The semifinal between India and Pakistan is a match with a significance far beyond cricket.
It was already the most discussed match in the World Cup, but it will no longer be just about years of intense rivalry or Sachin Tendulkar's hundredth international century.
Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will attend after a direct invitation from his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh, giving the match a new diplomatic significance.
In a cricket sense alone both sides will be under massive pressure. It is the first time they have met in the semifinal of the World Cup, though they met in the 1996 quarterfinal in Bangalore, which India won by 39 runs.
This is the first head-to-head match since July 2008 which has taken place on the home soil of one of the teams. On that occasion Pakistan beat India by eight wickets in Karachi in the Asia Cup.
Mohali is the border state of Punjab and this will be the closest Pakistan have been to a home game since March 2009, when the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team's convey en route to a test match at Lahore led to the end of teams touring Pakistan for the foreseeable future.
The teams have only met four times in nine previous World Cups and India have won all four games convincingly. Sachin Tendulkar has played in all four of these encounters, scoring 54 not out, 31, 45 and 98.
In 1992 in Sydney, India won by 43 runs after Pakistan lost their last eight wickets for 68 runs. In a highly-charged match Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More made a frenzied appeal for a legside catch off Javed Miandad - Javed mocked him by leaping up and down. Tendulkar was man of the match for an unbeaten 54 and 1-37.
In 1996 in Bangalore India won the quarterfinal by 39 runs. Navjot Singh Sidhu made 93 out of 287-8. In Pakistan, crowds burned an effigy of Wasim Akram even though had not played in the game because of injury. It was Miandad's final match. While announcing his retirement he took the opportunity to denounce the team management.
In 1999 India won the Super Six match by 47 runs at Old Trafford amid high security because of the tense situation in Kashmir. India scored 227-6. Pakistan made 180 off 45.3 overs with Venkatesh Prasad taking 5-27.
In 2003 India won by six wickets at Centurion. Pakistan made 273-7, with Saeed Anwar scoring 101. India reached 276-4 in 45.4 overs and Tendulkar was man-of-the-match for his 98 off 75 balls, laying into Shoaib Akhtar's bowling despite struggling with cramp.
ODIs: Played 119; India 46, Pakistan 69, NR 4
In India: Played 26; India 9, Pakistan 17
In World Cup: Played 4; India 4, Pakistan 0
At Mohali: Played 2; Pakistan 2
- In April 1999 Pakistan won by seven wickets in Mohali after bowling India out for 196. It was Virender Sehwag's debut match and he batted at No. 7. Saqlain Mushtaq took 3-49 and Shoaib 2-18. From 34-3 Ijaz Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq added an unbeaten 163 after Prasad had dismissed the top three batsmen.
- On Nov. 8, 2007, Pakistan won by four wickets. India made 321-9, with Tendulkar out for 99 after edging Umar Gul to the keeper. Pakistan overhauled India's total with a ball to spare with Younis Khan making 117 and Shahid Afridi hitting the winning run. The 322-6 is still Pakistan's highest score batting second to win an ODI.
India have played nine games at the Punjab Cricket Association ground at Mohali, winning five and losing four, including two to Pakistan. Of the eight floodlit games, India has won four and lost four.
Pakistan has played six games here, all under lights, won two and lost four. Pakistan has batted second every time. Afridi has played in all six matches, spanning more than 10 years.
Overall 18 ODI's have been staged at the PCA Ground. Of the fifteen that were floodlit matches, 10 have been won by the side batting first and the average first innings score is 253.
The two matches played here in this World Cup were both day games and the results went to form with South Africa beating the Netherlands and West Indies beating Ireland.
Once again all eyes will be on Sachin. He scored 53 in the quarterfinal win over Australia as a nation watched hoping he would reach his 100th international hundred. Will he make it against Pakistan? He has 32,710 international runs at 49.71 from 629 matches, with 99 hundreds, 153 fifties and 34 ducks.
He is the first batsman to cross the 18,000 run barrier, his 18,008 coming at 45.13 with 48 centuries and 94 half centuries. His average against Pakistan is lower at 39.16 and he has five hundreds and five ducks against them.
Afridi is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 21 at 10.71, including two five-wicket hauls. He has taken a wicket every 18 balls and his economy rate is 3.49 in his seven matches. Afridi has 313 ODI wickets and is the third leading wicket-taker for Pakistan. This will be his 300th ODI innings and he will become the ninth player to pass that mark, the second for Pakistan after Inzamam-ul-Haq. His batting has been a disappointment in this tournament, with just 65 runs off 50 balls in six innings, with a top score of 20 against Canada.
India have asked for eleven umpire decision referrals, resulting in two decisions being changed. Pakistan have asked for 19 reviews, seven of which were lbw appeals by Afridi. In total five of the 19 were successfully overturned, including two in Afridi's favour. Simon Taufel and Ian Gould are the on-field umpires. Taufel has changed one of his seven decisions that were referred to the TV umpire, whereas Gould has had all six confirmed on review.
Virender Sehwag needs two for 1,000 runs against Pakistan.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni needs 24 for 1,000 runs against Pakistan and 67 for 6,000 runs.
Gautam Gambhir needs 51 for 4,000 runs.
Kamran Akmal needs 95 for 3,000 runs.
Misbah-ul-Haq needs 51 for 2,000.
Saeed Ajmal needs three wickets for 50 and Shoaib Akhtar needs three wickets for 250.
Glenn McGrath holds the record for most wickets in a tournament with 26 in 2006-07. In this tournament Shahid Afridi has 21 and Zaheer Khan 17.
