Not many have come out of their shells after what happened in Dallas on June 6. The US stunned a struggling Pakistan team with a Super Over win, in one of the biggest upsets in cricket history. After this shocking defeat, Babar Azam’s team now faces another tough challenge, this time against arch rivals India. However, the head-to-head clash with the Men in Blue is in favour of the latter with five wins from seven matches.
Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma’s India come into the match fresh from a comfortable eight-wicket win over Ireland and will be happiest with nothing more than seeing skipper Rohit (52 off 37) and Hardik Pandya (3 off 27) back in form ahead of the blockbuster.
India’s bowling line-up will be more confident after the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Pandya delivered productive performances in the opening match of the tournament, while the return of third-string batsman Rishabh Pant could allow Virat Kohli to open the match with Rohit.
India’s superstar with the bat, Kohli, needs no introduction when it comes to the T20 World Cup against Pakistan. The 35-year-old has smashed 308 runs in five matches against the men in green at a batting average of 132.8 and if he performs well on Sunday, he will be a driving force in the Indian team’s hopes.
India have the luxury of having four left-handed batsmen in Rishabh Pant, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja and Akshar Patel in their batting line-up this time around and their batting form will be key to India’s success in the lower middle order.
Meanwhile, Pakistan have had a dismal run of form in their last few T20I matches – their defeat away to England also exposed their weaknesses early in the season – and they need to update their outdated style of cricket immediately if they want to bounce back.
Pakistan’s batting line-up, led by captain Babar Azam, has been showing sporadic performances and the ICC tournament will require the top of the order to show some aggressiveness.
This unpredictable team has also been inconsistent in its selection, but ahead of the T20 World Cup, they brought former players Mohammed Amir and Imad Wasim out of retirement to form the core of the team, along with Usman Khan, who previously played for the UAE.
These returns also proved ineffective, with an embattled Azam Khan also raising objections to Pakistani think tanks.
Additionally, the Men in Green appointed South African veteran Gary Kirsten as their T20 coach ahead of the ICC event, although it is too early to assess Gary as a coach given that he won the ODI World Cup with India in 2011.
Overall, Pakistan’s combined effort will help them outclass India on Sunday at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.
What are the athletic venues available in Nassau County?
In the three matches played at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium so far, only one player, Rohit Sharma, has managed to score fifty or more – 52 against Ireland.
The conditions in New York were far from standard, with excessive seam movement and bounce leading to batsmen getting hit by the ball. These conditions forced India to start with three pace bowlers and two spin-bowling all-rounders in Jadeja and Akshar in place of Kuldeep Yadav.
“We look at the pitch and the conditions and we are ready to make changes and do what is required at the time but today it was a four-seam pitch and still we were able to field two spinners who are all-rounders so we have a good balance going into the match,” he said. [Pakistan game] “It’s going to be a match in which we will all have to contribute,” Rohit said after India’s win over Ireland on June 5.
In terms of preparation, India will be bracing for tough batting conditions when they take on Pakistan on Sunday. However, this may work to the advantage of Pakistan’s fast bowlers, who have dismantled the Indian batting line-up in the past.
Who will come out on top this time?
With the Nassau County pitch expected to be a low scoring affair, the deciding battle in the match will largely depend on the batsmen of both teams. With that in mind, India look to be the overwhelming favourites to win this Super Sunday clash in New York.
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