Daijiworld Media Network

Mirpur, Feb 27: Mohammad Irfan v Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan v Wahab Riaz, Virat Kohli v Mohammad Amir - aah! This is going to be exciting. Don't be surprised if Pakistan include Mohammad Sami as well. If they do that can they strike a balance between bat and ball? It will be interesting to know the thought process of the Pakistani think tank. One thing is for sure. Everyone would be watching Mohammad Amir very closely, for he is very exciting, very energetic, fast, lethal and it's going to be great to watch him bowl against a quality Indian batting line-up.

On the other hand, Shahid Afridi's boys will be raring to go after playing a fair bit of the T20 game, courtesy the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Umar Akmal, Sharjeel Khan and Mohammad Hafeez - have all been among the runs, scoring a minimum of 200 runs in the tournament. Old warhorse Mohammad Sami returns to the national side after grabbing eyeballs with his performance in the PSL. Pakistan generally have a good pace attack and the scenario is not going to change this time around as well. In fact, in the three games that we have had in this tournament so far, we have seen a fair bit of grass on the pitch and sometimes we have even seen batsmen struggle to cope with the extra bounce. This makes it very interesting. You might as well want to say that Pakistan's pace battery is better equipped to the conditions than India's. However, it all depends on how much amount of grass the groundsman leaves on the surface. Is there another green pitch in store?

Rohit Sharma has been in scintillating touch, Virat Kohli has been doing very well. Shikhar Dhawan cracked a couple of fifties recently against Sri Lanka and India would want for more consistency from the left-hander and the middle-order. Where will Yuvraj Singh bat today? Is there a chance that Dhoni will promote him up the order? Time well tell. We saw a promotion work wonders for the Men in Blue the other day. Hardik Pandya, walking out ahead of Dhoni, hit the ball hard against Bangladesh and showed everyone about his big-hitting ability. With the ball, Ashish Nehra's experience has come in handy, while Jasprit Bumrah continues to impress with his skiddy pace and accuracy. Need no mention about the spinners, for they have been doing a great job. Having said all this, it's a different day and a game against Pakistan is always a high-voltage clash. How will Dhoni's boys handle the pressure?

MS Dhoni and Co. have had a wonderful time with the shortest format of the game of late. First a whitewash for Australia in their own backyard and then a series victory over Sri Lanka at home. Just a couple of days ago, they were very good in the tournament opener against Bangladesh as well. The side looks pretty settled and Dhoni is very pleased to have a lot of bowling options. The key to this side is that there are at least 4 players, who can both bat and bowl their full quota of overs.

India have won the toss and have opted to field

India (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah

Afridi: We wanted to bat first anyway. We are playing 4 genuine fast bowlers. Truly speaking, we are relaxed, very motivated and that's a good sign for me. There will be something on this pitch for the fast bowlers early on.

Dhoni: We will bowl first. I think so far we have not really judged the wicket. This is slightly harder than the last time we played here. We have seen that the sides that have lost too many wickets early have found it to win games. So we need to respect the bowlers initially. Once the dew comes on the outfield, the ball comes on better and it's easier to play the big shots. Pressure is always there. I am surviving (smiles, when asked about his back injury). Shikhar Dhawan has a niggle, Ajinkya Rahane is in.

Pitch Report: It is a very good pitch again. India have batted on this earlier against Bangladesh. The grass cover is slightly lesser on this pitch. It should be a bowl-first wicket, with the dew factor in mind.

'This pitch looks less greener than the ones used so far,' chirps Ganesh Chandrasekaran, who is at the ground.

So out of 6 games, Pakistan have beaten India only once in the T20I format. Shahid Afridi's boys would want to better that stat tonight. One can see MS Dhoni playing football in the warm-ups. So that's a sign that his back is fine. Remember, he played with a back-brace against Bangladesh and did not practice yesterday.

Head-to-head: 2007 World T20: Durban - match tied, India win bowl-out. Johannesburg - Misbah's false scoop shot, India snatch victory from the jaws of defeat to be crowned champions. 2012 World T20: Virat Kohli's all-round show gives India an easy victory.
Bangalore, 2012: Fifties from Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik seal the game for Pakistan despite Bhuvneshwar Kumar's dream debut. Ahmedabad, 2012: A Yuvraj Singh special outsmarts Pakistan. 2014 World T20: Pressure gets the better of Mohammad Hafeez and Co. as India beat Pakistan yet again in a World Cup.