It’s universally acclaimed as the most high-profile and eagerly anticipated cricket clash, but looking at the two captains, few would have guessed.

There is a certain calmness about Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam that goes beyond the ordinary. It’s not that they are any less committed or driven than their predecessors, but they give the impression without trying to do so that they look at India v Pakistan as no more than what it is—a contest between two excellent, evenly-matched sides, no matter how resonant the external noise might be.