In the 12th match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the two-time World Cup winner, India will face their arch-rivals, Pakistan, tomorrow, October 14, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad at 2 PM IST.
One of the biggest rivalries in cricket, between India and Pakistan, is ready to resurface once again as the two Asian powers square off for two major points in the competition. A crucial match, which will take place after a short but electric celebration, will undoubtedly be an event to be talked about in the future.
Team India will walk into this match with strong momentum, having defeated Afghanistan by holding them to 272-8 and fairly simply chasing down the score in just 35 overs with eight wickets in hand. Skipper Rohit Sharma led his team from the front, striking 131 runs off 84 balls and achieving his seventh World Cup ODI ton, becoming the first player in history to do so. In addition, Virat Kohli also provided solid assistance by scoring an unbeaten 55 runs off of 56 balls, maintaining his great form from the week before the team defeated Australia in their campaign opener. In the upcoming match, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, and Shreyas Iyer, among others, would also like to extend their stay on the pitch for quite a long and have an impactful knock. After the spinners controlled the first game, it was the pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who took the initiative with the ball in the most recent game, recording 4/39 in his 10 overs, moving him up to the second place in the race for the most wickets.
India will still be on their toes going into this game, even though they won’t take anything for granted after crushing Pakistan by a huge 228 runs in their recent match in the Asia Cup 2023 last month. Given how well India have played so far, it would not be surprising to see them enter this game with no changes. Nonetheless, Mohammad Shami could get a nod in place of Mohammed Siraj, as he got slashed for 76 in his nine overs against Afghanistan. Additionally, it will be intriguing to see if Shubman Gill ultimately gets included in the starting XI.
On the other hand, the Men in Green will also be highly optimistic after pulling off a record-breaking run chase of 345 in their last match against Sri Lanka. With Babar Azam still struggling in the competition, Mohammad Rizwan and Abdullah Shafique arrived impressively, slamming 131* and 113, respectively, to give their team a flawless start. The match also proved to be a phenomenal opportunity for young Shafique to commemorate the event, as he was playing his first-ever World Cup match in any format. With such a knock, he has given Pakistan a belief that they have a trustworthy batter at the top of the order, which has been a source of concern for them in recent years. Meanwhile, after failing to provide an innings that was worthwhile in the previous two matches, Imam-ul-Haq might be dropped for this match, allowing Fakhar Zaman to join Shafique at the top of the order. The visitor’s spin options are anticipated to be Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed, while Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali will each handle the new ball. Interestingly, Pakistan’s bowling arsenal has yet to demonstrate the sort of destructive form that fans have become used to.
Head-to-Head:
In the ODI format, India and Pakistan have met 134 times, in which the neighbours have prevailed in 73 matches, whereas the Men in Blue have won 56. Five games between the two sides have also concluded without any result.
When it comes to both teams competing in the 50-over World Cup competitions, we believe this is one record that every Indian must be aware of. Both teams have played seven matches, with Team India winning all of them. This demonstrates Pakistan’s ineptitude to handle game pressure on which India will once again look to hop on.
Where to watch:
TV: Star Sports
OTT: Disney+ Hotstar