Correct Dravid ! Pak is not playing as a one unit, Saw their body language in Eng game.

Ok Thank you, See you on Sunday.

I am Pakistani and completely agreed with Dravid's view and the odd ratio 55 to 45 in favor of India. I can only wish that Pakistan shall perform much better than most ppl have expected to that extent it wins the match. Its just a wish, no reality!

yeah..this was the strategy of BCCI aka ICC to let India play hundreds of matches before world cup in the 'conditions they now know better than Pakistan'

But India has just won one gamein the last 3 months or so.What I always think that Indian players always handle pressure better than Pakistani players.What Pak XI needs is not a good bowler,batter or fielder but a good Psychiatrist(A shrink) when it comes to Indo Pak encounter especially.

I think it is a fair assessment by Dravid here. However if the Afridi factor explodes, the odds can easily reverse!

Our world cup will start after match with India. We would be practicing against India as well. No hope of victory with this squad of Pak.

my bet 50.1to49.9 favoring India.

Thanks Dravid for solving the mystery. Sweet dreams are always sweet. :). How about the final they are favourite too????

So many have made predictions but what's the point. All will be revealed soon!

This is the first time I have noticed that people from both the sides of the border are not believing in their own team. I do not blame them as both the teams have been playing below par and team selection have been ridiculous by selectors on both the sides. As a kid, when I watched the 92 match and 96 match, Pakistan were clear favourites but India edged them against the odds. I just hope that we have a good match and after the win people from both sides remain humble to each other and respect. This one is clearly 50-50 not because they are equally good but because they are equally bad.

It's 50-50 in my opinion. Whoever is able to hold their nerves better will come up on the top. Both team have fresh new talent who have not played in such high pressure situations. The onus is going to be on the experienced and calm captains.. Which both teams have.

may the best team wins and please stop all arguing on this

@Mohit In my view India have an upper hand, as far as the game is concern. but if the big guns from pak spark will be different story.

IMO both teams have equal chance...... India's bad form doesn't matter in this counter.. i saw on many occasion, Pakistan team was in poor form as compared to Indian team... but they played exceptionally well in India-Pakistan match!

Pakistan team is in trouble from the beginning. That is why they are coming with excuses from the start that Indians are accommodated in better hotels, their matches are hosted tom give Indians advantage etc.

The predictions of the well versed past players are of interest but nothing more than that. The psychology of the " local derby" matches is quite well known to the British views. Only recently we have seen, Liverpool vs. Everton, Manchester United vs. Manchester City, Arsenal vs. Totanham the north London clubs. The estonish thing is that it has been going on for many decades but no one has figured out the reasons for the passions raised and the partisan attitudes. The players feel the accumulated pressures even a day or a week before the match. It adds to the enjoyment and of course the disappointments. There are not many rivals like India and Pakistan cricket except the match between the Glasgow football clubs. I only remember their matches some thirty or forty years ago. The whole city used to be spell bound and otherwise friends used to be divided on the lines of Celtic supporters and the Ranger Supporters.Obviously there was an ancient religious devide used to be at play as well. The Catholics for the Celtic and the Church of England for the Rangers. At that time only the Catholics used to be the Celtic players and Anglican for the Rangers. Now a days Rangers in terrible decline the intensity is not as pronounced and a few Catholics have played for the Rangers . In my mind the India -Pakistan matches have acquired more vindictiveness than it used to be. I remembers the first visit of the Indian cricket team very vividly, I was a Punjab University student in 1948, many of the students that came to support their Indian team stayed in our university hostles (the halls of residence) most of us slept on the floor and there was no animosity atall. We enjoyed a few days together indulging in all kinds bunter about the quality of the players and the good and bad points of the teams. It was all good natured and exceptionally enjoyable. It is well over a good part of the century and I still enjoy remembering that time. Sadly the younger generations can not even imagine the friendly atmosphere that consumed us at that time. A pity. We could support our team and still appreciate the feelings of our guests who supported their team. My hostel food bill doubled as did of other students who supported the Indian students. I hope there is someone from thatvtime to contribute to this link.

Hope Dravid is spared the ignominy of having to eat his own words on Sunday afternoon! Speaking as an Indian, it's no brainer that India's strength lies in batting. But our batters have so far failed to fire on Australian pitches. So, with our only strength not being dependable, and Pakistan's Irfan & Co expected to fire on all cylinders I would say it's 45:55 in Pakistan's favour.

@Kaleem Excellent wrapping up of the dialogue !!!!!!

Best thing going for Pakistani team is the inexperience. I am glad majority of the players are gone from previous encounters.

