MUMBAI: Whether it is Kashmir, Baluchistan, football, hockey or cricket; India vs Pakistan is always big news. This time the battlefield is the Adelaide Oval in Australia and war is ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
The war of bat and ball, of mental strength and temperament, will start at 9.00 am Indian Standard Time (IST) with the national anthems of the respective countries followed by 100 overs of nail biting cricketing action. It will be pride for some and agony for others, but whatever the result may be, it will end with handshakes and hugs. That’s what makes this battle so exciting and one of the most watched rivalries in sports history.
Commenting on the magnitude of India vs Pakistan match, Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “It’s indeed a big match and I will obviously cheer for India. But we have to understand the fact that it’s just a match and the team that plays better cricket will win. The timing is very good and hence I will obviously watch the match.”
Multi Screen Media president Rohit Gupta opined, “Though I don’t get to follow the 50 overs format, I will certainly try to watch the India – Pakistan bout. My support is always with India but may the best team win.”
“India vs Pakistan is a big match and it’s great that India is starting their campaign against Pakistan. It will decide the tone of the tournament and build immense interest in the country,” added NDTV executive vice-chairperson K. V. L. Narayan Rao.
Madison Communications COO Kartik Lakshminarayan said, “I am surely going to watch the match and have already made my plans. Around 150 of us will book a place and watch the match live. It is indeed a time to celebrate and obviously India’s victory is what we will be cheering for.”
Maxus managing partner head of the north and east regions, Navin Khemka asserted, “It’s a big day for India, and I would say it’s a super Sunday. The match starts at 9.30 in the morning and it can’t be any better. And as an advertiser I must say this match is very important in context to the tournament. Fans and spectators in India will be looking forward to this match and a good start here can make the tournament a very special one.”
Hats Off Productions founder J D Majhetia said, “India – Pakistan match is a never miss game for me, since the time I started understanding cricket I don’t think I have missed an Indo – Pak match. Last time I flew to Chandigarh with my family when the two teams met in the semifinal of 2011 edition. This time we are planning a mass gathering in one of the studios. I have already announced that there will be no shoots on 15 February because of the match.”
The match is also big in terms of commercial aspect. If sources are to be believed then Star, the official broadcaster of World Cup in India, has hiked its ad rate by around 200 per cent for the India - Pakistan match. However, if an advertiser wants to buy a slot only for this particular match, then the hike is around 350 to 400 per cent. During a normal league match, the ad rate fluctuates between Rs 5 to 10 lakh for a 10 second spot depending on the magnitude of the match. For the India vs Pakistan match, Star is selling a slot for Rs 20 to 25 lakh.
Any cricket lover would not like to miss a single minute of a match of such substance. And this season there are a number of options for a cricket fan to catch the action.
Television: One can sit with a hot cup of tea and breakfast in front of the TV and enjoy every moment of the match. Star has already roped in a number of innovations to make the broadcasting a worthy treat. One can opt for high quality pictures by tuning to HD channels. Amitabh Bachchan will also be there as a commentator to entertain viewers in Hindi. Panel of experts and legends of the game will be in the commentary box to bring detailed analysis of the live action. Additionally, as a never before treat, Star gives viewer choices of opting for regional languages too. But what if one is not subscribed to Star? Not to worry, thank to the Supreme Court of India, DD will telecast the India vs Pakistan match and will be available on cable and DTH platforms.
But what if one has to travel? Will he or she have to miss the match? That brings the digital platforms in the game.
Starsports.com: Gone are the days when television was the only source of audio visual entertainment. One can log in to starsports.com and catch ball by ball action live. Star India’s sports VOD platform will stream all the World Cup matches live and India vs Pakistan is certainly one of them.
But India is a country with a lot of VOD platforms and less bandwidth, 3G is expensive and can take a hefty chunk out of one’s pocket. In case a user does not have access to 3G services to stream the matches live, there are various apps available that can give updates about the match.
Cricbuzz: Times Internet’s sports venture Cricbuzz gives the opportunity to relive the nostalgia. One can opt for audio commentary through that app and it works fine in 2G too. It is quite similar to how radio is, one can plug in earphones and enjoy the audio commentary.
EspnCricinfo: The cricket dedicated app does ball by ball text commentary, updates scores and statistics. The app also enables the opportunity to tune into pre match and post match video analysis.
ICC Cricket World Cup App: The Official ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 app for the first time one can access to live scores, in-match clips, fixtures, exclusive videos, real-time statistical updates and more – all in the palm of their hand.
Besides these apps, one can also log in to any news website to know the score of the match.
This world cup International Cricket Council (ICC) gives fans exclusive opportunity to connect with the marquee tournament. One can easily become a commentator or expert and share their views and opinions in the social media platforms through the following mediums:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ICC & www.facebook.com/CricketWorldCup
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ICC & www.twitter.com/CricketWorldCup
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ICC & www.instagram.com/CricketWorldCup
Google+: www.google.com/+ICC & www.google.com/+CricketWorldCup
YouTube: www.youtube.com/ICC
