Finance
Exactly a week ago, there was a lot of buzz surrounding India and Pakistan meeting in the Group stages of the Asia Cup 2022 in Dubai. It was also one of the few times when the pre-match hype of an India-Pakistan match matched the on-field performance.
The Group A match was a tense affair between the two teams that went into the final over before Hardik Pandya took India home in a tense chase of 148 with a six over long-on after his spell of 3/25. Many fans wished for another India-Pakistan meeting in the Super Four stage, and the cricketing gods granted their wish.
Afghanistan will face Sri Lanka in the first Super Four match on Saturday in Sharjah. However, there will be another India-Pakistan match in Dubai on Sunday, which fans from both countries and around the world will be watching closely.
In the midst of the UAE’s scorching heat, the atmosphere at the Dubai International Stadium will rise a notch when the greatest rivalry in cricket resumes on Sunday.
From an Indian standpoint, they will be pleased with how Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Suryakumar Yadav, along with a returning Virat Kohli, have stepped up to lead the team to victories against Pakistan and Hong Kong. However, there are some areas of concern for India ahead of Sunday’s big game against Pakistan.
KL Rahul has been completely disoriented since returning from a lengthy injury layoff. He was out for a first-ball duck against Pakistan, and he struggled to time the ball against Hong Kong, resulting in a laborious 36 off 39 balls. India would also like captain Rohit Sharma to get a big score after two indifferent performances that deviated from the team’s ultra-attacking batting approach.
Avesh Khan’s inconsistency will be a source of concern in the bowling attack. In his two overs against Pakistan, he had figures of 1/19. However, he was erratic against Hong Kong, conceding 53 runs in four overs.
Furthermore, with Ravindra Jadeja out for the remainder of the tournament after a successful promotion to number four against Pakistan, India faces a selection quandary. They must decide whether to keep Rishabh Pant in the playing eleven due to his left-handedness or to bring in either Deepak Hooda or Axar Patel as a like-for-like replacement for Jadeja.
Pakistan, on the other hand, easily defeated Hong Kong by 155 runs to advance to the Super Four stage. Their pacers and spinners took wickets, and Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman hit fifties before Khushdil Shah put the finishing touches on the game. However, their concerns about the top-order remain.
There’s no doubt that Rizwan, Zaman, and captain Babar Azam had a lot of success while chasing. However, batting first is not their strong suit, especially when the top three bowl frequently, leaving little time for someone like Khushdil, Iftikhar Ahmed, or Asif Ali to apply the finishing touches.
The Asia Cup 2022 is now at a point where no team can be considered lightweight or underestimated. With one loss, the team’s chances of making the September 11 finale are jeopardized. India and Pakistan are well aware that a single mistake in Super Four could jeopardize their well-laid plans for the final.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Hasan Ali, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir.
Source:SN
