Not only is this the greatest cricketing rivalry, but India vs Pakistan is the global equivalent of the Super Bowl in five. In terms of WWE, it is as big as WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Royal Rumble combined into one. So obviously, when the stakes are so high, no amount of adjectives, hype, 0-7 scoreline, or Mauka-Mauka gimmicks can do justice to the electricity that is an India-Pakistan World Cup match.
As two teams head into Saturday’s absolute cracker of a contest at the world’s biggest cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, Babar Azam and his band of boys are up against history. A wait stretching 31 years. It was in 1992 that India and Pakistan began this World Cup feud, but while there have been many memorable moments gracing this three-decade-long story, there is only one constant. India has won each and every single one of those contests. Nonetheless, the Narendra Modi Stadium marks a fresh day, and for Pakistan, the belief should be ‘It’s never too late’. Streaks are meant to be broken; that is the truth of every sport, but whether today will be the occasion… we shall find out.
The greatest of all time, Wasim Akram, and Sunil Gavaskar have stated time and time again that the team that can handle pressure the best will prevail. But in an India-Pakistan match, different stages of the match will determine the result, and the players who perform well will probably raise their hands
Surviving the opening burst
This is where the game’s temperature will be adjusted. The previous two times Pakistan had the upper hand against India were in the Champions Trophy 2017 final and the 2021 T20 World Cup, where their seamers completely destroyed the Men in Blue’s best order. However, there’s a catch this time. In just two World Cup matches, Shaheen Afridi has given up 103 runs for just two wickets, while his new-ball partner, Naseem Shah, is not competing in this competition. India has a tiny advantage since Shaheen or Naseem are more dangerous with the new ball than Haris Rauf or Hassan Ali. Shaheen’s returns against India in the last two games were quite different at 4/35 and 1/72. In the last two games in which Shaheen had a crack at India, he had contrasting returns – 4/35 and 1/72. If Shaheen has another off day, it’s an advantage for India. If not, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, and Ravindra Jadeja will have a huge responsibility on their shoulders.
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How Babar and Pakistan tackle Bumrah and Kuldeep
With the rise of Saud Shakeel, Pakistan’s middle order has reached its zenith at the perfect moment. When you combine it with the brilliant touch of Mohammad Rizwan and the breakthrough of Abdullah Shafiq as the opener, Pakistan’s batting appears to be hitting all the right notes. That is, until it encounters Kuldeep Yadav, the cunning man, and Jasprit Bumrah, the steaming engine. Bumrah has been a threatening threat to hitters ever since his injury return. Pitch, whether flat or seaming, is irrelevant. He’ll be at your alley all the time, snorting past your nose.
The Asia Cup held last month serves as an example. Even though Kuldeep finished with a five-wicket haul, Pakistan was suppressed and Kuldeep and Hardik Pandya were able to take advantage of the uncertainty caused by Bumrah’s early wicket of Imam-ul-Haq and the vicious movement he created. Babar Azam couldn’t have asked for a better chance, even though he hasn’t broken any records at the World Cup or with his average of 27 in 7 matches versus India. He can be Pakistan’s playmaker if he can make Bumrah uncomfortable. Regarding Kuldeep, his menace is sufficiently demonstrated by the fact that Rizwan spent an hour in the nets on Thursday, sweeping and reverse-sweeping a local left-arm wrist-spinner.
Win the toss, bat first
Nothing, and I mean nothing, can make you feel more anxious than pursuing in a crucial game. Take a look at the 2019 World Cup tie and the CT final, where the team batting first scored 338 and 336, respectively. While Pakistan may be riding high after pulling off the most successful chase in World Cup history, India’s bowling arsenal just cannot be matched by Sri Lanka’s. The strip that will be used for the India-Pakistan match is not the same one that was used for the England vs. New Zealand opening game. On the day of the match, the surface appears to be in excellent condition, which increases the likelihood that the eighth 300-plus total will be achieved. . Our best bet is to get an early nose ahead. Win the toss, opt to bat, put up a big score and hope your bowlers do the rest.
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Don’t let history weigh you down
India’s perfect World Cup record versus Pakistan will eventually come to an end, just like all wonderful things do. However, the likelihood of both teams deviating from the plan increases with increased consideration. Babar acknowledged that India vs. Pakistan is more than simply a game, despite dismissing the idea that his team is unconcerned about whether the pattern would break. Trust us, he must have been reminded of this more times than he can recall. Rohit Sharma, on the other hand, was far more composed as he handled a potentially explosive scenario for the team batting second.
After India defeated Pakistan by 76 runs in Adelaide during the 2015 World Cup, MS Dhoni predicted the future when he predicted, “There will come a time when we will lose.” That might occur in the following World Cup or four years from now. It is not something that will endure until the end of time. In other words, whether the streak might end today or not, the less of a pivot it is, the better off both India and Pakistan will be.
Virat Kohli
It is Virat Kohli’s fondness to bat against Pakistan. Although the figures indicate 665 runs from 15 ODIs, Kohli’s influence is far greater. When Kohli wins against Pakistan, India wins nine times out of ten. Examples that spring to mind are the Asia Cup of 2012, the World T20 Cup of 2016, the World Cup of 2019, and most recently, the T20 World Cup of last year. Kohli, once again, will be at the heart of India’s batting attack against Pakistan today.
It is important to highlight that there is a significant difference between the two in another argument centred on the Kohli vs. Babar dispute. When these two legendary players have faced off in a match, Kohli has the upper hand by a wide margin with 523 runs from 9 innings at an average of 81.16, while Babar’s numbers are a pitiful 204 runs from 8 innings at an average of 28. Finish the maths. Pakistan will write history and sleep easy if they get Kohli early. If not, Pakistan would have a difficult night as another epic from Kohli could be in the works.
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