India arrived at this World Cup with the pundits tipping them to defend the crown they lifted two years ago in Barbados. On paper, they looked a side with every base covered, power at the top, steel in the middle and a bowling unit that can squeeze the life out of any chase. The only perceived chink in the armour was how they would fare on slow, gripping surfaces where the ball refuses to come onto the bat, the kind served up at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium.

On Sunday, against arch-rivals Pakistan, they ticked that box with authority.

India-Pakistan contests have carried added political edge since the Kargil conflict of 1999 between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. The hype machine goes into overdrive each time they meet. Yet beneath the noise, one stark truth remains, India have held the upper hand in recent years and more often than not it has been one-way traffic.

RPS is not a venue for the faint-hearted. It exposes free-flowing strokemakers and humbles flat-track bullies. Ask Australia, who ate humble pie there against Zimbabwe last week. At Premadasa, flair alone won’t cut it; you need patience, game awareness and the willingness to graft. But India, unfazed by reputation or conditions, turned that theory on its head.

It was opener Ishan Kishan who lit up the cauldron with a swashbuckling 77 off 44 balls, striking at 200 and treating the sluggish surface with calculated disdain. He pierced gaps, picked lengths early and made the pitch look far more obliging than it truly was. Once India surged past the 170 mark, Pakistan were chasing shadows.

Such is the depth of India’s bowling arsenal that even 150 often feels like a mountain to opponents. They hunt in packs, squeeze in the middle overs and shut the door at the death.

As for Kishan, he had been in the wilderness for more than two years before earning a recall on the back of prolific domestic form. Since returning, he has grabbed his chance with both hands and refused to loosen his grip.

In a 20-nation tournament where scripts can flip in the space of two overs, it would be foolish to declare the race run. T20 cricket has a habit of turning logic upside down. Yet on current evidence, not many sides possess the depth, balance and bench strength to knock India off their perch.

Envy often follows success, and India have had their fair share of both. But their dominance is not built on the IPL alone. It stems from a culture that demands players step outside their comfort zones, evolve and buy into a larger blueprint. Those unwilling to embrace that ethos are quickly left high and dry.

Sunday’s spectacle was also a reminder of cricket’s economic pull. RPS was packed to the rafters, a sea of blue with pockets of green, as thousands of Indian and Pakistani fans created a carnival atmosphere. Their presence was a welcome shot in the arm for Sri Lankan economy, with many extending their stay to soak in the south coast’s scenic charms.

With shifting geopolitics in the region and several of India’s neighbours at daggers drawn, Sri Lanka is poised to host more marquee contests in the years ahead. The challenge now is to keep raising standards, upgrading facilities, maintaining venues and ensuring fans leave with memories worth repeating. On Sunday, on and off the field, it was a show befitting the occasion.

by Rex Clementine