The much-hyped and much-anticipated game between India and Pakistan is finally here.
Both teams will go into the game with level points in the tournament but the level of confidence for the hosts might well be higher than that of Pakistan.
That is not only because of their past record in the World Cups against Pakistan and the fact of having the home advantage but also for the manner in which they have won their first two matches. It’s been a true all-round performance with the bowlers bowling splendidly to restrict the opposition and the batters having played some gritty stuff against Australia and sumptuous cricket against Afghanistan.
The fielding which was a bit of a concern before the tournament had also been top-class so it’s been a performance that’s been of the highest quality.
Bumrah’s comeback to the Indian team has been its biggest gain for now you have a bowler who gets you wickets at the start, in the middle and also at the end of the innings. Kuldeep and Jadeja have also been excellent and Pandya keeps picking wickets at crucial times.
In batting too, with the skipper scoring a delightful century, Kohli continuing his good form and Rahul back to being the assertive batter that he was at the start of his career, the team won’t be fazed by whatever they are chasing.
Opening problem
Pakistan, on the other hand, has a problem with the openers in batting and bowling.
Who will open the batting with the classy Abdullah Shafique in this crucial game ? When will Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf get their rhythm back and how many runs their spinners will give is something that is a headache for Babar Azam.
His own form with the bat won’t be a concern since Rizwan has batted splendidly and Saud Shakeel has shown good temperament.
That will ease the pressure on Babar and he can give himself time to get back into the big scoring form that is expected of him. The Pakistan fielding will also have to lift itself up, for in a contest of this nature, it’s the fielding that can make the difference between winning and losing the game.
(Professional Management Group)
