Daily Times

Sir: I want to thank the Pakistani and Indian cricket teams for playing a wonderful and pulsating game in Mohali. It was very nice to see some of the Pakistani and Indian players joking and smiling even when the situation was tough. Though Pakistan fell short in the end, the defeat does not rob it of the superb display of skills by many of its wonderfully talented players right through the tournament. Hats off to Shahid Afridi for stitching together such a fighting team from scratch and against great odds. In the months and years to come, this Pakistani team will go places, even though some of the senior players will now retire. In yesterday’s match, it was touch and go till the very last over. Notwithstanding wonderful bowling by Riaz and Ajmal, the Indian batsmen stuck to their task and produced partnerships that mattered, apart from disciplined bowling and fielding efforts. Congratulations to both sides for providing an exciting fare of cricket worthy of the tag ‘gentleman’s game’, a tag that has been abused in modern day cricket. Now, one hopes that these two nations will take the same spirit to the political sphere too in resolving the needless and enduring hostility that has been shackling us for 64 years.

SUBRAMANYAM SRIDHARAN

Bangalore, India