During his pre-match press conference Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten, who has only been in the role since their tour of England started on 22 May, said “cricket doesn’t get bigger than this”.

“It’s great to be part of. I certainly see it as a massive privilege to be part of these games,” said Kirsten, who led India between 2008 and 2011.

“It’s going to be a great occasion and it’s been great being here in the United States.

“One of the privileges of being involved in cricket is being able to travel the world in the name of cricket and see different places.”

India captain Rohit Sharma was asked about how his players prepare mentally for the spectacle.

“A lot of these guys are quite experienced and the reason they are representing the country out of 1.4 billion people is because they are mentally tough,” he said.

“They are different from the rest who are sitting back home. They have everything with them. They are slightly more – I wouldn’t say skilled, but it’s more to do with how mentally they think about it.

“When you want to have success in international cricket, it is not going to be easy every time.

“These are the moments that you yourself as an individual want to be put in and test yourself.

“It’s the World Cup, so nothing can get bigger than this.”