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 takes place on Sunday at the R. Premadasa Stadium, a contest that has already electrified fans well before the first ball is bowled.
With both teams undefeated and a Super Eight place at stake, the stakes could hardly be higher.
The preparation was anything but routine.
From Pakistan’s initial threat of a boycott to India’s negative attitude to the eventual green light for justice in Bangladesh, the political overtones have only intensified the wait.
Now, with a packed 35,000-seat stadium and hundreds of millions of spectators expected around the world, cricket is returning to center stage – although dark rain clouds hovering over Colombo threaten to add even more drama.
Conditions should favor spin, and both teams look set to rely heavily on their slow bowlers.
Saturday’s training sessions were intense, with players fine-tuning their strategies for what promises to be a high-pressure day-night encounter starting at 7 p.m. and doors opening at 3 p.m.
Supporters are advised to arrive at least four hours before departure.
A clash between these traditional rivals is always the highlight of any tournament.
Pakistan came into the match on the back of a tough win over the Netherlands, followed by a 32-run victory over the United States.
India also won both their matches, beating the United States and Namibia. In last year’s Asia Cup, the ‘Men in Blue’ won all three matches against Pakistan, but the ‘Green Shirts’ are determined to reverse that trend.
Sunday’s winner will advance to the Super Eight stage, while the losing team will have another opportunity in their final group match.
The pitch at the R. Premadasa stadium seems conducive to the practice of spin bowling. Pakistan’s uniquely styled spinner Usman Tariq has already troubled the Indian batters and will be supported by Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Saim Ayub in the spin department.
The fast-paced attack will be led by Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf, although Faheem did not receive the ball in the previous match and Shaheen is still working towards peak form.
It will be crucial to contain India’s aggressive batters during the powerplay.
Explosive Indian opener Abhishek Sharma, who is recovering from a stomach illness, has joined the team in Colombo, although his participation remains uncertain.
Indian batters Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav are in good touch, while Hardik Pandya has cemented 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, should play an important role.
Babar Azam remains the backbone of the team and will have to balance wicketkeeping with maintaining goal-scoring momentum.
All-rounders Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf contributed with the bat, although Usman Khan, dismissed for nil in the previous two matches, struggled.
For India, Varun Chakravarthy’s spin presents a challenge for Pakistan’s batting, while Axar Patel adds depth to their slow bowling arsenal.
Safety is at its highest level for the high-voltage encounter. Armed guards accompany both teams from hotels to training sessions and game day travel.
The blockbuster event also provided 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 continue.
Rain remains a concern Sunday evening 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 2007 bowl-out match 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 in the T20 World Cup, despite only receiving the go-ahead a few days ago.
The biggest and most lucrative clash in world cricket has sold out Colombo’s 35,000-capacity R. Premadasa Stadium, with hundreds of millions more expected to watch on television.
The match’s progress was only confirmed on Monday evening, after the Islamabad government reversed its order to boycott the blockbuster Group A match.
“It’s a very big game and the scale of it is huge,” Agha said ahead of the team’s training at the stadium on Saturday.
“We were always ready for the game, whatever the decision.”
Pakistan registered a scrappy last-gasp three-wicket win over the Netherlands before beating the United States by 32 runs. India have also won both their matches so far.
“We are in good momentum and I hope being in Colombo from the beginning will help us in terms of conditions,” Agha said.
But he warned: “We have to play good cricket to win the match.”
With rain forecast for Sunday evening, Agha expects spin to dominate and described Tariq Usman as his trump card against India’s powerful batting line-up.
“Tariq bowled well and I am sure the mystery element will make him our trump card,” Agha said, brushing aside doubts about the legality of Tariq’s unique arm sling action and the exaggerated pause in his delivery stride.
“He’s been cleared twice so there’s no worries.”
Agha also expressed hope that players from both teams will shake hands, unlike their three Asian Cup matches in Dubai last year.
“The game must be played in the true spirit of the game,” Agha said.
“It’s been the norm in cricket for years, but whatever they want, we won’t know until tomorrow.”
“I hope he plays tomorrow. I hope he recovers well,” Agha said. “We want to 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 match”, it would be much more than that.
“It’s obviously a big platform,” Suryakumar told reporters in Colombo. “No matter how much you say it’s just another game, it’s a great game.”
The match was only confirmed late Monday evening after Islamabad reversed its boycott decision.
“We don’t play them often, we don’t even play them regularly,” the Indian skipper said.
“But at the end of the day, we try to keep it simple and play our best game.
“There is pressure, but there is great opportunity,” Suryakumar said.
“In my opinion, when we play an India-Pakistan match, it’s more a question of opportunity.”
He refused to confirm whether his players would shake hands after previous setbacks at last year’s Asian Cup.
“I will break the suspense tomorrow,” he said.
“Wait 24 hours, let’s play the game that’s more important.”
Suryakumar downplayed the hype around Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq and his spin action.
“We have trained 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 is likely to play.
Both teams won their first two matches and Sunday’s winner will ensure qualification for the Super Eight stage.
(With additional input from agencies)
