India and Pakistan resume rivalry on cricket’s biggest stage

The most famous Asian rivalry in cricket history extends itself on Saturday in Ahmedabad when India, ranked No 1 in ODIs and clear favourites for the ongoing ODI World Cup, meet Pakistan for the third time this year. Whatever this tournament has offered in the past week, nothing compares to India versus Pakistan at the World Cup.

Both teams are unbeaten so far. India recovered from the depths of 2/3 to beat Australia handsomely and then smashed Afghanistan by eight wickets to significantly boost their net run rate. Pakistan easily beat Netherlands and then against Sri Lanka they chased 322 with six wickets and ten deliveries in hand.

Prior to the World Cup, India and Pakistan shared a point each from a washout in the Asia Cup, and then India spanked the same team a few days later to ease their passage to the final. Pakistan have not looked the same team since that defeat to India in Colombo, and up against the tournament favourites in front of a crowd expected to touch 120,000 it will be anything but easy for Babar Azam’s team.

The track at the Ahmedabad stadium this year saw India and Australia bat out a stalemate in the final Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in March, a draw during which 1226 runs were scored for the loss of 24 wickets across five days. After that Test, during the IPL season, the same venue saw 200 totals scored without fuss.

But now, after a spinning track in Chennai and a road in Delhi, the chances of the Ahmedabad pitch being filled with runs has receded. India, sans Shubman Gill who at this venue this year has centuries in Tests, T20Is and in the IPL, will not want to risk a flat track against Pakistan. This team has its own deficiencies against spin, and cannot boast an edge in the spin department given Shadab Khan’s form and Mohammad Nawaz’s offerings.

Thus, as we saw in Chennai, expect a turning surface which will accommodate R Ashwin once more, after the master offspinner was benched in Delhi for Shardul Thakur. With Ashwin you are guaranteed 10 overs of controlled spin, which when you factor in Ravindra Jadeja’s quota and Kuldeep Yadav’s ten overs, gives India 30 overs of varied and quality spin. In Chennai, this trio conceded 104 runs in 30 overs and shared six wickets. Assume the same template on Saturday in Ahmedabad.

It is unlikely that India will discard the No 2 ranked bowler in ODIs, Mohammed Siraj, after two poor matches in the tournament. Siraj came into his first World Cup ranked No 1 and after a sensational six-wicket haul in the Asia Cup final last month, but so far has found the going tough. His 15.3 overs have cost 102 runs, and he has been overshadowed comfortably by Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya and Shardul. If India feel he needs a break, they can call on a terrific option for the grandest occasion, Mohammed Shami.

Pakistan gained plenty from discarding the terribly out of form opener Fakhar Zaman for Asadullah Shafique, who immediately left his mark with 113 off 103 balls in the win over Sri Lanka. That is a significant plus, but Pakistan will need Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and the two spinners to seriously lift their game against India on Saturday.

India likely XI: Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Mohammed Shami/Mohammed Siraj