Today, a billion viewers are expected to tune in to watch India play. And it's not just any game: It's India versus Pakistan.

India versus Pakistan. Those are three words that conjure up all kinds of images. The two countries have fought three wars. Our childhoods were filled with propaganda videos and movies of the evil enemy.

But India versus Pakistan has also been a moment to bring the two countries together. I remember 2004 when India toured Pakistan after a fifteen year break.

Thousands of Indian fans got their first glimpse of Pakistani soil when they got special visas to attend games.

In 2007, when I visited Pakistan for the first time, the instant ice breaker was always cricket: imagine picking a fantasy team with the best players from either country!

After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, I remember the hostility so many Indians felt towards Pakistan; all diplomatic contact was broken off.

And then in 2011, cricket provided the opening. Pakistan's Prime Minister visited India to watch a World Cup semi final game. India won. Peace and common sense were bigger winners.

The Indian historian Ramachandra Guha describes a great anecdote about the evolution of the India-Pakistan game.

In 1996, when Pakistan visited his hometown of Bangalore, Guha made sure he was in attendance. The legendary Pakistani batsman Javed Miandad was playing his final match.