6-0 or 5-1?

There is something that endears the Indian team to the huge Indian diaspora. In fact, the feeling is mutual. Whether it is about signing autographs, posing in front of innovative 'selfie sticks' or even simply acknowledging each other's presence with a friendly wave or a gentle smile, MS Dhoni & Co. seem far more at home on foreign soil.

That's probably why you couldn't gauge any pressure at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday, the eve of the so-called high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan. So friendly and festive was the atmosphere that you had a young Uganda-born Gujarati from Melbourne vying –– sort of –– for a Virat Kohli autograph with an aged sari-clad Kannadiga lady from Wellington and a Maharashtrian chap called Sachin from Adelaide. Each of them got what they wanted. That's because Kohli was in the mood to oblige. It was that kind of a day, warm (searing hot, actually) yet pleasant. The atmosphere resembled that of a village fair, so to speak, with dhols, flags, dance, music and sloganeering from both sets of fans. Even if the players harboured some intense thoughts or emotions, they didn't show it.

The moot question on everyone's lips is this: will it be 6-0 to India or 1-5 to Pakistan? During the course of 23 years and five World Cups, India have established such an enviable record over their cross-border rivals. They played two opponents simultaneously: Pakistan and pressure. This is not to say that the Men in Green are insulated from the burden. It is just that India have reacted to it in a more dynamic and creative way.

In each of India's five wins over Pakistan, one notices a pattern. The plinth had been set by India's robust opening stands, with the exception of 1992 (Sydney) when Kris Srikkanth was dismissed early. And there, too, a young and enterprising Ajay Jadeja showed remarkable pluck and chutzpah in taking on Wasim Akram and Aaqib Javed.

Sachin Tendulkar and Navjot Singh Sidhu blazed away in Bangalore (1996); and Tendulkar and Sadagoppan Ramesh shared an efficient, if not fiery, stand in a low-scoring encounter at Old Trafford (1999).

The Master Blaster's two partnerships with the destructive Virender Sehwag in 2003 (Centution) and 2011 (Chandigarh) were symbolic of a new, fearless India that had long shed the defeatist attitude.

Pakistan somehow allowed India the early momentum and paid dearly for being slow starters. Perhaps, these matches could serve as inspirational videos to Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. A sound start should allow India to rediscover their pep.

India, who only have a warm-up win over Afghanistan to show after all these months in Australia, will strive to defend their World Cup record against Pakistan. On the other hand, Misbah-ul-Haq's side will probably seek solace in theories like the 'circle of life' given that we are back in the very country where India set the ball rolling 23 years ago.

On the field, Pakistan will surely lick their lips at the prospect of facing a bowling attack that's both spearless and weak. Those of you sympathising with the Indian team that's without the services of Ishant Sharma may kindly take a look at the big names missing from the opposite camp. The quartet of Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan and Mohammed Hafeez is a formidable attack in itself. But you can't count what you don't have.

There are tall pacers and there is Mohammad Irfan. The giant left-armer will hope that his 7'1" frame makes up for whoever Pakistan are missing. The enigmatic Shahid Afridi, the cool-as-a-cucumber Misbah and the ever-reliable but out-of-form Younis Khan could all pose a threat to India.

India will hope that Dhawan and Virat Kohli, two of the four men expected to shoulder the run-scoring duties, finally find their touch. That's the only way you can look forward to seeing Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni and the rest unleash their pyrotechnics in the last 15 overs or so. Someone from the top four has got to set the stage for them.

MS Dhoni said on Saturday that his bowlers will do all they can to avoid bowling "boundary balls", but it wouldn't be wrong to presume that they will concede 300-plus anyway. If they bowl first, that is. How the spinners fare in the middle overs and complement or limit the damage caused by Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma – given that Bhuvneshwar Kumar is unlikely to get the nod -- will go a long way in determining the direction this Group 'B' match takes.

Over to the 22 men and the 53,000 who will turn up to watch them, then. It's going to be another hot day in every sense of the word. It's also the start of India's title defence. You almost forgot that, didn't you?