Within this mega contest are interwoven multi mini contest and just like those yummy little snacks they sure will play their part in this sumptuous and mouthwatering battle.
Pitch: ideally India would like an absolute belter to neutralize Pakistan attack and it will be a shock if we Get anything else but if it favors bowling then Pakistan will be licking their lips. Most of the Pitches in India will make the best of the pacer looks like a goods train and you got to be at your best to survive and thrive on these dead surfaces
Toss: bowling under lights has not made much difference in India for any team and India will love to chase thus covering their chink in the armor. Pakistan may not mind that if only they can muster something above 300. Toss will only matter if one team can exploit other teams weakness and it will not be worst toss to lose and funny thing is that Pakistan may not mind chasing and India might end up cracking doing so.
Pakistan batting V/s Indian Bowling: on a dull day Pakistan batting can resemble those Zulu’s who are funnier than the joke where as Indian bowling has sweated every time they were made to defend huge totals. For me it’s this battle which might seal the fate.
Chunks have been falling in place for Pakistan and they are back to their best opening combination in recent times. Asad has bought about the much sought after calmness at number three. Junior Akmal played a vital match winning innings against Australia.
Truth however remains that Pakistan so far has not clicked as a unit and they must in this crunch game. They might take comfort from the fact that in India they have managed to bat gallantly and seldom came out as a poor cousin all because of the Placid pitches and an ordinary Indian Attack.
Zaheer is the only stellar performer and even he has failed to provide crucial breakthroughs in his opening spells Indian bowling has not been their attacking arm and its role is limited to containment and waiting for the opposite number to crumble under pressure.
They have relied heavily on their spinners but its Pakistan that they are facing if India bowls first Pakistan must ensure that they target something in the region of 325-350 and get the game away from
India it certainly remain a distinct possibility if they plan to make full use of all 20 over’s of power play. For a Change it will be Pakistan batting which will have an important role to play. Afridi must use himself as floater to surprise Indian spinner.
Indian bowling has really looked very ordinary and toothless for a Team which aspires to be World champions. India’s best bet is to put up a big score and then wait for the opposition to crumble and this opposition certainly has that talent.
How their spinners perform against Pakistan will be extremely crucial in the final outcome Pakistan batting must ensure that Indian bowling stuck out like a sour thumb for its full duration of 50 over’s before they can start dealing with the might of Indian batting.
Pakistan Bowling V/S Indian batting: Indian batting has a self belief of a Champion side and that’s what makes their batting so dangerous. It’s not just the talent alone it’s that self belief that they can do it having said that they have not really played to their full potential and if you remove Sehwag and Sachin early it might then be a completely different lineup
Afridi is really a very defensive captain with the world best bowling line up at his disposal and he should forget about containment and think about keeping the pressure and taking wickets especially upfront. His defensive selection has made Imran so comfortable that he had to yell out for Ajmal and now writing is on the wall get Akhtar even though it might just be his first two spell but a Wicket of Sehwag and Sachin is worth their weight in the gold.
It actually might not be a bad idea to bring in Rehman, as Sachin has shown vulnerability against left arm spinners but will they have gall to drop Razzak? Make no mistake there would be thousand thought flying around the Pakistan Think tank and that’s what makes it such a compelling contest what will help Pakistan though is they must remain positive especially in their Selection.
Ajmal is a match winner and an excellent death bowling options something Pakistan needs so dearly as Akthar may not fill in the shoes. In spite of being an excellent unit Pakistan needs someone along Gul to ensure that they don’t bleed at death over’s
To me there are few weakness in the mighty Indian batting and Pakistan bowling and I don’t think anyone will emerge as a overwhelming winner it would rather be many small phases in 50 over’s stretch and who wins maximum of those crucial phases.
Afridi V/S Dhoni: This is where India has slight edge. Dhoni, In spite of his own form with the bat is a better taskmaster and backs his team with certain degree of stubbornness. He persisted with Chawla when the whole world went hoarse against him where as Afridi Dropped Akhtar after just one bad over
Afridi melts under pressure and sometimes looks clueless when Pakistan bowling comes under attack
In spite of having such a Positive aura around himself he is shockingly defensive when it comes to make a kill whatever was he thinking against West-Indies after the fall of 8th wicket remains mystery he needs to watch out leading his team against this Pressure game against India Pakistan must back their Instinct and hunt for wickets he should be bold enough to try not giving easy singles and build pressure
Pakistan has never been renowned for strategy on the fields but Afridi needs to come well prepared for every eventuality and must not drop shoulders under any circumstances.
Having said that he has certainly being more inspiring with his own performance and led from front, boys have gelled well under him and his confidence must have grown in stature
A match against India can be very cruel and on most occasions separate boys from man it’s anybody’s guess where would Afridi like to end up.
Dropped catches, Run-outs and comical dismissals: What went wrong with Gambhir against Australia is what brings the fear of unknown into the contest that’s where all the best made plans end and dance of nerves began.
