The cricket’s most-awaited battle which has carried the legacy in the past — is hours away when unpredictable Pakistan with new captain at helm, fifth since 2007 inaugural Twenty20 World Cup will take on in-form India, undoubtedly the favourites for the sub-continent title in the high-octane round-robin encounter of the Asia Cup on Saturday, February 27.
India got their Asia Cup start with an emphatic victory over depleted hosts Bangladesh in tournament’s opener on a green top at Dhaka on February 24 and they would like to continue after making a strong comeback at the start of 2016.
Five-time Asia cup winners, India on paper are way ahead in all departments, but in terms of the preparations, both teams had have been playing the considerable amount of Twenty20 cricket since past one month with India playing in Australia and back home against Lankans and Pakistan players were seen sweating at UAE in an inaugural Pakistan Super League.
Cool and calm customer and the man of principles MS Dhoni had embossed his true authority over Twenty20 leadership so far, while setting his name in record books against Australia and many others in the past.
When it comes to the mouthwatering contest between Pakistan and India, the adrenaline rise cannot go unnoticed among fans and nerves would race for sure.
However, in Mirpur Pakistan crowned as two-time Asia Cup champions would like to halt India’s Twenty20 momentum after having poor show recently against England [0-3] and then at the backyard of New Zealand [1-2]. Pakistan recently had recorded series wins over Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, and has lost five of their last six T20 International matches.
It is a good sign for the game of cricket with Virat Kohli welcoming rehabilitated Pakistan paceman Mohammad Amir over his return to national side after serving a 5-year ban for spot-fixing.
The 13th edition of Asia Cup 2016 is the fifth event to be held in Bangladesh. It is the first time in history that the event is being played using Twenty20 format as an Avatar which kicked off on February 24 in Dhaka and will continue till March 6.
The tournament includes hosts Bangladesh and defending champions Sri Lanka [Asia Cup 2014, winners], Pakistan, India and the UAE, who sneaked in at the last minute.
Head-to-head statistics
India and Pakistan have never met in an Asia Cup final and it seems so strange. In head-to-head confrontations, Pakistan and India faced-off in 11 Asia Cup matches in 50-0ver format and both the teams had won 5 each and one game was washed-out in Colombo even on the reserved day.
In T20Is, India since the inaugural ICC World Cup T20 in 2007, lead Pakistan with 5-1.
Pakistan have played 13 T20s since February 2015, with the winning percentage of 58; wining 7, losing five and had tied one game.
However, India has slightly better average than Pakistan. Having a winning percentage of 60, men in blue won six contests out of 10 they played since February 2015, in which they lost 4.
Mahindera Singh Dhoni, who led India for years in shorter version of the game, had won historic T20 World Cup in 2007, against the arch-rivals Pakistan in a dramatic last-over by Joginder Sharma. Whereas, Pakistan had changed five T20 captains since 2007 World Cup; with Younis Khan leading them in 8 T20s – who also gave them the T20 title in 2009.
Faceoff – T20I Stats
With total of seven hits into the stands, Yuvraj Singh holds the record for most sixes in Indo-Pak T20Is. However, Misbah-Ul-Haq and Mohammad Hafeez share 5 sixes each.
Mohammad Hafeez has hit two fifties and that’s most by any player between India and Pakistan in T20s.
Virat Kholi is the highest run-getter in India-Pakistan after scoring 150 runs in his 4 innings in T20s.
With 11 wickets under his belt, Umar Gul is the highest wicket-taker among two sides in T20s.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar as a bowler has the best figures off 3 for 9 in T20s between the Asian giants.
Mohammad Asif with 4 for 18 in 2007 is the best bowling figure for any Pakistani against India in T-20.
Pakistan’s highest T20 score against India is 181 which they had lost too whereas, India’s highest score against Pakistan is 192.
Against India, Mohammad Hafiz is the highest scorer [61] for Pakistan in T20Is and in Asia Cup 50-over format he had scored 147.
In T20s against Pakistan Virat Kholi is the highest scorer as 78. Kohli also slammed his highest ever individual total of 183 in Asia Cup 2012 against the same opponent on 148 balls.
Pace and Point
India had always shown the strength in their batting lineup through the years whereas, Pakistan batting woes continue and had often tried to mix-up to find the right combination. Nippy Mohammad Sami has make a last minute comeback as Pakistan bowlers’ confidence must surely be high and would rely on variations as all can swing the ball with sheer pace.
Confident India, with all departments coming together had whitewashed Australia, in Australia, and thrashed Sri Lanka at home as their batters can set the tone early in powerplay while demolishing any bowling attack on their day.
Pakistan will wholly depend on their evergreen all-rounder and skipper Shahid Afridi to deliver alongside experienced campaigners Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez. The ultimate aim of Pakistan is to take revenge, and we could not write them off as they are capable of it.
As Indian bowlers failed to perform in the ‘death’ overs, the old-gold man with quick strides Ashish Nehra, who has time and time again shown the natural ability and has been economical with the ball. Nearly 37-year-old Nehra has troubled many veteran batsmen in the past with his Yorkers and is back in the team India to dent any batting line-up and had lent the side requisite balance.
Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who emerged as the best bowler in ranks has failed to recover in time for India from injury for the Asia Cup had become the cause of concern for Indian skipper.
The bowlers from both the teams will certainly come out all guns blazing against the batters as the pitches mostly offer plenty to encourage the quick bowlers. Jasprit Bumrah, the find in Australia with the unorthodox action for India, Amir for Pakistan would be the focus of attention amid the pressure-cooker match.
