India vs Pakistan: Epic debate ahead of the epic battle

9 years ago

Source: IANS

The day is almost here. India and Pakistan take on each other this Sunday morning. And when these two teams are on the same cricket maidan, it becomes something more than just cricket.

In the last five encounters in the World Cup, India have squarely beaten Pakistan and the Men in Blue are usually a safe bet. But not on the eve of the latest encounter. Opinion is divided even among Indians on our team’s prospects.

And the folomojo office is no different. There is a clear divide. So we thought we will do the next best thing to wrangling each other’s necks, put pen on paper.

So here goes: It’s Pakistan vs India, and, of course, Saket Parekar vs E Jayakrishnan. Let the best man win.

Why India will beat Pakistan E Jayakrishnan The Indian batting juggernaut	Why Pakistan will trounce India Saket Parekar Inconsistent batting order

Let’s face it folks. Indian batsmen have been nowhere near their best in the last month or more. But then, let’s face it again folks, potentially it is an ensemble that has, and can, put the fear of god on any bowling side. The eight Indian batsmen in the squad, Dhawan, Dhoni, Jadeja, Kohli, Raina, Rayudu. Rohit and Rahane have combined scored almost 30,000 runs in ODIs! And, that is not be trifled with. Rahul alone has scored 264 in a match, most likely the total for Pakistan if they bat first!	The one world-class batsman we can usually rely on—Virat Kohli—is going through a terrible dip in form. Rohit Sharma has scored a ton in the warm-up game against Afghanistan, so he’s good for another five year. Shikhar Dhawan’s moustache is in better form than him. Raina will keep being Raina and the so-cool MSD seems more like so-clueless MSD these days. So the only thing that can save India is if Jadeja feels like scoring a triple-hundred.
Cool as a Dhoni	The reverse Midas touch
Source: IANS/ Live Images
Anybody who has played the game would tell you that most blue-chip encounters like an India-Pakistan one is played out to a large extent in the mind. And when there is pressure, who better in the cricketing world than MSD to handle it. A clear advantage to India, this.	In 2011, every decision taken by our skipper turned out to be a masterstroke. This time around, he has neither the right team nor the personal form to back himself up. This time, it’s the reverse Midas touch: Everything he touches turns to dust.
India’s bowling	Indian bowling: Medium and furious
Source: Live Images
The bowling is considered the weakest spot in the Indian pitch. But make no mistake, Umesh Yadav, Shami and Ashwin have it in them to be game changers. And, who is to say they can’t find their consistency, come Sunday. For, inconsistency is temporary, class is permanent.	Some conspiracy theorists even believe Ishant faked an injury to escape further jokes on his bowling. Or his hair. Bhuvneshwar has proven to be a better batsman than a bowler in recent times. And let’s not even get into Shami. All we’re left with is the legendary Ravi Ashwin, the greatest spinner the world has seen since Shane Warne, and of course, Sir Ravindra Jadeja.
History’s baggage	India’s inexperience
Source: IANS
It has become a cliché and therefore it doesn’t seem to sink into your consciousness. But just savour that again. Pakistan has not won a match against India in 5 world cups, i.e., for 23 years now since the first meeting in 1992. And that is not a baggage that is easily put down in such a humdinger. It will weigh, and weigh heavily.	The decision to leave out experienced players and match-winners like Yuvraj, Sehwag and Gambhir is proving to be a disastrous one. Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Zaheer Khan were the three biggest performers for India in the 2011 World Cup. While Kohli’s sweet form made it easier for us to get over Sachin’s departure, the Men in Blue haven’t really found a solid replacement for Yuvraj. The exclusion of Sehwag and Gambhir is also questionable to say the least.
Pakistan’s bowling attack could have been…	Pakistan’s form
Source: IANS
Pakistan’s attack is one of the best, but no Umar Gul, no Junaid Khan and, critically, no Saeed Ajmal means they are likely to struggle under pressure and wilt under the Indian batsmanship. So, it is up to the three stalwarts, Misbah, Afridi and Younis to come to the aid of the party, by providing the depleted Pakistan attack the cushion of runs. Not something that inspires confidence when it is only Akmal who looks anywhere near being a world-class willow-wielder.	Pakistan’s form in the lead-up to the tournament has been better than India’s. Although they lost two ODIs against New Zealand prior to the tournament, they quickly regained their form and won both their warm-up matches. They also put on some promising performances in the drawn Test series against the Kiwis just before that. With the experience of Misbah, Afridi and Younis Khan, combined with the raw, young talent of Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed and Umar Akmal, they have a far more balanced squad than India.