In the midst of the ongoing impasse, which brought cricket and politics together like never before, India will need stability in the middle order and a fit Abhishek Sharma to maintain dominance over Pakistan when the two rivals clash in the T20 World Cup on Sunday here in Colombo.
A temporary "peace season" has begun after Pakistan reversed its boycott stance and agreed to play against India at the Premadasa Stadium.
This followed weeks of intense negotiations involving the International Cricket Council, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Essentially, the entire South Asian region was focused on making this match happen, if the weather gods allowed, due to its potential to attract millions – both fans and sponsors.
Therefore, a series of events, triggered by the release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders roster, has come to a halt, for now.
On their part, cricketers from both teams have also tried to downplay the hype surrounding the match, describing it as just another game in the calendar. It's difficult to predict their precise thoughts, but certainly, both sides do not want the result to go against them due to the potential for negativity.
To achieve this, they will need to focus on more controllable factors.
Abhishek bats in the nets
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For India, the concerns begin with Abhishek, who was forced to miss the match against Namibia due to a stomach bug that required hospitalization.
However, on the positive side, left-handed batsman Abhishek batted for a considerable time in the nets on Saturday evening, signaling his recovery from the illness.
"If you guys want, we will play Abhishek," said captain Suryakumar Yadav, jokingly responding to a query.
Therefore, it is almost certain that Punjab-born Abhishek will replace Sanju Samson to open the innings alongside Ishan Kishan. The nature of the pitch here might also prompt the management to bring in left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
But the inclusion of Kuldeep will require sacrificing another batter, and the unfortunate one could be Rinku Singh. Bringing in Kuldeep is also a tempting option because of his ability to handle Babar Azam, and he also had impressive figures of 4 for 30 in the Asia Cup final against Dubai – his last outing against cross-border rivals.
Middle-order instability
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In the run-up to the World Cup, India's batting line-up resembled a bulldozer, crushing everything in its path. But the two matches in the marquee event so far have revealed a minor concern – a tendency to lose wickets in clusters.
India lost 7 wickets for 6 runs against the USA in Mumbai, while the home side lost 5 wickets for 4 runs against Namibia in the final overs. However, this was partially masked by a total of over 200 runs and a 93-run victory against New Delhi. On both occasions, India were supported by captain Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, and Hardik Pandya.
However, a collective effort is needed to win a tournament like this, rather than relying on individual brilliance. With four points in the bag, the management would not be overly concerned, but they certainly do not want another display of profligacy because Pakistan has the capacity to exploit it.
The Pakistani threat
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Keeping up with the hybrid model set out last year, Pakistan are stationed in Colombo, which has given them a better understanding of the pitch and conditions here. The RPICS pitch is known for being a "speed-sucker", and the 2009 champions have five capable spinners in their ranks – Usman Tariq, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz.
Tariq's side-arm action has already become the talk of the town, and a battle with the versatile Indian batters would be an intriguing sub-plot of the match.
"When you get an off-syllabus question, you try to solve it," replied the Indian skipper to a question from a Pakistani journalist.
Pakistan's batters, led by the irrepressible Sahibzada Farhan, who seemed to have gotten a handle on Jasprit Bumrah during last year's Asia Cup, along with Ayub and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, can pack a punch on their day.
Without disrespecting the Netherlands and the USA, they are yet to be tested by a quality bowling unit, and India possesses one.
From Bumrah to Varun Chakravarthy, India have proven match-winners in their squad, and even pace all-rounder Shivam Dube has improved significantly as a bowler in recent times. This gives the defending champions immense flexibility in deciding combinations. But all calculations aside, this match is all about finding that mental equilibrium and rising above the pressures – both internal and external.
Chance of rain?
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The Sri Lanka Department of Meteorology has cautioned of a developing low-pressure point over the Bay of Bengal, which could mean up to 70 per cent chance of rain in the Khettarama area on Sunday evening.
Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
The match starts at 7 pm IST.
