Even when Pakistan does well at major tournaments, it does so from a point of adversity. Let's hark back to the team's trio of crown jewels: the 1992 World Cup, the 2009 World T20 and the 2017 Champions Trophy
In '92, they lost rising stars Saeed Anwar and Waqar Younis to injuries prior to the tournament, and won just one of their first five games before turning it around.
In '17, they were so hopelessly out of form and down low in the rankings, they almost didn't make it to the now defunct tournament.
In '09 too there must have been something, considering this is Pakistan we're talking about.
But the problems that beset Pakistan are rarely felt by their Indian counterparts, whose teams have always been well-run, professionally managed units, even more so ahead of major cricketing events.
This is where the Asia Cup 2018 and today's meeting between the two arch-rival is different.
Pakistan entered the six-team tournament on the back of a calm that is absolutely not their hallmark. The training camp went smoothly, no one got injured, there was no bickering over team selection and there are no two groups clashing for the control of the dressing room.