World ODI Cup 2023

Match 12: IND vs PAK

Preview

Brace yourself for cricket’s biggest rivalry as fierce foes India and Pakistan lock horns in match number 12 of World Cup 2023. The dramatic duel will be held on Saturday, October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. The hosts are coming off a massive 8 wicket win over Afghanistan. Rohit Sharma's scintillating century guided the men in blue to their second win of the tournament. Their north western neighbours scripted history in the last game, chasing a mammoth 345 against Sri Lanka.  

Rohit Sharma led India with two wins and two games and a Net Run Rate of +1.500 are currently positioned third in the WC 2023 standings. They will be eager to continue the winning momentum and consolidate their position in the top half of the points table. Deemed favourites by many, the hosts have put on a clinical show with both bat and ball in hand in the marquee event so far. In the batting department, their top three- Rohit Sharma, Kl Rahul and Virat Kohli have done the majority of the team's scoring in the two games. With 140 runs in two innings, Kohli is India’s leading scorer. Skipper Rohit is at second with 131 runs. So, India’s middle order has hardly been tested in the competition thus far. In their opening encounter against Australia, the top order collapsed but Kohli and Rahul stood firm and didn’t allow the pressure to get to the batters coming in next. The likes of Shreyas Iyer and  Ishan Kishan need to prove a point. Although both the batters did play a decent hand in India’s win over Afghanistan but certainly not enough to cement their place in this Indian side. Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja haven’t got a chance to bat. Pakistan will hope to exploit chink in India’s batting armour which is their unproven middle order. When it comes to the bowling front, then team India will rely on the new ball pair of Mohammad Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah to provide the early breakthroughs. Ravichandran Ashwin will lead the spin trio with Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav as the two other frontline spinners. Hardik Pandya will bring variety to this bowling attack. He with his clever change ups and deceptions can prove handy during the middle overs. Overall, the home side possess a well rounded squad with a nice blend of experience and youth. 

With 2 wins in as many games and four points to their name, Pakistan are presently positioned fourth in the points table. They have started the tournament well with victories over Netherlands and Pakistan. While they struggled to secure a convincing win against the Netherlands in the opening tie, they made lightwork of a WC record chase of 345 in the following encounter against Sri Lanka. The decision to replace out-of-form Fakhar Zaman with Abdullah Shafique in the last game paid dividends as the WC debutant smashed a blistering century and stitched a match winning partnership with Mohammad Rizwan.

The opening batter will be one to look out for for this game. He, Rizwan and skipper Babar Azam will shoulder the batting responsibility for Pakistan in this game. In the bowling department the men in green have the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali. Although, the pace attack hasn’t been razor sharp in the last few games but you can never write off Pakistani pacers. Their spin attack looks a little thin on paper with Shadab Khan, Usman Mir and Agha Salman. Shadab Khan in particular hasn’t been able to find the right length. Wayward to say the least. He needs to step up and start delivering in big games. 

Match Details

Match: IND vs PAK, 12th Match, World ODI Cup 2023

Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023

Time: 2:00 PM

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad

 
Pitch and Weather Report

The weather is currently hot and dry, and there is a possibility of dew later in the evening. This might encourage the team batting first to adopt an aggressive approach. The cricket pitch is made of black soil and is located next to the one used in the tournament's opening match, where New Zealand's top-order batsmen performed exceptionally well. Therefore, it is expected that the pitch will be in excellent condition, as the organisers aim to make the game an exciting spectacle in every aspect.

IND vs PAK Squads

IND: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Shubman Gill, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Suryakumar Yadav

PAK: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Agha Salman, Fakhar Zaman, Usama Mir, Mohammad Wasim Jr

 
IND vs PAK Probable Playing XIs

IND: Rohit Sharma(c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj

PAK: Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam(c), Mohammad Rizwan(w), Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf

Match Prediction

The Indian cricket team boasts exceptional strength in all aspects of the game, be it bowling, batting, or fielding. In contrast, Pakistan is known for its formidable bowling attack. If Pakistan's top-order batsmen perform at their best, they could be a force to reckon with. However, many anticipate that India will leverage their significant home advantage to secure a convincing victory in the match.

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