Who will crack under pressure will be visible when semi-comic and semi-tragic events start unfolding two batsmen running after a bus only to make a startling discovery that it’s a wrong one. Both the teams have abysmal fielding standards but Kamran on his day will put a magician in shame by allowing an entire bus pass through his gloves
In close games as we saw one recently with SA whichever team improves its fielding on the day will have an edge over other it’s funny how they never talk about it when it comes to India V/S Pak but you can’t take performance on the field out of the equation
Beyond Analysis: Pakistan can be a nightmare for any analyst because they hardly play 70 percent of their potential in most of the matches or more often they lack a leader who can unite these talented bunch and instill so much faith in themselves that they start believing in themselves. Afridi might have just done that and this team might just have enough faith in themselves to change the history.
Pakistan are the favorites whipping boys of the world and on most of the occasions they have themselves to blame but very few are honest enough to admit how they regroup so quickly after one disaster or another and keep shocking world by putting themselves in winning position
When I look at Indian celebration's it somehow reeks with the burden of expectation which they have to carry in spite of having a mediocre attack, there is no doubt more pressure is on them to justify the favorites tag as compared to Pakistan who has matter of fact gone about their business of demolishing one tournament favorites to another in a very calm and businesslike manner.
They are certainly a team out of two who is not shouting from the rooftop “Here we come” rather they signify a very disturbing presence most of the time bearing the brunt of the commentators to rob them from their party
As I said before everything said and done it’s a battle of nerves and self-belief while Pakistan is still considered as underdogs what will matter on the day is how much belief this team is carrying into this important tie.
To me it’s not as shameless media is hyping a war between two traditional rivals spiking up the emotions to grab eyeballs.
Its rather a battle of Pakistan with Pakistan this country has more often than not being made to eat humble pie by its leaders, religious fanatics, Pakistan people hardly figures in the headlines they have been robbed of whatever pride they use to take from their Cricket team.
This team has not only restored that pride but has already exceeded them even a defeat will be graciously accepted and a victory will bring UN measurable joy to the people of this country
It’s a different ball game for India where it’s as much a media event as much it’s a passion. It has put tremendous pressure on Indian cricket team and playing Pakistan could well turn out to be their worst nightmare.
Something tells me this Pakistan team might rob a whole bunch of cricket expert from their party, here is match between self belief and self discovery this Pakistan team has slowly but definitely discovered themselves and when that happens as Ravi Shastri says “doesn’t matter who the hell opposition is”
Pitch: ideally India would like an absolute belter to neutralize Pakistan attack and it will be a shock if we Get anything else but if it favors bowling then Pakistan will be licking their lips. Most of the Pitches in India will make the best of the pacer looks like a goods train and you got to be at your best to survive and thrive on these dead surfaces
Toss: bowling under lights has not made much difference in India for any team and India will love to chase thus covering their chink in the armor. Pakistan may not mind that if only they can muster something above 300. Toss will only matter if one team can exploit other teams weakness and it will not be worst toss to lose and funny thing is that Pakistan may not mind chasing and India might end up cracking doing so.
Pakistan batting V/s Indian Bowling: on a dull day Pakistan batting can resemble those Zulu’s who are funnier than the joke where as Indian bowling has sweated every time they were made to defend huge totals. For me it’s this battle which might seal the fate.
Chunks have been falling in place for Pakistan and they are back to their best opening combination in recent times. Asad has bought about the much sought after calmness at number three. Junior Akmal played a vital match winning innings against Australia.
Truth however remains that Pakistan so far has not clicked as a unit and they must in this crunch game. They might take comfort from the fact that in India they have managed to bat gallantly and seldom came out as a poor cousin all because of the Placid pitches and an ordinary Indian Attack.
Zaheer is the only stellar performer and even he has failed to provide crucial breakthroughs in his opening spells Indian bowling has not been their attacking arm and its role is limited to containment and waiting for the opposite number to crumble under pressure.
They have relied heavily on their spinners but its Pakistan that they are facing if India bowls first Pakistan must ensure that they target something in the region of 325-350 and get the game away from
India it certainly remain a distinct possibility if they plan to make full use of all 20 over’s of power play. For a Change it will be Pakistan batting which will have an important role to play. Afridi must use himself as floater to surprise Indian spinner.
Indian bowling has really looked very ordinary and toothless for a Team which aspires to be World champions. India’s best bet is to put up a big score and then wait for the opposition to crumble and this opposition certainly has that talent.
How their spinners perform against Pakistan will be extremely crucial in the final outcome Pakistan batting must ensure that Indian bowling stuck out like a sour thumb for its full duration of 50 over’s before they can start dealing with the might of Indian batting.
