India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2018: Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi, Shikhar Dhawan vs Mohammad Amir, 5 Mini-Battles to Witness During Super Four Match
The Indian skipper has scored back to back fifties in his last two games and played a crucial role in chasing down totals.
India take on fierce enemies Pakistan in a Super Four encounter in the Asia Cup 2018 on September 23 with both teams winning their opening encounters against Bangladesh and Afghanistan respectively. India had completely swept away Pakistan when both these teams met in the group stages, and the format of the 2018 Asia Cup is such that we will be feasted to another Indo-Pak game which is such a rare sight these days. Although it is a team sport, we can't help but pick out some interesting individual battles lined up in the game that will go a long way in deciding the outcome of the match. Here we have listed the top battles (Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi, Shikhar Dhawan vs Mohammad Amir and Babar Azam vs Bhuvaneshwar Kumar) within the battle in UAE today. India vs Pakistan, Asia Cup 2018, Super 4 Round, Match Preview: Rohit Sharma-led Confident Indian Team Look to Continue Dominance!
Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi
The Indian skipper has scored back to back fifties in his last two games and played a crucial role in chasing down totals. The Mumbai batsman had a shaky start against Honk Kong but played to his potential against Pakistan and Bangladesh. On the slow, dusty wickets of UAE, the hitman has effortlessly scored towards every corner of the ground which is a great sight for the Indian fans. He will, however, come up against the talent pacer Shaheen Afridi who is all of 18 years. The youngster picked up two wickets against Afghanistan and looked menacing at times. His raw pace could trouble Sharma upfront and sets up for an exciting battle. India vs Pakistan Live Cricket Score Super ODI Match of Asia Cup 2018.
Shikhar Dhawan vs Mohammad Amir
Rohit Sharma’s partner in destructing opposition, Shikhar Dhawan plays a crucial role up top for India and has been in the runs again after his recent struggles in England. The left arm pacer will come up against Mohammad Amir who is likely to be restored to the line up after being ignored for the last game. His ability to swing the ball away from the left-handers could pose questions for Shikhar Dhawan who does not like playing in swinging conditions especially early on in the innings when he is settling in.
Imam-Ul-Haq vs Jasprit Bumrah
Pakistan opener Imam-Ul-Haq’s 80 in the last game helped his side get the better of Afghanistan, and his team management will be hoping he carries on the good work against India. He will although be facing a very confident Jasprit Bumrah who is currently one of the best bowlers in world cricket. Haq’s ability to play out Bumrah’s spell might very well have a say in Pakistan’s scoring rate. The southpaw went out cheaply against India last time they met and will be eager to perform well in this crucial game.
Babar Azam vs Bhuvaneshwar Kumar
The terrible run of the form displayed by Fakhar Zaman has put the onus on Babar Azam who is Pakistan cricket’s best batsman at the moment. He became the second quickest batsman after Hashim Amla to register two thousand runs in ODI cricket in the ongoing Asia Cup which is one of the many reasons that he is rated so highly by the opposition players. The crucial no three role taken up by him invariably means his team expects him to bat through the innings and that indeed is a challenge when you are up against a bowler like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. The clam and composed Bhuvi with his consistent line and length will be more than a handful for Babar Azam.
Shoaib Malik vs Kuldeep Yadav
Veteran Shoaib Malik played a crucial role in securing his side’s win over Afghanistan and showed the world why his team puts so much trust on him in the middle order. His ability to pace the innings makes him a real threat. He can walk those singles and step up a gear hitting boundaries with ease. To stop him, India will most definitely go to Kuldeep Yadav to showcase his wizardry with the bowl. If Malik gets the better of Kuldeep Yadav, then Pakistan can mount a serious challenge in the middle periods.
Watch Video: India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2018 Match Preview: High Voltage Ind vs Pak Clash Predicted!
These battles will be pretty, and all eyes will be on them when the two teams collide in Dubai today. It will also be exciting to see which Pakistan team actually turns up for the game as has been the case with them over the past several years. But in all, it sets up for a mouthwatering clash.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2018 12:35 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).