Boiling cricket relation
In December 2015, with UAE or mutually-agreed venues, BCCI had given the commitment to play two Test matches, five ODIs and two Twenty20s with Pakistan, according to the letter in possession of PTI.
This commitment in the past has created the dilemma for the BCCI as well PCB and both the governments as far as breaking the ice in the bilateral ties is concerned. In April 2014, the letter was sent by the then BCCI president N. Srinivasan to Pakistan Cricket Board.
“It’s very depressing that there’s not been much cricket between India and Pakistan. This generation is missing out on the beauty of that rivalry. Politics, be it in cricket administration or any other platform should be handled separately and gentleman’s game should go on,” Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar was quoted by news outlet Times of India.
Unfortunately, in December 2015, BCCI did not get approval from the Indian government for the proposed series on a neutral venue due to the political turmoil, break down in sports relations.
“The way India are playing right now, they may be favourites,” former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram told the Times of India.
Afridi Buoyancy
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, the man with the fast leg-breaks at the same time can murder any bowling attack on his day, can commit hara-kiri in crucial moments and his trade-mark celebration after taking a wicket sums up it all for his fans across the border.
Afridi, who is quick at his decisions has earlier delivered an ominous warning to his players.
“The team management, selectors and I gave full confidence and support to every player,” Afridi said, reports Pakistan Dawn.
Afridi has been in news for his ‘age and bold interviews’, brilliant performance and poor run and vice versa. On the eve of the event ‘Boom Boom’ has revealed that he may not retire from international cricket after playing T20 World in March as he had originally planned. There is enough pressure from his elder members of the family not to retire.
“There is a lot of pressure on me that I shouldn’t retire from T20. That I can play on, and as such there is no real talent coming through in Pakistan whose place I am taking. For a while now there is a lot of pressure from my family, a lot of pressure from my friends, who say there is no need for me to retire from Twenty20,” Afridi said, according to ESPN Cricinfo.
The Power Strikers
Indian openers are in sparkling form to unleash the skills and is backed up by strong middle order with Virat Kohli at helm, the player of the tournament at the T20 World Cup at this same venue in 2014, is spectacular to watch and many of their batsmen are the formidable force in all formats.
Sharjeel Khan would like to continue his success in the shortest format on being gifted a place in Pakistan squad after hitting maiden PSL hundred scoring 117 off 64 balls against Peshawar Zalmi in an eliminator. Sharjeel was listed third in PSL as a run-getter scoring 299 runs for his Islamabad United team and went on winning the inaugural title.
Umar Akmal has an outstanding PSL while playing for Lahore Qalandars in UAE. Being as the highest run-getter, he was awarded Man of the Tournament after scoring 335 runs which arrived at the strike-rate of whopping 157.27, and at the staggering average of 83.57. Umar recently had also been one of the top performers for Pakistan on New Zealand tour.
PSL, the best thing for Pakistan and huge platform for new faces
Pakistan are riding high over a successful PSL in UAE. The cricket has been the best thing for countries in years with leagues evolving all around.
The success of PSL is claimed to have boosted the confidence of Pakistani players, infact it has worked as a multi-vitamin that is supposed to cover all your [players] deficiency while playing with foreign players in competitive games under pressure. Pakistan are expected to prove that all had happened right after performing well against India in the mouthwatering clash tomorrow.
Secondly, both teams haven’t face each other in a T20 game for so long now, and are coming out with the new faces around after having an impressive domestic season.
Meanwhile, Ravichandran Ashwin will be leading the pack of spin from India to make it difficult for Pakistan. Green Shirts after losing Yasir Shah to a three-month ban would be in desperate need of building some momentum ahead of the mega spectacle in their Asia Cup opener against India as their bowlind would be spearheaded by Mohammad Irfan, Amir, Sami and Wahab Riaz.
Khalid Latif and left-arm spinner Muhammad Nawaz, who picked 13 wickets in PSL with some eye-catching display in batting for Quetta Gladiators can surprise India whereas, Hardik Panday and Jasprit Bumrah are equally as competitive as Imad Wasim and Anwar Ali.
Tidbits:
Shahid Afridi as T20 captain:
35 games
16 win
18 lost
1 tie
47% Win
MS Dhoni as T2o captain:
58 games
32 won
24 lost
57%
Both the teams last met in the 2014 World Twenty20, at the same ground which India had won by seven wickets.
Have a look at the list of 50-over Asia Cup battles from 1984 to 2014 between India and Pakistan.
India won by 54 runs in Sharjah on April 13, 1984
India won by 4 wickets in Dhaka on October 31, 1988
Pakistan won by 97 runs in Sharjah on April 7, 1995
Match washed out in Colombo on July 20, 1997
Pakistan won by 44 runs in Dhaka on June 3, 2000
Pakistan won by 59 runs in Colombo on July 25, 2004
India won by 6 wickets in Karachi on June 26, 2008
Pakistan won by 8 wickets in Karachi on July 2, 2008
India won by 3 wickets in Dambulla on June 19, 2010
India won by 6 wickets in Dhaka on March 18, 2012
Pakistan won by 1 wicket in Dhaka on March 2, 2014
Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur
Time: 6: 30 IST
TV Coverage: Star Sports Network
Team Squads:
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (Captain), Mohammed Hafeez, Sharjeel Khan, Umar Akmal, Shoaib Malik, Khurram Manzoor, Mohammed Nawaz, Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), Mohammed Aamir, Mohamed Irfan, Mohammed Sami, Wahab Riaz, Anwar Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammed Amir.
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah, Ajinkya Rahane, Parthiv Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harbhajan Singh.
The post Pakistan to face India in high-voltage Asia Cup clash – Preview appeared first on CricSpirit.