Pakistan Bowling V/S Indian batting: Indian batting has a self belief of a Champion side and that’s what makes their batting so dangerous. It’s not just the talent alone it’s that self belief that they can do it having said that they have not really played to their full potential and if you remove Sehwag and Sachin early it might then be a completely different lineup
Afridi is really a very defensive captain with the world best bowling line up at his disposal and he should forget about containment and think about keeping the pressure and taking wickets especially upfront. His defensive selection has made Imran so comfortable that he had to yell out for Ajmal and now writing is on the wall get Akhtar even though it might just be his first two spell but a Wicket of Sehwag and Sachin is worth their weight in the gold.
It actually might not be a bad idea to bring in Rehman, as Sachin has shown vulnerability against left arm spinners but will they have gall to drop Razzak? Make no mistake there would be thousand thought flying around the Pakistan Think tank and that’s what makes it such a compelling contest what will help Pakistan though is they must remain positive especially in their Selection.
Ajmal is a match winner and an excellent death bowling options something Pakistan needs so dearly as Akthar may not fill in the shoes. In spite of being an excellent unit Pakistan needs someone along Gul to ensure that they don’t bleed at death over’s
To me there are few weakness in the mighty Indian batting and Pakistan bowling and I don’t think anyone will emerge as a overwhelming winner it would rather be many small phases in 50 over’s stretch and who wins maximum of those crucial phases.
Afridi V/S Dhoni: This is where India has slight edge. Dhoni, In spite of his own form with the bat is a better taskmaster and backs his team with certain degree of stubbornness. He persisted with Chawla when the whole world went hoarse against him where as Afridi Dropped Akhtar after just one bad over
Afridi melts under pressure and sometimes looks clueless when Pakistan bowling comes under attack
In spite of having such a Positive aura around himself he is shockingly defensive when it comes to make a kill whatever was he thinking against West-Indies after the fall of 8th wicket remains mystery he needs to watch out leading his team against this Pressure game against India Pakistan must back their Instinct and hunt for wickets he should be bold enough to try not giving easy singles and build pressure
Pakistan has never been renowned for strategy on the fields but Afridi needs to come well prepared for every eventuality and must not drop shoulders under any circumstances.
Having said that he has certainly being more inspiring with his own performance and led from front, boys have gelled well under him and his confidence must have grown in stature
A match against India can be very cruel and on most occasions separate boys from man it’s anybody’s guess where would Afridi like to end up.
Dropped catches, Run-outs and comical dismissals: What went wrong with Gambhir against Australia is what brings the fear of unknown into the contest that’s where all the best made plans end and dance of nerves began.
Who will crack under pressure will be visible when semi-comic and semi-tragic events start unfolding two batsmen running after a bus only to make a startling discovery that it’s a wrong one. Both the teams have abysmal fielding standards but Kamran on his day will put a magician in shame by allowing an entire bus pass through his gloves
In close games as we saw one recently with SA whichever team improves its fielding on the day will have an edge over other it’s funny how they never talk about it when it comes to India V/S Pak but you can’t take performance on the field out of the equation
Beyond Analysis: Pakistan can be a nightmare for any analyst because they hardly play 70 percent of their potential in most of the matches or more often they lack a leader who can unite these talented bunch and instill so much faith in themselves that they start believing in themselves. Afridi might have just done that and this team might just have enough faith in themselves to change the history.
Pakistan are the favorites whipping boys of the world and on most of the occasions they have themselves to blame but very few are honest enough to admit how they regroup so quickly after one disaster or another and keep shocking world by putting themselves in winning position
When I look at Indian celebration's it somehow reeks with the burden of expectation which they have to carry in spite of having a mediocre attack, there is no doubt more pressure is on them to justify the favorites tag as compared to Pakistan who has matter of fact gone about their business of demolishing one tournament favorites to another in a very calm and businesslike manner.
They are certainly a team out of two who is not shouting from the rooftop “Here we come” rather they signify a very disturbing presence most of the time bearing the brunt of the commentators to rob them from their party
As I said before everything said and done it’s a battle of nerves and self-belief while Pakistan is still considered as underdogs what will matter on the day is how much belief this team is carrying into this important tie.
To me it’s not as shameless media is hyping a war between two traditional rivals spiking up the emotions to grab eyeballs.
Its rather a battle of Pakistan with Pakistan this country has more often than not being made to eat humble pie by its leaders, religious fanatics, Pakistan people hardly figures in the headlines they have been robbed of whatever pride they use to take from their Cricket team.
This team has not only restored that pride but has already exceeded them even a defeat will be graciously accepted and a victory will bring UN measurable joy to the people of this country
It’s a different ball game for India where it’s as much a media event as much it’s a passion. It has put tremendous pressure on Indian cricket team and playing Pakistan could well turn out to be their worst nightmare.
Something tells me this Pakistan team might rob a whole bunch of cricket expert from their party, here is match between self belief and self discovery this Pakistan team has slowly but definitely discovered themselves and when that happens as Ravi Shastri says “doesn’t matter who the hell opposition is”
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