There are many fabled sporting rivalries worldwide, be it between clubs or nation-states. However, it wouldnât be hyperbole to say that an India-Pakistan fixture on the cricket field trumps most contests, and continues to be fierce.
On Sunday, the latest instalment of cricketâs âEl Classicoâ â 136th in ODIs â will get under way at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium when the arch-rivals meet in their second Group-A match of the Champions Trophy.
Pakistan, the host, has had to make a short hop to the Arabian peninsula after Indiaâs refusal to play in the formerâs home soil.
While the hype and buzz surrounding an India-Pakistan game never seems to subside â kept at fever pitch in no small measure by the International Cricket Council (ICC), and the broadcasters who come up with over-the-top promotions â the action on the field has failed to live up to expectations in recent times.
The Men in Blue have come out on top in five of their last six ODI meetings (the other was a no-result because of rain). The last time Pakistan triumphed was in the 2017 summit clash of this very tournament.
The two outfits will enter the âRing of Fireâ in contrasting frames of mind. Fresh off a convincing win against Bangladesh in the opener, India looks like a well-oiled machine. Pakistan, on the other hand, has its back to the wall, having lost its first match to New Zealand and desperately seeking a victory to stay afloat.
As is often the case in Indo-Pak encounters, this latest instalment is set to be a battle between Indiaâs batting might and Pakistanâs pace attack.
Shubman Gill, who scored an unbeaten ton, and skipper Rohit Sharma laid down the marker against Bangladesh and will look to stick to their aggressive approach. The team will also hope that Virat Kohli can get back among the runs.
India, propelled by Mohammed Shamiâs five-wicket haul, did well to restrict the Tigers to a modest score, and if the pitch remains as dry as the one used against Bangladesh, Indiaâs three-pronged spin attack will fancy its chances of keeping the Pakistan batters quiet.
The âhomeâ team, which otherwise has a dismal record against its great rival in ODI matches at ICC events, holds a slight edge in the Champions Trophy (3-2). That, and the memories of the two wins at this venue (in T20Is in 2021 and 2022) are something Mohammad Rizwanâs men will seek inspiration from.
Pakistan has issues to address. Fakhar Zaman is out with an injury and it remains to be seen who from Imam-ul-Haq â who was not initially in the squad â and Usman Khan takes his place. Former skipper Babar Azam, who was criticised for his sedate 64 from 90 balls in the failed 321-run chase against the Kiwis, needs to step up.
Though the pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah look menacing, the lack of spin-bowling depth â the only front-line tweaker being Abrar Ahmed â is concerning.
Recent form and squad depth give Rohitâs men an edge and Rizwanâs troops will need to summon the spirit of the âCornered Tigersâ, made famous by the legendary Imran Khan during the march to the 1992 World Cup crown.
The teams (from): Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (Capt.), Salman Ali Agha (vice-capt.), Babar Azam, Iman-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
India: Rohit Sharma (Capt.), Shubman Gill (vice-capt.), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, K.L, Rahul (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Match officials: Umpires: Paul Reiffel and Richard Illingworth; TV umpire: Michael Gough; Match referee: David Boon.
The match starts at 2.30 p.m. (IST).
Published – February 22, 2025 08:09 pm IST
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