India vs Pakistan Match Prediction: The Sportsrush present before you Match Prediction of 2019 World Cup Match 22 between IND and PAK.
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1 billion expected televised viewers, over 7,00,000 applications for tickets and ardent supporters vociferously backing their team to the till. Ever since the schedule for the ICC ODI Cricket World Cup 2019 was released, this was the most anticipated and awaited match and we finally have the most feisty and illustrious rivalry in cricket getting underway today.
For the citizens of both these countries, India vs Pakistan is always more than a cricket match. And given the recent turn of events and the ever increasing isolation between the two arch-rivals, Sunday’s match is slated to be a cracker of a contest.
Based on current form and team strength, India undoubtedly hold the upper edge over Pakistan in this pivotal encounter. The Asian giants have taken no time in settling into their grove in the quadrennial event, trouncing South Africa and Australia which along with the abandoned result against New Zealand sees the sitting in fourth place with the 5 points.
Elsewhere for their opponents Pakistan, the World Cup has gone about as many had expected. After the shock win over hosts England, they were brought tumbling back to the ground by Australia. Currently occupying the eight spot after four matches, the tournament is threatening to come to an early end if they can’t get their act right.
India vs Pakistan – What numbers suggest?
We’ve seen 131 matches played between these two countries with Pakistan winning 73 of them while India have come out on top on the 57 occasions. We’ve had 4 matches truncated as well without a result.
The last time these two sides met was in the Asia Cup back in 2018 with India pummeling Pakistan by 8 and 9 wickets respectively in the two encounters the teams played in the marquee tournament.
India vs Pakistan – Key Battles
Virat Kohli vs Mohammad Amir
The fortunes of both these units are going to massively depend on these two players. These are not only the star performers of their outfits but at the moment two of the finest performers at the World Cup as well, players who’ve lit up the tournament with their ravishing showings.
With Dhawan out, the onus on Kohli to deliver a decisive performance is huge. What is good news though is that the Indian captain loves playing under such pressure, something which seems to feed him and elevate his game even a step further. Pakistan know he’s the main wicket for them and they bound to save up Amir to bowl out his majority overs against Virat Kohli.
What Amir has seen work his way till now at the premier event has been the immense pace he’s generated which paired with the movement he’s gotten on the ball seeing him become a travesty to negotiate.
With Kohli traditionally always having enjoyed playing against him, losing his wicket just once in the 4 matches, Amir knows he need to target Kohli’s helmet.
Jasprit Bumrah vs Babar Azam
He has had a mercurial rise over the last year and the World Cup has been no different for Jasprit Bumrah. He’s been impeccable as ever with his line and length, generating massive bounce, swing and pace to leave batsmen flummoxed on how to face him.
With a heavy grey cloud cover looming over the stadium, these are conditions which Bumrah is going to love plying his goods on. He was used in short, sharp spells by Virat Kohli the last time around and expect the Indian captain to keep the same strategy intact today.
The one batsman Bumrah will be deployed against is Babar Azam. A steady performer, Azam generally holds a middle-order with him which just doesn’t have the acumen on how to rummage past the pacers. Bumrah doesn’t need to do anything different against Azam. The number three bat hates anything that goes away from him and with the surface bound to be wet and green, Bumrah is going to massively get the ball to misbehave.
India vs Pakistan – Match Prediction
Comparing these two sides, its India who emerge as clear-cut winners from the match. Pakistan’s middle-order is way too culpable of collapsing like a house of cards and baring Mohammad Amir, the rest of their bowling unit has been inconsistent.
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However, India aren’t without their own aberrations as well. With opener Shikhar Dhawan out for the rest of the month, KL Rahul in the opening slot doesn’t exude much confidence. And Vijay Shankar who is expected to be called up for the number 4 slot isn’t the most reliable of name either, seeing India lose the stability their middle-order offered up till now.
Under overcast conditions with the ball doing more than enough for the pacers, its ultimately going to be the better batting side who win this. And there’s no doubting that its India who in the form of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni have not only the more astute batting unit but come equipped with the much needed experience needed to maintain composure in matches of such intensity.
