Traditional rivals India and Pakistan, who have experienced similar failures and revivals in the recent past, face-off again in an off-shore cricket One-Day International in Glasgow on Tuesday.
The teams are meeting for the first time since the World Cup two months ago, during which both have undergone an upheaval others usually experience in a decade.
The one-off match is to raise funds for Prince Charles charity, but it is certain that it won't lack the intensity associated with any Indo-Pak clash.
Having suffered ignominious first round exits at the quadrennial event, both India and Pakistan are experiencing a revival of sorts.
Pakistan, led by 25-year-old Shoaib Malik [Images], who succeeded Inzamam-ul Haq, crushed Sri Lanka [Images] 2-0 in Abu Dhabi in May.
India had a successful tour of Bangladesh, winning both the ODIs and Tests comfortably, and now have the momentum going into the match after a 2-1 series win over South Africa in Ireland.
Both the squads are hunting for a coach, following the tragic death of Bob Woolmer [Images], who guided Pakistan during the World Cup, and Greg Chappell's [Images] decision not to renew his contract with India.
But if recent results are any indication, the players have coped with the situation well.
Pakistan will have their bowling attack strengthened with the return of mercurial speedster Shoaib Akhtar [Images], who has not played a match after a positive dope test before the Champions Trophy in India last October-November.
Also returning to the squad are top order batsman Younis Khan and all-rounder Abdur Razzaq.
Yet, the advantage might be with the Indians, who have the match form and winning momentum from the Ireland series.
Their batsmen have been among runs, and gladdening fans' hearts is the form of Sachin Tendulkar [Images], who hit two 90-plus knocks against the South Africans.
The Indians are also better acclimatised to the conditions, having arrived in the UK more than a week ago.
The teams, as well as fans, are sure to be less deterred by the security concerns in the aftermath of the terror attack on the airport in Glasgow on Saturday.
A more potent threat to the match could be the weather which forced Pakistan's one-off clash against hosts Scotland at Edinburgh on Sunday to be abandoned.
The forecast for Tuesday is partly cloudy skies with scattered rain.
But, rain or shine, the fans of these two talented teams would be hoping that their stars make up for the much-expected World Cup clash in the Caribbean that failed to materialise.
The squads (from):
India: Rahul Dravid [Images] (captain), Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] (vice-captain), Sourav Ganguly [Images], Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir [Images], Yuvraj Singh [Images], Dinesh Kaarthick, Ajit Agarkar [Images], Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Zaheer Khan [Images], Ishant Sharma, Robin Uthappa, Rohit Sharma, Rudra Pratap Singh and S Sreesanth [Images].
Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (captain), Salman Butt [Images] (vice-captain), Imran Nazir [Images], Yasir Hameed [Images], Mohammad Yousuf [Images], Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi [Images], Abdul Razzaq [Images], Fawad Alam, Iftikhar Anjum, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Asif [Images], Mohammad Sami [Images], Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gul.
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