ICC T20 World Cup: High Stakes as Pakistan Seeks Redemption Against India After Narrow Defeat by USA

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande

New York, 9th June 2024: Today, the 19th match of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup will take place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, featuring arch-rivals India and Pakistan. This historically significant and highly anticipated match carries even more weight today, as Pakistan, having been narrowly defeated by the host nation, the USA, in a Super Over in their last match, faces a do-or-die situation. India, on the other hand, aims to secure the top spot in the group with a win, easing their path to qualification. The match is scheduled to start at 8 PM IST.

Given Pakistan’s recent loss to the USA, this match is crucial for their chances of advancing. The USA, the host nation, has won both of their matches so far, and another loss for Pakistan would severely hamper their qualification hopes for the Super Eight. For India, this match marks their first major test in three months, and they will strive to avoid disappointment. Group A, which includes the USA, India, Canada, Pakistan, and Ireland, had many predicting India and Pakistan to advance. However, the USA’s strong performance has added an unexpected twist to the standings. Currently, Pakistan sits in fourth place, and a loss to India could drop them to the bottom of the group stage.

The Pakistan cricket team’s recent form has been shaky, as they lost in a Super Over to the USA and dropped two matches to England in a recent four-match T20 series, with two games abandoned due to rain. The Indian cricket team’s recent form is harder to gauge. They have victories against Ireland in this edition and Bangladesh in warm-up matches, but before that, the Indian players were occupied with the Indian Premier League (IPL) for two months, making it difficult to judge the team’s form based on those games.

Despite recent performances, historically, Pakistan has been more consistent than India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Since India won the inaugural tournament, they haven’t secured another title in the following eight editions. In contrast, Pakistan won the cup in 2009 and has since reached three semifinals and one final, compared to India’s one final and two semifinals. However, in head-to-head T20 World Cup matches, India has the upper hand, winning five times and losing only once against Pakistan.

Key players for India in this match include star batsman Virat Kohli, known for his exceptional record against Pakistan, despite a recent lacklustre performance against Ireland. Additionally, Hardik Pandya, who had a moderate IPL but performed well in the warm-up game, will be crucial with both bat and ball. In the bowling department, India will rely heavily on Jasprit Bumrah to secure early wickets on a bowler-friendly pitch.

For Pakistan, key players include captain Babar Azam, especially as their batting lineup has struggled. Pakistan’s strong bowling attack, featuring Haris Rauf, Mohammad Amir, and Shaheen Afridi, will aim to make early breakthroughs during the powerplay to destabilize the Indian team.

According to former cricketer Aakash Chopra, the Indian team will remain unchanged from their last game. He suggests that Pakistan needs a tactical shift, recommending Fakhar Zaman, who currently plays in the middle order, to open the batting. Chopra believes Hardik Pandya will be a standout player for India, with Suryakumar Yadav also being one to watch. For Pakistan, he highlights their bowling attack as crucial to their success, provided the captain utilizes them effectively.

Aakash Chopra’s predicted line-ups are:

– India: Rohit Sharma (C), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (WK), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.

– Pakistan: Babar Azam (C), Mohammad Rizwan (WK), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Haris Rauf.

Cricket experts note that the pitch conditions at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium typically favour bowlers. In the three matches played here, the team batting second has won twice. Although three matches are not a large sample size, the average score of 103 suggests a bowler-friendly wicket. According to weather.com, New York City will see a daytime high of 26°C and a nighttime low of 18°C on Sunday, with morning rain potentially delaying the toss.

Experts widely consider India the favourite to win, given their players’ portfolios and recent form. However, Pakistan, seen as the underdog, tends to perform best when underestimated. For India to win, they will need to handle Pakistan’s pace attack, particularly the left-arm bowlers, and aim for a solid total. Pakistan, on the other hand, will hope for a bowling-friendly pitch and a low-scoring game, which would be less favourable for India.