A temporary ‘peace season’ has dawned after Pakistan made a U-turn from its boycott stand and agreed to take the field against India at the Premadasa Stadium.
It came after weeks of intense parleys involving the International Cricket Council, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Practically, the whole of South Asia was turning the wheel to make this match happen, should the weather gods allow, because of its power to attract millions — fans and bank balance alike.
So, a train of events set off by the BCCI-instructed release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the roster of Kolkata Knight Riders, that transformed into a cross-border crisis, has come to a halt — for now.
Cricketers from both teams have also tried to temper the accompanying swirl of hype, terming this match as just another game in the calendar. It is hard to fathom the precise nature of their thoughts in that regard, but certainly both sides do not want the result to go against them because of the frenzy of negativism it can kick up.
For that, they will have to push thoughts of a fan backlash aside and focus on more controllable factors.
Abhishek’s fitness boost
For India, the worries start with Abhishek as he was forced to skip the match against Namibia with a stomach bug that required hospitalisation.
On the bright side, the left-hander batted for a considerable time at nets on Saturday evening, signalling his recovery.
“If you guys want, we will play Abhishek,” skipper Suryakumar Yadav said in a joking mood when the obvious query came up.
It is almost certain that the Punjab man will replace Sanju Samson to open alongside an in-form Ishan Kishan. The nature of the track might also prompt the management to consider left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
However, Kuldeep’s inclusion would likely come at the expense of a batter, with Rinku Singh the unfortunate candidate to miss out. The chinaman bowler’s hold over Babar Azam and his impressive 4 for 30 in the Asia Cup final at Dubai — his last outing against Pakistan — make the temptation stronger.
Middle-order stutter
In the lead-up to the World Cup, India’s batting resembled a bulldozer rolling downhill. But two matches into the tournament have revealed a mild concern — a tendency to lose wickets in clusters.
India slid to 77 for six against the USA at Mumbai, while five wickets fell for just four runs against Namibia in the death overs at New Delhi. The latter collapse was masked by a 200-plus total and a 93-run win. On both occasions, India were bailed out by Suryakumar, Kishan and Hardik Pandya.
A long tournament demands collective effort rather than repeated reliance on individual brilliance. With four points in the kitty, the management may not be overly worried yet, but another bout of profligacy against Pakistan could prove costly.
The Pakistan threat
Following the hybrid model chalked out last year, Pakistan have been stationed in Colombo, giving them a better understanding of the pitch and conditions. The surface at the R Premadasa Stadium has tended to assist slower bowlers, and the 2009 champions have five capable spin options — Usman Tariq, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz.
Tariq’s side-arm stop-and-pause action has already become the talk of the town, and his duel with India’s versatile batters promises an intriguing subplot.
“When you get an out of syllabus question, you try to solve it,” Suryakumar said in response to a Pakistani journalist.
Pakistan’s batting, led by the irrepressible Sahibzada Farhan — who appeared to have found answers against Jasprit Bumrah in last year’s Asia Cup — along with Ayub and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, can pack a punch on their day.
Without any disrespect to the Netherlands and the USA, Pakistan are yet to face a bowling attack of India’s calibre.
From Bumrah to Varun Chakravarthy, India possess proven match-winners, while pace all-rounder Shivam Dube has improved significantly with the ball in recent times. It gives the defending champions immense flexibility while settling on combinations.
All calculations aside, this match is ultimately about finding mental equilibrium and rising above multi-pointed pressures — external and internal.
Rain threat looms
The Sri Lanka Department of Meteorology has warned of a developing low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which could mean up to a 70 per cent chance of rain in the Khettarama area on Sunday evening.
Teams (from)
India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rinku Singh.
Pakistan: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Usman Tariq.
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