The wry saying that ‘sport is war by other means’ sadly came true in the recently concluded Asia Cup, where India beat Pakistan thrice in an equal number of encounters in the course of the last month. But what was on display in Dubai was not cricket at all, as cricketers consciously deserted basic sporting protocols in a way that has seldom been seen in India-Pakistan sport encounters — even when bilateral ties were as just as bad as they are today.

Pakistan’s actions over the years have contributed to this sad state of affairs — with its relentless acts of terror on Indian soil, from Kargil to 26/11 to Pulwama to Pahalgam. But despite this unsavoury backdrop, some red lines were crossed this time in Dubai. Sport, which is about the game transcending all else even if for a brief duration,

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