COLOMBO:
Colombo is gearing up for cricket’s fiercest rivalry as the much-anticipated clash between Pakistan and India in the ICC T20 World Cup is set for Sunday at the R. Premadasa Stadium, a contest that has already electrified fans long before the first ball is bowled.
With both sides undefeated and a Super Eight spot on the line, the stakes could hardly be higher.
The build-up has been anything but routine.
From Pakistan’s initial threat of boycott to India’s negative attitude to the eventual green light for justice for Bangladesh, the political undertones have only heightened the anticipation.
Now, with a packed 35,000-seat stadium and hundreds of millions expected to tune in worldwide, cricket returns to center stage – although dark rain clouds hovering over Colombo threaten to add further drama.
Conditions are expected to favor spin and both teams look set to lean heavily on their slow bowlers.
Saturday’s practice sessions were intense, with players fine-tuning strategies for what promises to be a high-pressure day-night encounter that begins at 19.00, and the gates open at 3 p.m.
Fans have been advised to arrive at least four hours before kick-off.
A clash between these traditional rivals is always the highlight of any tournament.
Pakistan came into the match on the back of a hard-fought win over the Netherlands followed by a 32-run win against the USA.
India have also won both their matches, defeating USA and Namibia. In last year’s Asia Cup, the “Men in Blue” were victorious in all three meetings against Pakistan, but the “Green Shirts” are determined to reverse that trend.
Sunday’s winner advances to the Super Eight stage, while the losing team gets another opportunity in their final group game.
The pitch at R. Premadasa Stadium looks conducive to spin bowling. Pakistan’s unique spinner Usman Tariq has troubled Indian batsmen in the past and will be supported by Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub in the spin department.
The pace attack will be led by Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf, although Faheem did not get the ball in the previous match and Shaheen is still working towards top form.
Containing India’s aggressive batters during the powerplay will be crucial.
India’s explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, who is recovering from a stomach ailment, has joined the squad in Colombo, though his participation remains uncertain.
Indian batsmen Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav are in fine touch while Hardik Pandya has reinforced his status as a reliable all-rounder.
Pakistan’s batting will rely on an aggressive start from Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub.
Salman Ali Agha, at one-down, is expected to play a significant role.
Babar Azam remains the backbone of the side and will have to balance wicket keeping with maintaining the scoring momentum.
All-rounders Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf have contributed with the bat, although Usman Khan, dismissed for nil in both previous matches, has struggled.
For India, Varun Chakravarthy’s spin poses a challenge to Pakistani batsmen, while Axar Patel adds depth to their slow-bowling arsenal.
Security is at its highest level for the high-voltage meeting. Armed guards accompany both teams from hotels to training sessions and match day movements.
The blockbuster event has also delivered a major boost to Sri Lanka’s tourism sector with thousands of fans from both countries in Colombo. All tickets have been sold and black market sales are underway.
Rain remains an issue on Sunday night and fans are hoping for clear skies.
For the record, Pakistan and India have met 16 times in T20 Internationals. India have won 12, Pakistan 3, while the famous “bowl-out” match in 2007 ended in a draw.
‘Always ready’
Pakistan captain Salman Agha said on Saturday that his team had been “always ready” to face India on Sunday at the T20 World Cup, despite only being given the go-ahead a few days ago.
The biggest and most lucrative clash in world cricket has sold out the 35,000-capacity R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, with hundreds of millions more expected to watch on television.
The game was only confirmed as going ahead late on Monday night after the Islamabad government made a U-turn on its order to boycott the blockbuster Group A game.
“This is a very big game and the scale is huge,” Agha said ahead of the team’s training session at the stadium on Saturday.
“We were always ready for the game, regardless of the decision.”
Pakistan had a miserable last-over-three-wicket win against the Netherlands before beating the USA by 32 runs. India have also won both their matches so far.
“We are in good momentum and I hope that being in Colombo since the start will help us in terms of the conditions,” Agha said.
But he warned: “We have to play good cricket to win the game.”
With rain forecast on Sunday night, Agha expects spin to dominate and described Tariq Usman as his trump card against India’s powerful batting line-up.
“Tariq has bowled well and I am sure the mystery element will make him our trump card,” Agha said, dispelling doubts about the legality of Tariq’s unique sling-arm action and the exaggerated pause in his delivery stride.
“He’s been cleared twice so there are no worries.”
Agha also expressed hope that players from both teams would shake hands, unlike during their three Asia Cup matches in Dubai last year.
“The game has to be played in the true spirit of the game,” Agha said.
“It’s been the norm in cricket for years, but however they want it, we won’t know until tomorrow.”
“I hope he plays tomorrow. I hope he’s recovering well,” Agha said. “We will play against the best, good luck to him.”
Suryakumar
India captain Suryakumar Yadav admitted on Saturday that no matter how much his team tried to treat Sunday’s clash against Pakistan as “just another game”, it would be much more than that.
“It’s a big platform, of course,” Suryakumar told reporters in Colombo. “No matter how much you say it’s just another game, it’s a big game.”
The game was only confirmed late on Monday night after Islamabad reversed its boycott decision.
“We don’t play them often, we don’t even play them regularly,” said the Indian skipper.
“But at the end of the day, we try to keep things simple and try to play our best game.
“There is pressure, but there is a great opportunity,” Suryakumar said.
“According to me, when you play an India-Pakistan game, it’s more about the occasion.”
He declined to confirm whether his players would shake hands after previous rejections in last year’s Asia Cup.
“I will break the tension tomorrow,” he said.
“Wait for 24 hours, let’s play the game which is more important.”
Suryakumar played down the hype surrounding Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq and his sling-arm action.
“We have been practicing with similar types of bowlers and similar actions, so we will try to execute what we practice in the night sessions,” he said.
He added that Abhishek Sharma has recovered well and was likely to play.
Both teams have won their opening two games and Sunday’s winner will secure qualification for the Super Eight stage.
(With additional input from agencies)
