The in-form Indian women’s team and Pakistan will clash at the Ferozshah Kotla ground in their second Group B ICC World Twenty20 match here tomorrow, a few hours before their male counterparts lock horns in Kolkata.
Advertisement
Team India were seen warming up ahead of the India vs Pakistan showdown.
He and another former superstar Wasim Akram will meet the Pakistan team just before the match to give “experience-based pressure-assuage tips” to the players. Both Hafeez and Shehzad scored their individual half-centuries while another crucial knock came from skipper Shahid Afridi that helped Pakistan register their highest ever World T20 and second highest Twenty20 worldwide (T20I) score.
“I am very much optimistic about the match as our team is now well spirited and can change results any time by their team-efforts”, said the captain.
But Afridi led by example with a 19-ball 49 and followed it up with his 2/27 in their huge 55-run win over Bangladesh.
Home advantage seemed to be a fallacy as Indian batsmen surrendered to spinners on a pitch aiding turn and were bowled out for only 79 in the Group 2 game.
In the arch-rivals’ most recent meeting, at the Asia Cup three weeks ago, pacer Mohammad Amir dismissed the openers early to have India struggling in their chase of a paltry 84.
Their hopes receded even further when Mohammad Amir cleaned up Sarker in the first over of the reply.
Kohli, with his class and elegance, won the first round battle against Amir in Mirpur and was also at ease against Pakistan’s two left-arm quicks Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz.
The World Cup T20 is in full swing, India has lost the opening match against India, whereas Pakistan managed to claim win against Bangladesh.
India: MS Dhoni (cap and wk), R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh.
Advertisement
India’s fourth straight win over Pakistan in a T20 World Cup came in the next edition played in Sri Lanka in 2014.
