Boria Majumdar in Dubai
India play Oman on Friday night, but the focus is already on India v Pakistan for Sunday, September 21. Against the backdrop of all that has happened already, this will be another much-talked-about encounter. Firstly, a boycott is no longer in the narrative. Rather, how India drives home the larger message will yet again hog the limelight. It is also important that we focus a little on the game itself. After all, it is a game of bat and ball at the core of it.
On field, the gulf just seems too much between the teams at the moment. Maybe because of the strength of the Indian cricket ecosystem, the quality of players on India’s side is just better. While it is known that anything can happen in the T20 format, the truth is also that Pakistan will need a minor miracle to upstage India. The ease with which they brushed past Pakistan last Sunday was evidence of how good India are, and that’s what Pakistan need to focus going ahead into the next game.
It is also about confidence. Indians look supremely confident of what they are doing on the field. Kuldeep Yadav has hit the patch that he is known for, Varun Chakaravarthy is always a threat, and Axar Patel will pick up wickets while continuing to fly under the radar. Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are both giving breakthroughs at the start of the innings. Saim Ayub’s struggles with back-to-back ducks makes things further complicated for Pakistan.
In batting, India will attack from ball one, and Abhishek Sharma is starting to impact bowlers mentally with his all-or-nothing approach. Shaheen Shah Afridi is still Pakistan’s go-to man and Abhishek’s approach against him the first two balls was a real statement. That’s where the battle was won mentally. And even after Abhishek and Shubman Gill were out, India did not let Pakistan have a look in. That will be the approach yet again on Sunday, and that’s the gulf I am talking about.
Frankly, India weren’t at their best last week. Bumrah conceded a few extra runs, Hardik gave up a couple of sixes to Shaheen, and India will know that there is room for improvement. And that’s the dangerous thing for Pakistan. If a team which wasn’t really at their best could swat them aside with ease, imagine what a complete Indian effort is capable of? India will know that this is the game to win and make the larger point. They know that they aren’t going to play Pakistan in the near future. They know this is a game that will live on in public memory for a while, and that alone will give it an edge.
Expect India to come hard on Sunday and be on the money every ball. Take the bull by the horns, and push Pakistan. The scarring has to be deep, and India will use it to ask the right questions yet again. We have to wait and see if Pakistan have the answers, or if they will resort to further drama and diversionary tactics. Only, their own fans will see through it this time.
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