Cricket’s showpiece event commenced in low-key fashion in Ahmedabad on October 5, with New Zealand taking on England. Some nine days later, at the same ground, we are set to witness an entertainment show that resembles an opening ceremony. It seems a bit odd, but sport is now a business and those who run it are businessmen. India-Pakistan is an intense rivalry that has spanned many decades. You throw in a bit of geo-politics, history and some memorable matches, and the excitement reaches fever pitch. So, from that context, it is understandable why the head honchos want to make the most of it.
Leaving aside the commerce of cricket, let’s dissect the game on hand. Despite all the cameras zooming in on him, Babar Azam was aiming to perfect his game against spin by practicing the sweep shot. He bent low and swept the local spinners. He was back on his feet and at it again. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Just a sportsperson transporting himself into his own zone in pursuit of his goal to tackle the wiles of India’s Spin Triangle. Mohammed Rizwan, Babar’s trusted ally, himself had a training session.
Meanwhile, India’s spin troika comprising Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav chalked out their own game-plans in order to upend the two Pakistan mainstays. The Indian team has a few trump cards in the batting unit too – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The lynchpins are in good nick, although there is a small subplot of the duo facing Shaheen Afridi’s left-arm angle and swing.
Rohit and Rahul Dravid, the captain-coach duo, have also tried to tinker with India’s batting philosophy by playing with an aggressive mindset. Not just Rohit at the top of the order, but India’s middle order too is scoring at over 5.7 an over since the last World Cup. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer are the two fulcrums of that middle order, who would hope to make an impact in the crucial game.
India versus Pakistan is more than just analysing the game with a pen and paper. It is about handling pressure. Even though Babar made light of it by observing in the press conference: “There is more pressure for match tickets than the match. It is not a pressure match for us. We have played each other a lot of times.”
Unlike the past, perhaps Babar and his teammates would be able to handle the chaotic situations better and end India’s run of seven wins on the trot in 50-over World Cups. After all, just like India, they have won both their games so far in the tournament. The home side, though, would believe they have enough ammunition to add one more victory to that list of seven triumphs.
Time and Venue Details
India vs Pakistan, October 14, Ahmedabad, 14:00 IST
Expected conditions
By now it is a known fact that the stadium has two variants of pitches. For the big clash, we could have a track that offers something for the spinners. In the past, on occasions, the ball has swung and seamed a little bit in the second innings. Perhaps it is due to certain indirect factors, which keep the condition of the ball pristine for longer periods.
Or maybe it is because of the Sabarmati river, which is adjacent to the stadium. There is a feeling that when the water surface rises during the evening, more moisture comes into play. In the New Zealand versus England game, there was enough dew around and the ball skidded through considerably when New Zealand batted.
Possible XIs
Probably the Indian think-tank would go back to the formula that worked versus Australia by picking three spinners. Shubman Gill, who had been laid low by dengue, was seen practicing in the nets. Rohit did say he is 99 per cent fit in presser.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan/Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.
Pakistan could pick the same XI that chased down a monstrous target against Sri Lanka. Abdullah Shafique scoring a brilliant hundred in that game in Hyderabad has sorted out one of the major issues in the Pakistan line-up.
Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf.
Matchups
All eyes would be again on Afridi against Rohit and Kohli. Babar himself would have to tackle the nip-backers of Mohammed Siraj and Hardik Pandya. He has a tendency to load up a bit late, and the Indian pace bowlers would be looking to exploit that small chink. Kuldeep has also dislodged the Pakistan skipper in the past.
For Rizwan, India might employ Jasprit Bumrah and his channel bowling. In the recent past, Rizwan has had his issues against James Anderson bowling in that one-square-foot window outside the off stump, even though it came in a different format.
Captains’ speak
“We got a lot of support in Hyderabad, and we hope the same for Ahmedabad. What matters is what we can do best as a team in both batting and bowling. In these conditions, the margin of error for bowlers is minimal. Experience helps you play better. When I was a youngster, I used to get nervous but there are seniors who help you out.” – Babar Azam, Pakistan captain.
“I am not a person who looks at all such stats [India’s 7-0 record against Pakistan in World Cups]. We focus on how we can play good cricket. Both the teams will start fresh. I don’t think there’s any favourite. For us, it is important to focus on what we want to do and carry the momentum forward.” – Rohit Sharma, India captain.