IND vs PAK 2022: 3 reasons why Pakistan can beat India in the T20 World Cup 2022 Super 12 match

Team India and Pakistan will meet in the super-hyped clash of the T20 World Cup 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday, October 23. This will be the third contest between the Asian giants over the past few months.

India and Pakistan met twice during the Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE and the spoils were shared. While the Men in Blue clinched the group game by five wickets, Pakistan hit back to win the Super 4 encounter by the same margin.

Before the Asia Cup, the arch-rivals also came face-to-face during the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year. The Men in Green thumped the Indians by a comprehensive margin of 10 wickets. With the dominating win, Pakistan also created history, beating India for the first time in a World Cup match (T20I or ODI).

As the two teams prepare for their latest battle on Sunday, we will analyze three reasons why Pakistan can again get the better of India at the MCG.

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#1 Shaheen Afridi’s likely impact

Shaheen Afridi celebrates the wicket of Virat Kohli during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021. Pic: Getty Images

The last time India and Pakistan met in the T20 World Cup in Dubai last year, left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi more or less sealed India’s fate with a couple of brutal blows.

He trapped Rohit Sharma lbw for a golden duck with a searing yorker-length delivery, which tailed in and caught the Indian opener off-guard. KL Rahul was then bowled for three, done in for pace and swing. Afridi returned towards the end to dismiss Virat Kohli with a short slower ball.

Afridi’s spell was not only decisive, but was perhaps the standout bowling performance of the tournament. Of course, the build-up has been quite different this time.

The left-arm seamer has been out of action since July due to a knee injury. He, however, did play in the two warm-up matches and looked close to his best against Afghanistan.

Although he may not have played any international games over the last couple of months, Afridi would be confident of putting up a good show.

If he finds his rhythm and pace, he could definitely trouble the Indian batters and if he gets a couple early, it could be 2021 all over again.

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#2 The Babar-Rizwan factor

Mohammad Rizwan (left) and Babar Azam. Pic: Getty Images

Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are both Pakistan’s strength and their weakness as well. When they get going, they score big and often bat the opposition out of the game. Their strike rate can be questioned at times, but not their consistency.

If Babar and Rizwan fire against India, the Men in Blue will be on the backfoot. Life could get tough for the Indians considering their strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah is unavailable due to injury. When the teams met in the Asia Cup, the Pakistan skipper was not in great form. However, he has swiftly rediscovered his touch and, with Rizwan, could pose a major threat to India’s dominance.

While Afridi was the bowling hero when the two teams met at the T20 World Cup last year, Babar and Rizwan gave India no chance of a comeback in their defence of 151.

Both struck unbeaten half-centuries to guide their team to a historic win. The experienced duo will be keen to come up with a similar effort on Sunday at the MCG.

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#3 The psychological edge

India and Pakistan players after the Super 4 match in the Asia Cup. Pic: Getty Images

It is definitely true that when it comes to team sport, the better side on the day wins. But the psychological edge does play a part, especially when it comes to mega clashes like India vs Pakistan or Australia vs New Zealand.

Team India struggled against Pakistan for years after Javed Miandad hit that six off Chetan Sharma in 1986. Similarly, Pakistan could not win a World Cup match against India, a jinx that began way back in 1992, until they finally emerged victors in 2021.

Pakistan continued to do reasonably well against India in other games (when the teams used to play bilateral matches). But when it came to the World Cup, they seemed like a completely disoriented side against the Men in Blue.

The pendulum has swung the other way once again, with Pakistan emerging victorious in two of the last three matches between the arch-rivals. Even the match that India won during the group stage of the Asia Cup could have gone either way.

It needed the calm presence of Hardik Pandya to take India over the line in a tense finish. India, it seems, might have their task cut out on Sunday at the MCG.

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