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Cricket fans cheer prior to the start of the second ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 semi-final match between India and Pakistan.

The big match is here. The biggest ever? Arguably. Some killjoys will complain about the hyperbole surrounding this afternoon’s game, but if any match deserved a big bowl of hype, it’s this.
8:33 am | by Will Davies
The captains MS Dhoni and Shahid Afridi are on the pitch for the toss. Dhoni wins the toss, 1-0 to the hosts. Dhoni has chosen to bat.*****The big match is here. The biggest ever? Arguably. Some killjoys will complain about the hyperbole surrounding this afternoon's game, but if any match deserved a big bowl of hype, it's this. Yes, it’s time for Burton Albion versus Macclesfield Town in the English League Two. Oops, sorry, wrong blog … It’s India versus Pakistan, one of sports greatest rivalries. It’s a huge event whenever these two play but today’s semifinal clash is extra special as they’ve never met so deep into the World Cup tournament. As if that’s not enough, the match is taking place in India — the home of some of the world's most passionate, crazy cricket fans – and it’s the first time Pakistan has played here since the November 2008 Mumbai attacks that were perpetrated by Pakistani-based terrorists. But let’s not get carried away into politics. Suffice it to say this match demonstrates the special magic of sport, its power to unify and reach across borders with warm arms that embrace healthy competition and constructive rivalry. We hope. Without cricket, Pakistan and India would be even further alienated. This is not the time or place to delve into the countries’ history and the troubling events of recent times. This is the chance to live in the present, to enjoy this rare and special moment when 22 men will engage in a fascinating sporting battle. The Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali is the battlefield, one that features a hard strip in the middle that should favor fast bowlers and might be susceptible to dew. The eyes of cricket fans around the world are on this match, even Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is in attendance, along with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani. No pressure then. The winner will go on to play Sri Lanka in the final on April 2 in Mumbai, so a South Asian nation is guaranteed to win the World Cup this year, for only the fourth time ever. History favors India in World Cup clashes, as it has won on the four occasions it has played Pakistan in the tournament. But Pakistan has the better overall record in One Day Internationals, with 69 wins to India’s 46. Younis Khan, in particular, could be Pakistan’s danger man given that three of his six ODI centuries have come against India, including one at the Mohali venue for today’s semifinal. Through it all, India Real Time is here. Like an emergency cricketing service, we will keep you updated on the big match so even if you are at work with no access to a match broadcast, you can rely on us. Even if you are in front of a television, please keep us company and share your thoughts on the match. We’re looking forward to what should hopefully be a cracking game of cricket. Follow it here from 2 p.m. onwards.

8:33 am | by Will Davies
Afridi says he's not disappointed with that, but winning the toss has given India an early lift, and the capacity crowd knows it.

8:36 am | by Will Davies
Teams – 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Virat Kohli, 5 Yuvraj Singh, 6 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Suresh Raina, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Munaf Patel, 11 Ashish Nehra

8:36 am | by Will Davies
Pakistan is unchanged from the semifinal – 1 Kamran Akmal (wk), 2 Mohammad Hafeez, 3 Asad Shafiq, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Shahid Afridi (capt), 8 Abdul Razzaq, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Saeed Ajmal.

8:42 am | by Will Davies
There were heavy showers in Mohali yesterday but the weather is beautiful today, the sun is shining and the sky is clear. Unlike a match I once played in Aberdeen, this semifinal is in no danger of getting fogged off.

8:43 am | by Will Davies
Indian legend Sourav Ganguly says it's a good batting surface with just a little bit of grass.”It's a good deck, 300 is an achievable total on this track,” Ganguly says.

8:45 am | by Will Davies
Stat Attack:This should reassure India fans – in the last 10 years there have been nine day-night matches played at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, and only three have been won by the side chasing. 

8:41 am | by Will Davies
The PCA ground is pretty small too, so there are likely to be lots of boundaries. The first innings average in ODIs here is 275. India has played nine games at this ground, winning five and losing four, including two defeats to Pakistan.

8:45 am | by Will Davies
So, India has gone without Yusuf Pathan again. Pathan failed to fire in the first round of the World Cup and paid the price, which is a shame as he is one of the most exciting cricketers on the planet.The big surprise for India is Ashish Nehra replacing R Ashwin, the seamer coming in for the spinner. This track should favor quicker bowlers, so that makes sense, but India's quicks have struggled a bit so far (apart from Zaheer Khan, the second top wicket taker at this World Cup) and Nehra was tonked in the final over of India's match against South Africa.

8:46 am | by Will Davies
Here are some words from ICC Chief Executive earlier in the week:“TV viewing records have already been shattered and it doesn’t take a genius to see new ones could be set by the Mohali match.” The one troubling part of that statement is the fact that this match will be an advertising goldmine, so television coverage will be swamped by commercials at every conceivable opportunity. At the rate things have been going at this World Cup, we’ll be cutting to adverts during a bowler’s run-up.

8:52 am | by Will Davies
The teams are marching out to the pitch for the anthems. Silence around this 27,500 seater stadium.

8:48 am | by Will Davies
Paksitan's anthem. Wow, anyone else nervous?

8:48 am | by Will Davies
And now for India's Jana Gana Mana

Fuente: India Real Time