Prediction: Pakistan will defeat India in Asian Cricket Cup
By Rida Zaheer
India has so far able to 150 scores in 40 overs with 5 wickets down. The famous astrologers of Braham Jyotish Vastu Kendra and Radhakrishnan, Panamanna Chennai, India and cricket Experts announced that India will lost match and will not be able to reach in Final.
Interestingly, the last time India played Pakistan in the Asia Cup at Mirpur in 2012, they beat them by six wickets.
India chased down a 330-run target in less than 48 overs thanks to Kohli’s magnificent 183 off 148 deliveries.
Their most recent meeting was in the ICC Champions Trophy last June when India won a rain-affected match in Birmingham by eight wickets and went on to win the tournament.
But the sheer importance of the contest will mean that the past records will have little relevance as the two teams look to renew their rivalry and score some brownie points.
It is also the first meeting between the Asian powerhouses in the backdrop of the new International Cricket Council reforms, where Pakistan vehemently opposes the plan to concentrate power on the ‘Big Three’ which includes India.
On-field contests featuring the traditional foes, which attract millions of viewers around the cricket world, have fallen victim to political stand-offs between the two warring neighbours.
Since the ICC World Cup 2011 semi-final, India and Pakistan have played just five one-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 matches against each other, mostly in multi-nation events.
“Its always a big challenge playing against India because there is so much interest in the game,” said Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq. “India are a formidable side and we have to be at our best to win.”
“We may not have played each other much recently, but I know it will be an exciting match,” he added.
India will be without their talismanic captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and it remains to be seen how their most prolific batsman Kohli carries the weight of expectations when he leads the team out for the first time against Pakistan.
The new-look middle order without Dhoni is a major concern for India who were restricted to 264-9 against Sri Lanka when they looked on course for a total in excess of 300 after Shikhar Dhawan (94) and Kohli (48) gave them a solid platform.
The Indian think tank may consider including Cheteshwar Pujara to bring in some solidity after the failure of Ambati Rayudu (18), Dinesh Karthik (4) and Stuart Binny (0) cost them against Sri Lanka.
Skipper Kohli has shrugged of concerns about the performance of Sharma as opener.
“We need to have faith in him because he’s done really well and stepped up when we didn’t have any opening options. He’s filled in that spot beautifully and I think he deserves all the faith,” Kohli has said.
In bowling, too, India missed a third spinner to back Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the death overs with Rohit Sharma being the seventh bowler to be used.
Amit Mishra is an option in the spin department.
Pakistan, too, face similar batting woes with their star performer so far being Umar Akmal having scored 74 against Sri Lanka and then an unbeaten 102 against Afghanistan.
However, Pakistan’s world class bowling attack will have to be at its very best to contain India.
Umar Gul will have to lead the attack with more intensity.
Junaid Khan has a psychological edge over Kohli after having dismissed him on all three occasions in the bilateral ODI series last year.
Mohammad Hafeez’s form will also prove to be crucial in a tense match like this, as also that of match-winning allrounder Shahid Afridi.
Both the teams will be looking to bowl first after winning the toss because of the dew factor.
Teams (from):
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Stuart Binny, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Cheteshwar Pujara, Amit Mishra, Varun Aaron and Ishwar Pandey.
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (captain), Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal (wk), Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Talha, Abdur Rehman, Fawad Alam.
