India, Oct. 24 -- India can place a marker as strong title contenders and reinforce their World Cup supremacy over Pakistan when the teams face-off in a desert shootout that will recall their clashes in the 1980s and 90s though with roles reversed. Virat Kohli's team that goes into the opening Group 2 game in Dubai on Sunday is considered far superior to their opponents with each player burnished by IPL campaigns in the UAE. Ideally, that should put them way ahead of the Babar Azam-led Pakistan. Yet, the hype and unbearable tension generated every time the sub-continent rivals meet means influences other than the usual cricketing logic take over and bring the tag of favourites with a caveat....