It will be the Indians who will be under pressure during Saturday’s mega-match more than us, Pakistan head coach Waqar Younis said on the eve of the marquee clash here.

“I have played cricket for so many years, let me tell you, India must be feeling the pressure...they know that if they lose, they go out of the tournament,” said Younis.

He said India’s disastrous loss to New Zealand in the opening match, when they were bundled out for a paltry 79, was “definitely an advantage” for Pakistan.

“It cannot be that they are not feeling the pressure. I am confident (about tomorrow),” added the former great under whose tutelage Pakistan lost to India in the semi-final of the 2011World Cup, and group matches in the 2014 World T20, in the 2015 World Cup, and recently, the Asia Cup

“Yes, history is not good but it can change,” asserted Waqar, the hint of a smile lurking at the corner of his mouth, he himself a picture of quiet cockiness. “For the first time, they (India) are feeling the heat ...the monkey is off our back.”

The coach also said the Pakistani batting was not “iffy” anymore. “We scored 200 (against Bangladesh)... your batting is not iffy if you score 200.”

Perhaps betraying the anxiety that Waqar spoke of, Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin earlier in the day called India-Pakistan clash “bigger than the Ashes”. At the same time, Ashwin argued that the two neighbours played a lot of cricket, and that the Indians were used to pressure.

On his part, Waqar trod a familiar line: “It’s just a game. But it’s of interest to the whole world, and we should cherish it.”

Skipper Shahid Afridi has been staying away from scheduled press meets since the first one where he controversially said the team felt more loved in India than back home. Today was no exception.

The head coach politely declined to explain Afridi’s continued absence, and deftly passed on the question to media manager Agha Akbar.

Agha parried the question with equal deftness and wit, and amidst much laughter, told the journalist he would tell him “later, in private”. The matter rested there.

The Pakistan team has been in a relaxed mood since the victory over Bangladesh on Wednesday. And it is filtering across in little ways, on and off the nets. After making short work of the opening tie, the Pakistan team requested the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) – which operates the Eden Gardens – for morning practice time on Thursday.

This caught the CAB off-guard, as the Indians were slotted for practice during the time asked for, and for Pakistan it was a day-off.

When Afridi was asked for advice, he reportedly said to let the Indians practise at their convenience. After all, according to a local paper, the Indians were mehman (honoured guests). Afridi’s reasoning: while the Pakistanis were stationed in Kolkata since Sunday night, the Indians had landed on Wednesday night. MS Dhoni’s team were more of guests in the city than the Greenshirts.

And not everyone turned up for evening practice either. Mohammed Hafeez and few others, a local paper said, bought saris worth INR 200,000.

Published in Dawn, March 19th, 2016