Daijiworld Media Network- Dubai
Dubai, Feb 22: The much-anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the ICC champions trophy is set to take place on Sunday, with Rohit Sharma-led India aiming to book a spot in the semifinals and Mohammad Rizwan’s Pakistan fighting to stay alive in the tournament.
India, fresh off a six-wicket win over Bangladesh, enter the contest with momentum on their side. In contrast, Pakistan are under pressure after suffering a 60-run loss to New Zealand in their opening game.
The last time these two sides met in the champions trophy, Pakistan stunned India in the 2017 final. Rizwan and his team will look to draw inspiration from that triumph but will need a vastly improved performance across all departments.
India’s preparation and settled squad give them a clear advantage heading into the encounter. The top order looks in fine touch, with Rohit Sharma regaining form with a fluent 41-run cameo against Bangladesh and Shubman Gill anchoring the chase with his eighth ODI century.
On the other hand, Pakistan’s biggest concern is the form of Babar Azam. His 90-ball 64 against New Zealand, while valuable in isolation, was criticized for its lack of intent during a steep chase. With Fakhar Zaman ruled out due to injury, Pakistan have brought in Imam-ul-Haq to fill the gap at the top of the order.
One positive for Pakistan was Khushdil Shah’s counter-attacking 69 against the Kiwis, an effort he himself admitted was unexpected given his lean patch. Pakistan will hope he continues his good run.
For India, Virat Kohli is under scrutiny after yet another failure to convert a solid start. However, he has a history of rising to the occasion against Pakistan in major ICC events.
In the bowling department, Mohammed Shami, who returned to the squad in top form, led the charge with a brilliant five-wicket haul against Bangladesh. Supported by Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel, India’s attack appears well-rounded.
Pakistan, however, are still reeling from the battering their pace attack, led by Shaheen Afridi, took against New Zealand. They will need a vastly improved effort to contain India’s powerful batting lineup.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya has consistently delivered in high-pressure India-Pakistan clashes. Having played a lone-fighter role in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, he will be eager to turn the tide this time.
With conditions favoring spinners, India are likely to retain their winning combination, relying on their spin trio of Kuldeep, Jadeja, and Axar.
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakravarthy.
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice-captain), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Match starts at 2:30 pm IST.