At the
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, the mouth-watering clash between India and
Pakistan promised to offer fireworks.
KL Rohit and Rahul Sharma vs. Shaheen Afridi
India's
opening batsmen will have had sleepless nights following their previous T20
World Cup match against Pakistan.
In one
of the most memorable stints of T20 bowling in history, Shaheen Afridi
dismissed both Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in only seven deliveries.
At the
start of the third over, a vicious inswinger sent Rohit back to the dugout
without bothering the scoreboard, before another delectable delivery curved
back in and castled Rahul's stumps.
India
never recovered, and Afridi's record in the Powerplay has been superb
throughout his T20I career.
If India's openers defeat Shaheen, a massive score may be on the cards.
Asif Ali against. India's death bowlers
Asif
Ali's position as a forceful finisher has been hotly debated recently, but he's
a proven force in the later parts of an innings and could cause major damage,
especially in the bouncy Australian conditions.
India's
tactics towards the death are little less evident in the absence of Jasprit
Bumrah. In a perfect environment, Bumrah would take at least two of the final
five overs of an innings, but the task may now fall to Mohammed Shami and his
yorker-heavy approach.
If he smashes those yorkers like he did in the warm-up game against Australia, India should be OK. However, the margin for mistake is extremely narrow against a hitter like Asif Ali. It'll be intriguing to see.
Shadab Khan vs. Suryakumar Yadav
India's
middle-order wonder is now the best T20 batsman in the world, and he might be
the key to their prospects in Australia.
One of
the highlights of Yadav's style is that he is a true 360 hitter against both
pace and spin, and he will be targeting Pakistan's primary spinner.
Shadab
Khan normally keeps things tight for Pakistan in the middle overs, generating
pressure and providing plenty of wickets - 87 in 73 T20I innings at a strike
rate of 18.8.
Pakistan isn't accustomed to watching Shadab go for runs, but if anybody can stop him, it'll be India's number four.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan
It is
no secret that the batting power of Pakistan is founded on the shoulders of
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.
Rizwan
and Babar have been at the top of the MRF ICC T20I Player Rankings for several
years, with Rizwan starting the T20 World Cup in first place and Babar in
third, with India's Yadav separating the two.
Volume
of runs is not an issue for the tandem, and if they go big, opponents can be in
huge trouble. Their batting record together is terrifying: five times they have
put on 150 runs or more as a partnership in T20 international matches, the most
recent being their incredible 203-run opening stand against England barely a
month ago.
If you
get one of Babar or Rizwan out early, you have a chance against Pakistan, and
India has a Powerplay specialist in Bhuvneshwar Kumar who may cause problems
for the openers.
While the remainder of Pakistan's batting lineup is excellent, they are used to going big on a foundation built by the steady top two. Remove that platform, and you'll be halfway to putting an end to Pakistan.
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