The run-ups had been marked. The warm-ups had been completed. The toss awaited. The air crackled with anticipation as the clock ticked towards the start of India's Men's T20 World Cup match against South Africa in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Then what would, not long ago, have been a strange thing happened.

David Miller was completing his preparation with a spot of visualisation in the middle of the world's biggest cricket stadium; gloves on, bat in hands. He looked up and saw a familiar figure approaching; smile as bright as his eyes. Hardik Pandya extended his arms, and he and Miller embraced for a long, warm moment.

They looked like long lost friends who had happened upon each other in the stands. Not protagonists on opposite sides of the biggest match of the tournament.

It was surely enough to freeze the blood in the ancient veins of Ian Botham and Ian Chappell, whose celebrated feud began in a brawl in a Melbourne bar 49 years ago next month and simmers to this day. They probably detest the fact that they share a first name.

And here Miller and Hardik were, behaving like beloved brothers. Didn't they realise they were sworn foes? Ah, the unbearable lightness of the modern cricketer's attitude to such serious matters.

You have to wonder whether Botham and Chappell would still be fighting had they shared a dressing room. Like Miller and Hardik have done - they were important members of Gujarat Titans' squad in 2022, when the franchise won the IPL in their inaugural campaign, and in 2023.

The modern era, with its far flung franchise tournaments, has done the game so much good in so many ways. One of them is that players from different countries no longer treat each other like scum.

South Africa's match against West Indies at the Narendra Modi Stadium offered more circumstantial evidence in favour of that argument. We don't know how well Keshav Maharaj gets on with Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford and Roston Chase. But we do know they all played for Pretoria Capitals in the SA20 in December and January. And that Gudakesh Motie was in Miller's Paarl Royals squad, as was Sikandar Raza - who Miller might bump into when the South Africans play Zimbabwe in Delhi on Sunday. If that happens, another hug is all but guaranteed.

Those who worry that all this familiarity will take the edge off the competitiveness required to make cricket worth watching would have had their fears eased by the events of the first over of Thursday's match. Maharaj bowled it, and was promptly hammered for two sixes and a four by Hope, his Pretoria teammate.

Even so, West Indies shambled to 83/7 before Jason Holder and Romario Shepherd earned them something to bowl at with a stand of 89 off 57. But West Indies were always going to struggle to stay in the match given their total of 176/8.

None of Aiden Markram's nor Quinton de Kock's current IPL or SA20 squadmates were in the opposition's XI on Thursday. But, had they been, doubtless South Africa's openers would have lashed the ball just as lustily in their stand of 95 off 48. Ryan Rickelton, too, didn't have to wonder about whose feelings he might hurt as he went about sharing an unbroken 82 off 50 with Markram. Those two stands were all South Africa needed to retain their unbeaten record after six games in the tournament, and put them on the cusp of reaching the semifinals.

Their nine-wicket win, achieved with 23 balls to spare, marked the West Indians' first loss in the competition. If India beat Zimbabwe in Thursday's late game, at Chepauk, the match between the Indians and West Indies at Eden Gardens on Sunday will be a shootout for a place in the final four. Considering the friendly state of the game, it wouldn't have been a surprise had the South Africans wished the West Indians good luck for Sunday's showdown.

You prefer aggression? Maybe even violence? Try the Ranji Trophy final in Hubballi this week, when Jammu and Kashmir captain Paras Dogra became incensed enough with Karnataka's noisy KV Aneesh - who was fielding at silly point - while he was batting that he head-butted him. Happily, both players were wearing helmets. The concussion test must have been interesting.

No-one wants to see that kind of behaviour on the field, of course. Even Botham and Chappell would agree on that. Or would they?