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A must-win game for Pakistan
Shoaib Malik has been laid low by dehydration
Sri Lanka has already made it to the final
WELCOME NEWS: Irfan Pathan’s recovery from a side strain gives options to the Indian team management.
Karachi: Gun-toting Anti Terrorist Force officers fringed the National Bank of Pakistan Ground and the glint in their eyes and the tautness in their forearms were the only signs of tension ahead of Wednesday’s STAR Asia Cup semifinal league match between India and Pakistan.
Strangely for a rivalry that swung between Javed Miandad’s last ball six in Sharjah to India’s winning exploits against its arch-rival in the World Cups, the do-or-die air bristling with a touch of nerves, seems to be ebbing away.
For instance on Tuesday morning, the issues swirling in the breeze that wafted in from the nearby Arabian Sea, centred around India’s fatigue factor and Pakistan’s besieged think-tank of skipper Shoaib Malik and coach Geoff Lawson.
On a rollIndia is on a roll with three victories and a strong batting muscle built upon the form displayed by the quartet of Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and skipper M.S. Dhoni. However the team’s struggle with short-of-breath fielders and bowlers failing to stifle and scalp on placid pitches, has come in for scrutiny.
Irfan Pathan’s recovery from a side strain is welcome news and gives options to the think-tank.
India has four points, inclusive of a carried-forward two points from its six-wicket victory over Pakistan in the earlier Group ‘B’ match, and needs just one victory to secure its berth in the final on July 6.
Sri Lanka has already qualified with six points.
For Pakistan to make it to the final, it is imperative to win against India and later against Bangladesh besides hoping that its arch-rival will lose to Sri Lanka. In that scenario India and Pakistan will be level at four points each and then the net run-rate factor will come into play.
Malik doubtfulMeanwhile, Malik, laid low by dehydration, is a doubtful starter. “As vice-captain I have to be prepared to lead the team in case Malik cannot play,” Misbah-ul-Haq told the media on Tuesday evening.
Ironically for the host at a time when its energies must be focussed on winning, issues like Lawson’s run-in with the local media and the perception that Malik lacks authority despite a bat full of runs, have increased the woes. Shahid Afridi’s cavalier approach that often means a wild-hoick and a quick return to the pavilion has also raised the hackles and cries for his omission have become strident.
Pakistan defeated Hong Kong by 155 runs on June 24 — the tournament’s inaugural day — and since then has plummeted with poor performances and needless controversies. But a team with its back to the wall can be expected to come hard with its arms swinging and if that happens, Wednesday besides filling up the National Stadium will gift us another needle-clash that can be stowed away in nostalgia’s chambers.
The tournament awaits its edge-of-the-seat cracker.
The teams (from): India: M.S. Dhoni (capt.), Yuvraj Singh (vice-capt.), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Irfan Pathan, R.P. Singh, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Manpreet Gony, Piyush Chawla and Pragyan Ojha.
Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (capt.), Misbah-ul-Haq (vice-capt.), Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, Younis Khan, Mohammed Yousuf, Shahid Afridi, Sarfraz Ahmed, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Gul, Rao Iftikhar, Fawad Alam, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal and Mansoor Amjad.
Umpires: Tony Hill and Ian Gould.
Third umpire: Akhtaruddin.
Match Referee: Alan Hurst.
Match starts at 3.30 p.m. (IST).
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