The battle we have all been waiting for will finally take centre stage on Saturday afternoon when arch-rivals India and Pakistan lock horns in the Group A encounter of Asia Cup 2023.
This is the first time that these sides will meet each other in a one-day international after a gap of 4 years. The last time they met in a 50-over fixture- the 2019 World Cup- the Men in Blue rode on an epic 140 from Rohit Sharma to thump Pakistan by 89 runs.
Of course, a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then. Both sides are now being led by a new captain- Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma respectively- and have added plenty of new stars in their respective set-ups like Shubman Gill, Naseem Shah, Mohammed Siraj etc.
Pakistan will come into this game riding high on confidence following their impressive run in the past week or so. The current No.1 ranked side beat Afghanistan 3-0 last week before blanking Nepal by 200+ runs in their Asia Cup opener in Multan.
Once again, the Pakistani batting unit will depend on their top, especially skipper Babar to provide them with a solid base, to allow their deep batting strength to cash in later.
The bowling will once again be led by the pace duo of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi, with Haris Rauf playing the role of an enforcer in the middle overs, along with leg-spinner Shadab Khan.
Speaking of Team India, the Rohit Sharma-led unit will be without the services of regular keeper KL Rahul, which means that Ishan Kishan will get a chance in the playing XI, and will likely bat at 5.
India will also welcome the addition of middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer and dynamic pacer Jasprit Bumrah to their set-up, which will provide a much-needed cutting edge to their playing Xi.
Most of the starting XI picks itself, but India will decide with regards to the make-up of their bowling attack. With Thunderstorms predicted in Pallekele, they may be tempted to add one of Mohammad Shami or Shardul Thakur to the pace attack of Bumrah, Siraj and Hardik.
Match Details:
Match: India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2023
When: September 02, 2023
Where: Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
Match Timings: 03:00 PM IST
Where to Watch: Star Sports & Disney + Hotstar
IND vs. PAK: Weather & Pitch Report:
There is a 90% chance of thunderstorms lashing out in Pallekele on Saturday
The pitch in the previous game held at this venue between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh saw pacers and spinners made merry. With the conditions likely to be damp, we can expect a low-scoring game, with bowlers from both sides having a significant say in the match.
IND vs PAK: Head-to-Head (Asia Cup ODIs)
Matches: 13
India: 7
Pakistan: 5
NR/Tied: 01
IND vs. PAK: Predicted Playing XIs
India:
Rohit Sharma [C], Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan [WK], Hardik Pandya, Ravindra, Kuldeep Yadav, Thakur/Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj
Pakistan:
Fakhar Zaman, Imam-Ul-Haq, Babar Azam [C], Mohammad Rizwan [WK], Salman Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf
IND vs PAK: Top Fantasy Pics
India:
- Rohit Sharma: The current Indian skipper averages 51 against Pakistan in ODIs, and has scored 2 centuries in each of his past 2 meetings with the arch-rivals.
- Virat Kohli: King Kohli loves playing against Pakistan in both ODIs and T20Is. The champion batsman averages 48.72 against them in this format, and he will once again be the prized scalp for Pakistan.
- Jasprit Bumrah: Boom Boom Bumrah rewound the clock last month with his pace and accuracy during the series against Ireland. He will once again lead the Indian attack in all phases of the game.
- Kuldeep Yadav: The left-arm wrist-spinner has been in brilliant form in the recent past. Kuldeep loves bowling to Babar Azam. He has dismissed the Pakistani batsman twice in 34 deliveries in their past meetings, and India will again bank on him to get rid of the dangerous Pakistani cricketer.
- Mohammed Siraj: No one has taken more power play wickets than Siraj since the start of 2022. Once again, the onus will be on him to provide early blows to the Men in Blue.
Pakistan:
- Babar Azam: His record against India- 158 runs in 5 matches- may be average, but Babar Azam will be the biggest threat for India as far as Pakistan’s batting is concerned. Fresh off a majestic 151 against Nepal, the current No.1 ranked batsman will look to assert his authority on his nemesis.
- Fakhar Zaman: The left-handed opener shot to fame with his magic hundred against India in the 2017 CT final. Zaman has been a constant run-making force at the top in the past few years. Since the start of 2021, he has scored 1261 runs @ 48.50 with 6 centuries. Only Babar has scored more tons (7) for Pakistan than Fakhar.
- Imam-Ul-Haq: The southpaw has been in brilliant form in the recent past and like his partner, is a reliable force for his team at the top. Since the start of 2021, he has scored 1055 runs @ 47.95.
- Naseem Shah: The ever-improving Naseem Shah has been a force to reckon with ever since he made his ODI debut last year. In innings, Naseem has taken 26 wickets @ 16.15, and his ability to bowl equally well with old and new ball makes him a constant threat for the opposition.
- Shaheen Afridi: Probably the most threatening new-ball bowler in white-ball cricket in the ongoing era, Shaheen Afridi will once again be a threat to the Indian right-handed openers. Afridi is the 2nd leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in the last 2 years- 33 @ 25.06 apiece
IND vs PAK Dream11 Playing XI
Wicketkeeper: Mohammad Rizwan
Batsmen: Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, Rohit Sharma
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Shadab Khan, Ravindra Jadeja
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, Naseem Shah, Mohammed Siraj, Shaheen Afridi
Captain: Virat Kohli
Vice-captain: Babar Azam
Who will win IND vs PAK?
Both sides are very closely matched this time around, meaning we will most likely have a keenly contested encounter. But given India’s overall experience in their set-up, we back them to come out as victors.
