🏏Pak vs India : Super 4, Match - 3, Asia Cup 2023 Thread #1🏏

🏏Pak vs India : Super 4, Match - 3, Asia Cup 2023 at 3PM🏏

India will face rival Pakistan for the second time in the 2023 Asia Cup, in the third match of the Super Four stage today at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

While India has had the edge over Pakistan in the ODI format in the Asia Cup, the latter enjoys the overall advantage in ODIs played between the two sides since 1978.

The game against Pakistan was an ideal match for the Indian cricket team. They had a well-desired batting practice against the high-quality pace bowling.

There were quite a few issues that might have risen up, but they had a near-perfect game against Nepal and would be heading into the IND vs. PAK game with high confidence.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill didn’t have a good outing in the first IND vs. PAK game as they struggled to get going against Pakistani pacers. They, however, batted beautifully against Nepal and smashed vital half-centuries to win the game for the side by 10 wickets. They would be looking to take the revenge.

Virat Kohli played a false shot in the IND vs PAK game, was back in the hut early, and didn’t get to bat in the first game. He, too, would be hoping to rectify the mistakes that he made and come out better in the next game. Returning player Shreyas Iyer looked quite positive and played some crisp shots, but unfortunately, he gave a straight catch to the fielder. He, too, would want to get some runs before the Super 4 stage.

Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya will retain their places, undoubtedly. The duo bailed India out of trouble and smashed vital 80s that powered India to a decent total. Kishan with his knock, might now have made things difficult for KL Rahul to make a return. Pandya on the other hand, played yet another crucial knock in the big game and showed his importance.

Ravindra Jadeja too didn’t have a great outing with the bat, and the team will be eager to see how he bowls in the next game. Kuldeep Yadav is also likely to retain his place, whereas we might see Mohammad Shami replace Shardul Thakur in the team.

They picked Thakur due to batting depth, but he didn’t do anything with the bat. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj will be the two pacers in the IND vs PAK game.

Pakistan faced Bangladesh in their last game, and through a perfect mixture of batting and bowling prowess, Pakistan dominated Bangladesh and registered a massive victory.

On the other hand, India faced Nepal in their last game of the Asia Cup and managed to register a 10-wicket win.

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https://twitter.com/MemesbyMusa_/status/1700457064899002878?t=p4Ict4CFoLDLWqaBkY7GGA&s=19

Leaked Toss Footage.

PAK vs IND Pitch Report

The pitch at Colombo is likely to be the slowest and most spin-friendly in the tournament so far, and will definitely have something in it for the bowlers after all the sweating under covers.

Run-scoring was difficult in the last ODI played here, with Pakistan's 268 in the first innings proving more than enough; the spinners went on to pick six of the 10 Afghanistan wickets to fall.

The R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo has a spinner-friendly surface; the batters should look to be patient earlier on in the start of the innings and slowly build their knocks. A high-scoring encounter is unlikely on such a surface. Opting to bowl first could be a wise decision.

What to expect: Long build-ups on TV and ball-by-ball commentaries. Because the forecast is diabolical, with thunderstorms forecast right through Sunday. It's very likely that the reserve day is kicked into play but as irony would have it, the forecast for Monday reads even worse at the moment.

PAK vs IND Probable Playing XI

Pakistan (PAK):

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam (C), Imam-ul-Haq, Agha Salman, Shadab Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah

India (IND):

Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Mohammed Shami

Probable Best Performers

Probable Best Batter:

Virat Kohli (India)-

Ace Indian batter Virat Kohli could be the best batter for his side in the upcoming game against Pakistan. Kohli failed to make an impact against Pakistan in match 3 of the group stage and did not get a chance to feature with the bat against Nepal. Hence, if gets to bat against the arch-rivals, Kohli could be a driving factor for India.

Probable Best Bowler:

Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)-

Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi could be the best bowler for his side in the upcoming game against India. With seven wickets in three matches in the Asia Cup 2023 so far, Afridi is one of the highest wicket-takers, and he will look to replicate his form against India as well.

India vs Pakistan Head- to Head Record in ODISMatches played: 133

India won: 55

Pakistan won: 73

No Result: 5

Last meeting: No Result (Pallekele; September 2023)

India vs Pakistan Head- to Head Record in ASIA CUP ODI Matches played: 14

India won: 7

Pakistan won: 5

Today's Match Prediction: Any team will win the match

Pakistan

Naseem Shah hurt his arm while trying to field in the Super Four match against Bangladesh but in some good news, he returned to bowl later in the innings. With three days to recover, Naseem should be fit to go. Mohammad Nawaz might find his way back into the XI after he was left out in favour of Faheem Ashraf on a slightly pace-friendly track in Lahore.

Both Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman have a negative match-up against Kuldeep Yadav, so watch out for the spinner's early introduction into the attack.

India

Bumrah is back after his personal visit to India and should slot straight back in. KL Rahul, who had been recuperating at NCA Bengaluru, has also linked up with the squad in Colombo but will he get his middle-order spot and the keeping gloves back right away? Ideally, the in-form Ishan Kishan, who is also left-handed and helps break the right-hand monotony in the middle-order, makes for a better pick. India could opt for Axar Patel over Shardul Thakur if the pitch looks dry.

Since 2022, Virat Kohli has made his runs inside the PowerPlay at a strike-rate of 67 and an average of 19. That lack of form upfront is something Pakistan will look to sustain.

Did you know:

- Pakistan have bowled out all three teams they have come across in this Asia Cup

- Babar Azam vs Kuldeep Yadav in ODIs reads: 35 balls, 18 runs, 2 dismissals

- Naseem Shah has never gone wicketless in his short 13-match ODI career

- Ishan Kishan has four consecutive 50-plus scores in ODIs. Among India batters, only Kohli, Tendulkar, Rahane and Rohit have more (five each), with Kohli having done so on three different occasions

- Virat Kohli averages nearly 105 across eight matches at RPS Colombo

What they said:

"Given the continuous cricket we are playing both in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, you can say that we hold an edge (over India). We have been playing here in Sri Lanka for the past two months or so. We have played Tests, we played a series against Afghanistan and then the LPL, so it can be said that we have an advantage" - Babar Azam

"It was my first game playing Pakistan in a senior men's game and there was extra pressure obviously. But the way I look at it is that there'll be pressure in all nine league games at the World Cup. They will all be must-win games and there will be pressure similar to what was felt playing Pakistan the other day, so the experience will help" - Shubman Gill