A talent-rich India will start as overwhelming favourites against arch-rivals Pakistan in their Asia Cup clash in Dubai on Sunday — a contest surprisingly low on hype despite escalating border tensions in recent months.
With a T20 World Cup in India in four months, there is no lack of context in the match, but for the first time in many years, a Sunday cricket match between India and Pakistan lacks the high-pitched narrative that is typically associated with the region.
The Indian playing eleven includes batsmen like Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, and Abhishek Sharma, a pacer like Jasprit Bumrah, and spinners of the caliber of Varun Chakravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav. On paper, the Indians appear far more formidable than Pakistan, who are still adjusting to life under new captain Salman Ali Agha.
Though the likelihood of an upset against this Indian team is still slim, there is always a chance given the format’s unpredictable nature.
Opening batsman Saim Ayub, middle-order willow-wielder Hasan Nawaz, and the trio of spinners Mohammed Nawaz, Sufiyan Muqeen, and Abrar Ahmed would all love to make an impression in a new team that has abandoned the idea of relying primarily on Muhammad Rizwan and Babar Azam.
The most recent deterioration in relations between the two nations started with the terror incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists.
The subsequent military action and public outrage have contributed to the relatively low-key build-up to the most prominent match of the continental cricket championship.
There isn’t the same festive enthusiasm surrounding the match because there are still thousands of tickets available and not many supporters showed up for Friday’s India practice session.
Nobody is certain how many BCCI officials, who usually make a beeline for major events, will show up on Sunday as a result of the social media calls for an Indian boycott.
At multi-nation events, the Indian government has permitted the national team to play against fierce rivals, but not at the bilateral level.
The traveling media is also trying to add some spice, but as expected, officials from both countries have snubbed any questions that even hint at politics.
Typically, an Indo-Pak match consists of Indian batsmen facing off against Pakistani pacers. However, this time, both teams’ spinners will be crucial because the only specialized pacers playing on Sunday are Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
A compelling subplot is created by the appearance of one right-arm wrist spinner and one left-arm wrist spinner on either side, despite the pitch’s lack of noticeable rotation. Although Sufiyan Muqeem is a competent bowler, he is not nearly as skilled as Kuldeep Yadav, whose googly has proven unplayable off the hand.
Abrar Ahmed’s eccentric celebrations and leg breaks have won him a lot of admirers around Pakistan, but Varun Chakravarthy’s art form has a sense of mystery that might confuse Pakistani batters. Young guns who aren’t reading spinners from their hands, like Saim Ayub and Shahibzad Farhan, may find him particularly challenging.
Last but not the least, Axar Patel, the most valuable yet low-profile player in the Indian lineup, is far superior to Mohammed Nawaz, the left-arm spinner who is placed 30th in the actual ICC rankings but at the top according to his coach, Mike Hesson.
In terms of winning games, Hardik is superior to Faheem Ashraf when it comes to all-rounders. At any given moment, these players have the ability to take the pitch out of the equation.
If there is one bowler in Pakistan’s lineup that India is concerned about, it has to be Shaheen Afridi, who has happy memories of this stadium from 2021. To set up his nation’s pleasant T20 World Cup group league victory, he got rid of KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli a few overs later.
However, Shaheen’s bowling ability has diminished since undergoing knee surgery, and his late swing and off-field movement have vanished.
For India, determining the best batting lineup will be crucial. Samson’s position will be crucial, as will Dube’s, who has been tasked with smashing the spinners in the middle overs.
The stakes are still high even when there isn’t any noise. Because the world pauses to watch when India and Pakistan play, whether there is any hype or not.
