Asia Cup: Pakistan face India in must-win tie

Traditional rivals meet in do-or-die Asia Cup clash.

The most-hyped Asia Cup clash is set to take place today as traditional rivals Pakistan and India square-off in Mirpur.

After the first-round matches in Fatullah, the tournament moves to the business end with all remaining ties to be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur.

Both India and Pakistan have won one match each. Both teams were beaten by Sri Lanka who are virtually assured of a final berth after the Fatullah round.

Pakistan, who have five points from their first two matches, are perched at the second spot courtesy their bonus-point win over Afghanistan, while India have four points through their win against hosts Bangladesh.

A defeat for either team would all but end their hopes of playing the final, with only a miraculous jailbreak and setback for Sri Lanka against lowly Afghanistan and Bangladesh a possible bailout.

Pakistan should stay unchanged: Latif

Meanwhile, newly-appointed chief selector and former captain Rashid Latif feels that Pakistan should field an unchanged team for the all important tie.

“The match is a virtual semi-final. Pakistan should play the same team that defeated Afghanistan,” Latif told The Express Tribune

Latif added that the pace bowlers have bowled admirably in difficult conditions thus far, spearhead Umar Gul though is still not fully conditioned.

“Gul has bowled well but I think he is still to get in the groove after a long injury layoff. Generally, the pacers have done a decent job in difficult bowling conditions.”

Latif predicted that Mohammad Hafeez can prove to be the trump card, while he thinks that India’s inexperienced batting order would be under considerable pressure.

“The Indian middle-order is currently suspect, they are missing the experience of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina. Pakistan can capitalise on this weakness.”

All to play for in crucial tie

India have had the wood over Pakistan in multi-nation tournaments lately. The five-time Asia Cup champions have not lost a single match against their rivals in ODI tournaments since the defeat in a Champions Trophy encounter in Centurion back in 2009.

Since then, the two teams have met twice in Asia Cup, once in the ODI World Cup and once in the Champions Trophy. India won all four matches.

In the 2012 Asia Cup match also played in Mirpur, an astonishing century by Virat Kohli helped the men in blue seal an unlikely win.

Batting first, Pakistan had posted a score of 329. Centuries by openers Mohammad Hafeez and Nasir Jamshed set the base of the imposing total.

Kohli scored 183 runs off 148 balls, an innings that included 22 fours as India chased the score for the loss of four wickets.

The two teams have met 10 times in the Asia Cup. India have won five, while Pakistan have won four games. One game didn’t produce a result. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2014.

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