On paper rightly so but Pakistan is a team which plays better when they aren't favourites.

this man sir rahul dravid is my true ideal if ever cricket is a gentlemans game he is that gentleman the wall of indian cricket cool and calm person

You know what guys? All this hype and focus on this game is for one plain reason. Both teams and nations know they can't progress beyond quarter finals stage. And hence they want to draw solace in beating the other (some face saving for returning home early)

We miss Dravid in the cricket! scene!!! See he is saying the same thing but in a much nicer way. Such a gentleman. And he is probably right. who am I Kidding? he is right. The likes of me have resigned ourselves to our fates and will (still) watch our team go down 6-0. sigh!

@Syed "However if the Afridi factor explodes, the odds can easily reverse!" the IF is, well... you know what i'm talking about.

@Awais Then you should stop watching cricket-especially Pkaistan team's cricket match.

Whatever people say about Pakistani team,I wish them good luck. And I am confident that Pakistan will perform a lot better in this WC AND WIN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Indian team is tired and going there so early ,will not benefit them rather they have lost matches and as a result of this they will not be confident.Even they lost to England in their last WARM UP MATCH while Pakistan beat England.

Pakistanis are our bros even if we win or lose.

All Pakistan need to play sensibly not emotionally only. Pakistan bowling attack has edge over india ,they should bowl within their their limits that is disciplined bowling is required from each Pakistani bowler and batsman should not lose wickets by playing ambitious shots.They should stay at the crease and bat according to the merit of the ball.All players should help and back one an other and be confident and self-belief must be inculcated in the minds of the players.

i believe this is part of a strategy to put physiological pressure on Pakistan team. There was similar comments from Australian captain (other big 3) about Pakistan-India match. Have you seen another captain taking about another team's preparation for a match which is not against its own team. I will call it pathetic big three strategy!!

This is a gamblers game now and betting decides the route. Already Rs. 27 billion Rupees (Pakistani) is at stake with 5 billion on Pakistan and 22 billion on India win. So, favorite is Pakistan based upon power of mega-money!

@khurram khan Absolutely agree with Khurram

His words usually becomes true. I have trust in his words. You are more sane person than Sachin because you stick to one end instead of middle path...Thanks Dravid.

Very sensible comments by Dravid . Based on India's batting strength and superior fielding I believe it's going to be 60 to 40 in India"s favor

I love Canada

Great observation

If PAK players play as a team then they will be threat to all strong team but if players goes for individual performance then it will be difficult for PAK team even to beat young teams

Ok tell us something different and something we don't know.India was always favorite what's new? So called experts saying something totally useless and Dawn giving whole column. I just hope Pakistanis play all 50 overs to me it would be win.

@Raja I guess Pak was favorites in the '99 encounter too which India won.

What else was he supposed to say other than India are the favorites. We must not forget that sedation charges were leveled against the Kashmiri youth just for cheering a good game by Pakistanis!

@karan spoken like a true champion

I really appreciate, well mature and wise judgement on part of Mr. Modi to call all SAARC including Mr. Sharif. This a common goal. One gesture of peace and friendship and wish to bring WC to Asia.

Dravid is correct. India is already in Australia for sometime and has been playing against Australia and England. They will have advantage over Pakistan. Considering Pakistan is facing injury issues, i doubt India will have any hard time beating Pakistan. Then we also have that history where even Imran's World Champion team also lost against India so odds are definitely in India's favor.

@Shafiq khan What ? summary please

India has an older side with great experience of loosing in Australia while Pakistan has won both of it's warm-up matches. I would not be suprised if India fares miserably during this WC.

in last world cup encounter india were clear favourites in mohali , but explosive spell of wahab riaz with his consistent 145 +kph hitting the deck spell turned the odds , had it not been a " solid " :d misbah - younis partnership it would hv been pakistan , some credits to good spells from zaheer khan,nehra, munaf as well ....

The key difference between Indian and Pak is -- Rohit Sharma! IF he clicks, his score would be more than the entire Pakistani team... Of course, it is a big "IF"..

Indians should thank the great leader Mohammad Ali Jinnah for creating Pakistan otherwise there would have been no such sensation in cricket of world’s two most arch rivals. It is a rivalry that dominates the game of cricket and has its roots in history. The fraught relationship between the nuclear-armed nations and their people is the backdrop to the high drama on the playing field. For some, cricket is just a game but for Indians and Pakistanis, it is serious combat. Who wins, does'nt matter, the sensation is priceless.

Law of averages, says it is the chance of Pakistan to win. But the history of the World Cup, IPL and ICC say India has to win. See ya on Sunday.

And I also want to show Dravid, the recent acclimatisation of the Indian team, where they did not win any match.

@Salman Syed : Yeah you showed your knowledge.....or lack there of.