• Pakistan and India went into battle on the cricket pitch on Saturday, launching a historic series of matches the nuclear-armed rivals hope will give new impetus to a fledgling peace process.

Both sides hope the five-week Indian tour will build new ties between neighbors riven by 50 years of animosity and war. Every ball and every miss was cheered by an ecstatic crowd packed onto the sunbaked terraces of Karachi’s National Stadium. “Love knows no borders,” read a banner inside the stadium, catching the mood of a joyous meeting that renewed one of the great rivalries in international sport. The significance of the tour goes far beyond the boundary rope.

Mobile and Text Messages

• India’s ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, facing national elections in April and May, sent text messages to mobile telephones across the country declaring “You won the match and hearts! Congratulations India!” India also announced yesterday that Indian and Pakistani mobile phones would now be allowed to work across the border under roaming facilities provided by phone firms.

United on Terraces

• Sitting among thousands of jubilant cricket fans at Karachi’s National Stadium, it is hard to imagine that South Asian neighbors India and Pakistan were on the brink of war less than two years ago. Hundreds of Indians have traveled to the southern Pakistani city for the opening game in a series both countries hope will cement a fledgling peace process, and thousands more are expected when the tour reaches Lahore, close to the Indian border. If anyone doubted the level of goodwill between the fans, Priyanka, the grand-daughter of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was given a rousing welcome when she joined the throng — by both sets of fans. The fierce sporting rivalry between the neighbors is still there, but losing for either side may be a little less painful than usual this time

ICC Chief Hails Revival

• International Cricket Council President Ehsan Mani hailed the revival of cricket ties between India and Pakistan, saying it has given the sport a boost. “It is great they are playing again, because cricket was poorer without an India-Pakistan contest,” Mani told reporters. “It was long overdue and I hope the ties remain forever, since they benefit not only India and Pakistan, but the whole of Asia, in fact the entire world.” Mani, who hails from Pakistan, said the revival of Indo-Pak cricket will make the ICC stronger. “Asia represent 40 percent of the ICC membership and a strong Asia means a strong ICC. I have no qualms about that,” he said.

More Indo-Pak Ties…

• Indian cricket chief Jagmohan Dalmiya said there was more India-Pakistan cricket in the offing. “We will play the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka in July and a proposal to revive the Asian Test championship is also on the cards,” Dalmiya said.