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India salutes cricket `war' win

An Indian cricket fan waves the national flag on Saturday night in Bombay during celebrations after India defeated Pakistan in their game at the Cricket World Cup. Thousands poured into the streets as India went into a frenzy after its cricketers defeated arch-enemy Pakistan in a crucial match that many saw as a matter of national pride. PHOTO: AFP

India gloated yesterday over a convincing cricket victory against arch rival Pakistan in a World Cup match watched by millions -- the first game in three years between the hostile neighbors.

During a night of noisy, colorful celebrations, Indians sang, danced and beat drums in throngs on the streets, whipping up a nationalistic hysteria.

The Indian passion for cric-ket, and the five-decade enmity with Pakistan, is an explosive combination.

"It was a war and we have won it," said Sanjeev Chhiber, a hotel executive in the northern city of Lucknow. "I don't care if we don't win any other game now. For me, India has won the World Cup."

India's master batsman and sporting hero Sachin Tendulkar defied a painful thigh strain to score 98 off 74 balls in Saturday's match, played in South Africa, to spearhead a six wicket victory and send India into the second round of the World Cup.

The revelry at home was marred by some violence, as Hindus and Muslims clashed on Saturday night in the cities of Ahmadabad and Vadodara in the western Indian state of Gujarat, often a scene of religious violence. A Muslim youth was killed in police firing after rival groups burned shops and vehicles and pelted rocks, also leaving three people injured.

India is a secular nation where more than 80 percent of the population are Hindus. Pakistan is an Islamic state. Many Hindu nationalists in India accuse its Muslims of secretly backing Pakistan.

In India's only Muslim majority state of Jammu-Kashmir, many Kashmiri Muslims supported Pakistan due to their disaffection with India, but in the rest of the country, the victory was greeted with firecrackers of celebration.

It was India's fourth consecutive win over Pakistan in World Cup tournaments.

Pakistanis lamented the defeat.

"The whole nation is sad on this occasion because we should have won this match. It was a matter of national prestige and honor," said Zahir Shah, a businessman in the western city of Peshawar.

Zafar Khan, a 24-year-old auto parts vendor in a suburb of Peshawar, broke his TV set. Others couldn't bear to watch and just turned off their TVs as defeat loomed.

India and Pakistan nearly went to war last summer, as India accused Pakistan of plotting the December 2001 terrorist attack on India's Parliament. Pakistan denied that and accuses India of oppressing Muslims in Kashmir, which is claimed by both countries.

Meanwhile, tournament minnows Kenya, inspired by former captain Maurice Odumbe, become the first team from World Cup Group B to reach the Super Six stage when they beat Bangladesh by 32 runs on Saturday.

Man-of-the-match Odumbe, who top-scored with an unbeaten 52 in Kenya's 217 for seven, took four for 38 in 10 overs as Bangladesh slumped to 185 all out.

Kenya, who followed defending champions Australia from Group A into the next phase, have now beaten Bangladesh in six of their seven one-day meetings.

"We are very happy that we have made it to the Super Sixes," said a jubilant Kenya captain Steve Tikolo, whose team pulled off a 53-run upset of 1996 champion Sri Lanka in Nairobi on Monday.

"We have always been asking for more games and this is our chance to play some more.

"These wins have been good for us and hopefully Kenyan cricket can go up from there."
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