Pakistan and India are set to face off in a sold-out fixture at the ICCCricket World Cup 2023 in Ahmedabad on October 14. According to WaqarYounis, this game between arch-rivals is being hailed as the “ultimateshowdown.”
You can catch the live coverage on live.arynews.tv. He emphasized that thematch will be a high-pressure ordeal for both teams due to the intensecrowd support.
“It will undoubtedly be the most significant encounter, the epitome ofcricket battles,” he remarked. “When you compete in Ahmedabad, home to oneof the world’s largest and finest stadiums, managing nerves becomescrucial.
Pakistan might be considered the weaker team compared to India, but bothsides will be under pressure from the enthusiastic crowd, leveling theplaying field in terms of pressure.”
Waqar Younis also mentioned that the batting conditions in India arefavorable, making it challenging for bowlers. “Given that this World Cup istaking place in India, where we are well aware of the pitch conditions,bowlers may face considerable difficulty.
If they can secure early wickets within the first 2-4 overs, they mightmitigate the challenges. However, if the batsmen settle in, it will be aformidable task to restrict the run flow,” he explained.
He praised India’s strength in the competition, especially their spinnersand depth on the bench. “When it comes to ticking all the boxes, Indiastands out. No other team, not even Pakistan or any other contender, canmatch India at the moment.
Read Top Stories
India possesses talented spinners, both in the starting XI, such as Kuldeepand Jadeja, and on the bench. In case of injuries, the players waiting onthe bench are in terrific form and cannot be discounted,” he emphasized.Regarding the Pakistan team, he characterized Babar Azam’s side asunpredictable.
He also highlighted the absence of Naseem Shah as a significant setback.”Losing Naseem Shah is a considerable disadvantage since he and Shaheenused to form a potent new-ball partnership.
The new ball has always been critical for Pakistan, not only in this WorldCup but historically. Taking wickets with the new ball used to providemomentum and a better position in the game. Naseem Shah’s absence is asignificant loss for Pakistan,” he noted.
Waqar Younis also pointed out that Hasan Ali, while an experiencedcampaigner, may find performing on the global stage after a hiatuschallenging.
