India vs Pakistan ICC World T20 2016

The uncertainty is over, the security is in place and the focus is squarely on the cricket to follow. The dust has truly settled as India and Pakistan gear up to take on each other in yet another high-stakes World Cup clash at the Eden Gardens on Saturday (March 19). The stakes this time, however, will be a lot higher than expected.

The contrasting starts to their respective World T20 campaigns is bound to have a major repercussion when the two take on each other. For India, beyond the bragging rights in such big tournaments, a win will be key to keep their campaign alive. A heavy defeat in the low-scorer against New Zealand gave them a Net Run Rate (NRR) of -2.350. If by the end of the Super 10 stage, three teams in the group are tied on points, NRR will have a say in the fate of these sides.

For Pakistan, a win would snap their unending misery against their rivals in World Cups but the bigger picture will be the fact that they would've secured two wins against the two Asian sides of their group and will proceed with an added advantage when they face New Zealand and Australia, both in Mohali.

Form-wise, Shahid Afridi's men will need to carry a deep sense of self-belief that they are finally primed to break the elusive duck against their nemesis. India, on the other hand, have a lot to ponder over. While Ravichandran Ashwin preferred to brush aside the defeat to New Zealand as a bad day in office, India desperately need to recoup their A game that helped them become Asia Cup champions less than a month ago. Even in that tournament, the Indian batters, barring Virat Kohli, struggled to cope with the excessive pace of Mohammad Amir. Even on a slow burner at Eden, Amir, as evidenced in his performance against Afghanistan, could crank up the pace.

When: India vs Pakistan, 19 March, Group B - 7:00 PM IST

Where: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

What to expect: Kolkata is expected to be very warm, humid and partly cloudy on Saturday, with a minimum temperature of 26 degree Celsius. The wicket was a little on the slower side in the night game between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan but suited the batsmen a lot more. The wickets also aren't too generous towards spinners, like the Nagpur wicket, narrowing the tussle down to pure skill in the spin departments on either side.

Team News:

India

While pressure is a given in such encounters, Ashwin carried a sense of nonchalance into the pre-match press conference, stressing on the fact that the players are now used to such high-octane games. In practice, the most notable sight was of Mohammed Shami steaming in and beating Virat Kohli's bat with pace on several occasions. Shami was one of the best bowlers at the 2015 World Cup but has since spent more time on the doctor's table than at the pitch. An injury setback, a surgery and months of layoff later, the 26-year-old seems to be back to his original self. It will be interesting to see if Dhoni is tempted to draft Shami in for the marquee clash.

Pakistan

Barring any late, freak injuries or illnesses, Pakistan are unlikely to tamper with a winning combination. Ahmed Shehzad's excellent start to the tournament has given the team management a reason to revel in their decision to make a last-minute change to the squad. Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik have also been in the runs in the two games (including warm-up against Sri Lanka), with Umar Akmal yet to get a real shot at taking his Asia Cup T20 form forward. Among the bowlers, Imad Wasim's role could be crucial, given India's recent struggle against spin.

The Who's Who in attendance: An India-Pakistan encounter is never short of being a carnival. On Saturday, Eden Gardens will be graced by the presence of some of the best cricketers of yesteryears from either side of the border. Four World Cup winners - Imran Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar and Virender Sehwag - will add to the sheen of the highly-anticipated contest. Amitabh Bachchan, one of the biggest Bollywood actors in India, and Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan, a Pakistani classical singer, will render their voices for the two national anthems.

What they said:

"History change bhi hoti hai. We are confident. Probably this time, we are extra confident, because they (India) can go out of the tournament also. That's a plus for us. They will be under pressure." - Waqar Younis

"I think, if ever there is an international team that can put it (big loss) behind and go forward, then it's us. And it's not the first time it has happened to us. We have done it in the past." - Ravichandran Ashwin

Did you know?

- India and Pakistan have met each other 10 times in World Cups across formats with India winning nine and one ending in a tie.

- Pakistan have won all their four limited-overs games (all four ODIs) against India at Kolkata.

- In the five World Cups across formats since Jan 2011, India have not lost more than one game in a series.

- Virat Kohli (199 runs) has scored the most for India against Pakistan in T20Is and Hafeez (151 runs) has the reverse tally.

- India lost their only T20I they played in Kolkata by six wickets against England in 2011.

- Shahid Afridi will be playing his 83rd and probably his last international match against India. Only Sachin Tendulkar (87) has featured more often in India-Pakistan encounters.

Teams:

Pakistan (From): Sharjeel Khan, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed(w), Shahid Afridi(c), Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sami, Khalid Latif, Anwar Ali

India (From): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni(w/c), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah, Harbhajan Singh, Mohammed Shami, Pawan Negi, Ajinkya Rahane

Indian cricketers were winding up their practice session and their Pakistan counterparts had just arrived. It’s not known whether Mohammad Amir is a fan of Virat Kohli, but when the two bumped into each other, the Pakistan fast bowler asked for a bat. Kohli happily obliged. It looked like an extension of the Asia Cup camaraderie, when Kohli had wished Amir luck on his return to international cricket. “I am very happy to see Amir back in action. He understood his mistake and has corrected himself and came back. He has always been an outstanding bowler, a world-class bowler…” Kohli had said. And during his fiery spell at Mirpur, he had congratulated the quick on the field. Yesterday, Suresh Raina gave Shoaib Malik a bear hug. The Kohli-Amir exchange was touching.
Around mid-afternoon, Sourav Ganguly entered the playing arena at Eden for another round of pitch inspection. Virat Kohli walked up to him and the two had a lengthy chat. As Kohli said goodbye to the former India captain; Ashish Nehra, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh surrounded their ‘Dadi’, catching up on old times. Ganguly had been instrumental in developing their careers. This is Ganguly’s first India-Pakistan match as an administrator and he is leaving no stone unturned — from inviting Amitabh Bachchan to arranging felicitations for former India and Pakistan captains. “Life on the field was tougher,” he maintains. Today Ganguly had one Pakistan cricketer in his office. Shoaib Malik had dropped in to put forward a request for passes for his wife Sania Mirza’s family. The Pakistan batsman left with a broad smile.
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At least one team would lose their unbeaten record tomorrow. India have an all-win record against Pakistan in the World Cups. Eden Gardens, on the other hand, is almost like a home away from home for Pakistan. They played India in four ODIs here and won all of them — the last one being an 85-run pounding in January 2013. “Koi ek record toh kaal tutega (one team will lose its record tomorrow),” Younis said with a wink. ALSO READ: What MS Dhoni said about the high-voltage clashes in the past Eden, a fortress Sand bunkers, watch towers, UAVs and the deployment of close to 4,000 security personnel – Eden Gardens will turn into a fortress tomorrow. How are they enjoying life in Kolkata, Pakistan coach Waqar Younis was asked today. “It’s hotel to the ground and back; due to security reasons. So all’s well,” he replied with a smile. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has promised fool-proof security for Pakistan during their stay in the city and so far, arrangements have been spot on. Banerjee will pay a visit to Eden during tomorrow’s game. 

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