NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan square off in the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday, with Rohit Sharma‘s squad hoping to secure a semifinal berth and Mohammad Rizwan‘s team desperately trying to avoid an early tournament exit. The match is hyped as a big match but is largely lopsided on the field.
India is feeling great after defeating a lively Bangladesh by six wickets, but Pakistan is clearly upset following their 60-run defeat to New Zealand in the tournament opener.
The 2017 final was the last time the sub-continental rivals faced each other in the Champion Trophy, as Pakistan won both the match and the trophy. Though they would need to improve in every area, Rizwan and company would try to find motivation in that victory in London.
There is a sense of quiet expectation for the Group A encounter at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, even though the excitement around the match is far from what it was during the height of diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
In every way, India will have a clear advantage. The team has adapted well, and Pakistan arrived a few days ago following their crushing defeat at the hands of the Black Caps in Karachi.
An India-Pakistan match is typically as much a contest of nerves as cricket skills, and India would be in a far stronger position on both fronts come Sunday afternoon.
For starters, if the clear stroke-making against Bangladesh was any indication, captain Rohit, whose form was a big worry in the lead-up to the event, appears to be returning to his best.
His 41-run cameo was a vital part of the challenging 229-run chase, which Shubman Gill skillfully anchored with his ninth ODI century.
Pakistan, on the other hand, will be concerned with Babar Azam‘s form and strategy. In a pursuit of 320, his 90-ball 64 versus New Zealand has drawn harsh criticism for being too slow.
Azam would be under a lot of pressure against India because of his incapacity to accelerate even as the asking rate continued to rise.
Pakistan’s problems are exacerbated by the injury that caused them to remove game-changing opener Fakhar Zaman from the team. He has been replaced in the team by Imam ul Haq, who has joined the squad.
On the plus side, meanwhile, is middle-order batter Khushdil Shah’s counter-attacking 69 in the tournament opener. Given his recent poor performance, Shah has jokingly said he has no idea how he got the squad, but Pakistan would be pleased that the gamble has come off.
By defeating India, who declined to cross the border for the tournament, which is otherwise entirely planned in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, Pakistan would also be looking to make a statement.
Virat Kohli is again feeling the fire in the Indian team after failing to convert a respectable start once more. Although his focus hasn’t been the same in a while, Kohli has a talent for coming up with unique ways to beat Pakistan.
But in the grand scheme of things, it can come down to pivotal moments from the bowlers, and Pakistan has a lot to think about in this regard as well following the hammering that the Shaheen Afridi-led attack took from the Kiwis.
However, Harshit Rana is providing excellent support for Mohammed Shami, who is back to full fitness and playing well for India. India did not miss injured talisman Jasprit Bumrah thanks to Shami’s fifer against Bangladesh.
In key ICC events, all-rounder Hardik Pandya has consistently given it his all when facing Pakistan. He will be looking to avenge the disappointment of the 2017 Champions Trophy final, in which he battled valiantly for India but was unable to lead his team to victory.
India are probably going to stay the same and stick with their winning combination.
The spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel will be included once again on the tweaker-friendly surface to exploit the conditions.
Squads:
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
