A week ago, there was a lot of hype surrounding the Asia Cup 2022 match between Pakistan and India, which was being held in Dubai. It was also one of the rare occasions when the on-field play and the hype surrounding the match matched. The match between the two teams was an absorbing affair, with both teams going into the final over with the score at 148. Hardik Pandya then took India home with a six over long-on.
Many fans believed that a meeting between India and Pakistan would happen during the Super Four stage. The two nations will face off against each other on Saturday at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Another India-Pakistan match is scheduled to be held in Dubai on Sunday. Due to the heat in the UAE, the atmosphere at the stadium will be very different from what it was during the previous matches. This will be the third time that the two countries face off, and it will be interesting to see how the likes of Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Suryakumar Yadav perform in the match. For an Indian perspective, they will also be happy to see how the team has been able to win its last two matches against Hong Kong and Pakistan.
There are still areas of concern for India that need to be resolved before the match against Pakistan. One of these is the form of their middle order batsman, KL Rahul. After returning from an injury layoff, he had a dreadful start to the tournament, making a duck against Pakistan and a painstaking 36 against Hong Kong.
India will look to get a big score from their captain, Rohit Sharma, who has been struggling with his form in the past couple of matches. Apart from the batting, the bowling attack will also be under scrutiny due to the inconsistency of pacer Avesh Khan. In the Asia Cup match against Pakistan, he only managed to take 1/19 in his two overs.
In the Asia Cup match against Hong Kong, he was also inconsistent, and he conceded 53 runs in his four overs. With the absence of Jadeja, India will be looking to find a replacement for him during the tournament.
In addition to the batting, India will also be looking to see if they will retain the services of left-handed opening batsman, Rishabh Pant, or if they will go with Axar Patel or a replacement for Jadeja, in the playing eleven. On the other hand, Pakistan, on the other hand, easily defeated Hong Kong in their last match.
In the Asia Cup match against Pakistan, the team’s pacers and spin attacks were able to get some early wickets. The middle order also got starts, with Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan making half-centuries.
Despite the various concerns that the team has faced, they still believe that the top order of the team can still perform well. The likes of Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, and Mohammad Rizwan can make a big contribution while chasing.
One of the main reasons why India struggled against Hong Kong was due to the lack of options in the batting order. With the top three using a lot of deliveries, it took a lot of time for someone like Asif Ali, Khushdil, or Ahmed to finish the job.
One loss in the Super Four will not only affect India’s chances of making the final, it will also put Pakistan’s plans for the tournament in jeopardy. Both Pakistan and India are aware of the importance of maintaining a consistent performance throughout the tournament. The two countries will be playing at a high level when they face off on Sunday.
Hopefully, the hype surrounding the match will be similar to what it was during the Asia Cup match against Pakistan.