Football evokes a ___________ response in India compared to cricket, that almost ___________ the nation.

We know that in India, cricket is much more popular than football, so how football affects or provokes a reaction amongst Indians should be nothing or very less when compared with crickets popularity. Option (b) is right, because lukewarm means mild or the state of showing less enthusiasm or interest, and electrifies is what excites intensely. These words fit perfectly in the given context.