar, Ramiz Raja, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Javed Miandad and Waqar Younis.
The fulcrum of the show is the 2004 India-Pakistan series in Pakistan, while also throwing light on some of the classic encounters in the 1990s.
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Hits and misses of The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan
The trailer of the documentary showing a montage of the iconic moments from India-Pakistan encounters had generated a lot of buzz among cricket fans, including me. When the show started streaming, I was a bit disappointed as there were a lot of expectations from this.
The show does take you on a nostalgia trip through anecdotes by cricket stars about the 2004 Samsung ODI and Test series in Pakistan, both won by India.
Virender Sehwag, the star of the Pakistan tour that year, narrates some interesting and unmissable anecdotes and experiences from all the matches played in that series. From his quickfire 79 in Karachi to being castled by Shoaib Akhtar at Rawalpindi, the former swashbuckling opener opens his heart out.
While addressing a minor struggle with runs in the subsequent three ODIs at Peshawar and Lahore, Sehwag does speak up on how he overcame the psychological test to notch up a splendid triple hundred in Multan.
Over the years, Pakistan has produced the fastest bowlers who headlined this epic encounter. Not to forget Shoaib Akhtar, arguably the fastest speedster from the country.
Akhtar recalls the moment when he bowled Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid (both missing in the documentary, unfortunately) at Kolkata in 1999. He also speaks about his struggle against the formidable Indian batting lineup. However, he did play a major role in Pakistan’s victory in the series-leveller ODI win in Rawalpindi in 2004.
The Greatest Rivalry: India vs Pakistan also features anecdotes by Sourav Ganguly and Inzamam-ul-Haq, who led their respective sides in the 2004 series.
To be honest, the documentary appeals to a very selected audience, and has very little to offer for those expecting much more than the two series. The moment you sink yourself in the series, it is gone.
Not to forget, the show does not feature Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, two of the most iconic batters who did play monumental knocks against Pakistan in their careers. Not to forget Virat Kohli, who played match-winning innings against the Men In Green and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who led India to a memorable semi-final victory at the 2011 ICC World Cup.
The bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan have been suspended since 2008, when 10 terrorists from Pakistan-sponsored Lashkar-e-Toiba carried out terror attacks in Mumbai. The two teams now only play at ICC events and Asia Cup tournaments.
Last June, India defeated Pakistan in the group stage match of ICC World T20 championship held in the West Indies.
We hope that the makers will have more to offer if they release a second instalment of the show.