COLOMBO:
Colombo is gearing up for cricket’s fiercest rivalry as the much-awaited clash between Pakistan and India in the ICC T20 World Cup is scheduled for Sunday at the R. Premadasa Stadium, a contest that has already electrified fans long before the first ball is bowled.
With both teams undefeated and a spot in the Super Eight on the line, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
The preparation has been anything but routine.
From Pakistan’s initial threat to boycott over India’s negative attitude to the eventual green light after justice is served for Bangladesh, the political backdrop has only intensified the anticipation.
Now, with a packed stadium seating 35,000 and hundreds of millions expected to tune in around the world, cricket is returning to center stage, although dark rain clouds looming over Colombo threaten to add more drama.
Conditions are expected to favor spin and both teams look set to rely 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 7 p.m. and doors 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 entered the game after a tough win over Netherlands followed by a 32-run win against the United States.
India also won both its matches, defeating the United States and Namibia. In last year’s Asia Cup, the “Men in Blue” prevailed in 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 chance in their final group match.
The pitch at the R. Premadasa Stadium seems conducive to bowling. Pakistan’s unique style spinner Usman Tariq has caused problems for the Indian batsmen before 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 was not given the ball in the previous match and Shaheen is still working towards his best form.
It will be crucial to contain India’s aggressive batsmen during the powerplay.
India’s explosive opener Abhishek Sharma, recovering from a stomach illness, has joined the team in Colombo, although his participation remains uncertain.
Indian batsmen Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav are in good touch, while Hardik Pandya has reinforced his status as a reliable all-rounder.
Pakistan’s batting will depend on an aggressive start from Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub.
Salman Ali Agha, in one down, is expected to play an important role.
Babar Azam remains the backbone of the team and will need to balance preserving ground with maintaining scoring momentum.
All-rounders Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf have contributed with the bat, although Usman Khan, dismissed for zero in the previous two matches, has struggled.
For India, Varun Chakravarthy’s spin presents a challenge to the Pakistani batsmen, while Axar Patel adds depth to their slow bowling arsenal.
Security is at the highest level for the high-voltage encounter. Armed guards accompany both teams from the hotels to training and travel on match day.
The hugely successful event has also given a huge boost to Sri Lanka’s tourism sector, with thousands of fans from both countries in Colombo. All tickets have been sold and sales continue on the black market.
Rain remains a concern for Sunday night and fans are hoping for clear skies.
For the record, Pakistan and India have faced each other 16 times in international T20 tournaments. India has won 12, Pakistan 3, while the famous 2007 match ended in a draw.
‘Always ready’
Pakistan captain Salman Agha said on Saturday that his team had been “always ready” to face India in the T20 World Cup on Sunday, despite being given the green light just 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 was only confirmed late on Monday night after the Islamabad government did a U-turn on its order to boycott the successful Group A match.
“This is a very important game and the magnitude is huge,” Agha said before the team’s practice at the stadium on Saturday.
“We were always prepared for the game, whatever the decision.”
Pakistan had a tough three-wicket win against the Netherlands before beating the United States by 32 runs. India has also won both its matches so far.
“We are in a good moment and I hope that 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 night, Agha expects spin to dominate and described Tariq Usman as his trump card against India’s powerful batting line-up.
“Tariq has been bowling well and I am sure the element of mystery will make him our trump card,” Agha said, brushing aside doubts over the legality of Tariq’s unique action with his arm in a sling and the exaggerated pause in his step.
“He has been acquitted twice, so there are no worries.”
Agha also expressed hope that players from both teams would shake hands, unlike their three Asia 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 way they want it, we’ll only know 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 as much as his team tried to treat Sunday’s clash against Pakistan as “just another match”, it would be much more than that.
“It’s a great platform, obviously,” Suryakumar told reporters in Colombo. “No matter how much you say it’s just another game, it’s a great game.”
The match was not confirmed until Monday evening, after Islamabad reversed its boycott decision.
“We don’t play them often, we don’t even play them regularly,” the Indian captain said.
“But at the end of the day, we try to keep things simple and execute our best game.
“There is pressure, but also a great opportunity,” said Suryakumar.
“In my opinion, when you play a match between India and Pakistan, it’s all about the occasion.”
He refused to confirm whether his players would shake hands after previous snubs at last year’s Asia Cup.
“Tomorrow I will break the suspense,” he said.
“Wait 24 hours, let’s play the game that is more important.”
Suryakumar played down the hype surrounding Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq and his arm-sling action.
“We have practiced with similar types of bowlers and similar actions, so we will try to execute what we are practicing in the night sessions,” he said.
He added that Abhishek Sharma has recovered well and will probably play.
Both teams won their first two games and Sunday’s winner will secure qualification for the Super Eight phase.
(With additional contributions from agencies)
