“India’s key is to break that opening partnership”: Scott Styris considers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s wickets as India’s formula to beat Pakistan in Asia Cup 2022

Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris has called the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam as keys to India’s success.

The Asia Cup 2022 is set to start soon, and all eyes are on the crunch match between India and Pakistan on 28 August 2022. Both sides would want to start the tournament with a win in front of a jam-packed Dubai stadium.

The last team both teams met, was at this stadium only in the T20 World Cup last year, when Pakistan defeated India by 10 wickets. This is a great chance for India to take their revenge and their record against Pakistan in Asia Cup is encouraging as well.

Both teams will be without their best pacers in this game due to injury concerns, Jasprit Bumrah for India and Shaheen Afridi for Pakistan are ruled out of the tournament.

Scott Styris reveals India’s key to success against Pakistan

Former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris believes that Pakistan over relies on the performances of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Pakistan have not played many T20Is this year, but Rizwan and Azam are their most consistent players. In the last T20 World Cup, India could not take the wicket of either Babar or Rizwan.

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“They rely so heavily on this man here, Mohammad Rizwan, along with Babar Azam, because if they get them off to a start, there’s a lot of power hitting to come,” Scott Styris said on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show SPORTS OVER THE TOP.

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Styris called the wickets of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam the key for India to beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 match. He said that the Pakistani batters will look to attack the spinners and India should let the middle-order of Pakistan face the spinners.

“I think coming in and maybe looking to attack the spinners, in particular, I think could work in Pakistan’s favour. So India’s key is to break that opening partnership, make those middle order players for Pakistan do what they don’t want to do and that’s actually at the back rather than walk out there and hit,” Styris added.