3 things India need to do right to beat Pakistan in 2023 World Cup clash

Team India's breezy start to the 2023 ODI World Cup will meet a strong opposable force in the form of the Babar Azam-led Pakistan. The magnitude of the occasion coupled with the Men in Green's similar form and strength is expected to make it quite a test for India.

The Men in Blue have begun the tournament on the right note, recording wins over Australia and Afghanistan in the league stage so far. Rohit Sharma and company have been on point with their approach and execution and a win over their arch-rivals will boost their confidence ahead of the next leg in the competition.

Pakistan, on the other hand, come into the contest in good form, but will be under pressure considering their dismal record against their neighbors in the ODI World Cup. The Men in Green are yet to beat their neighbors in the tournament.

Pakistan have been on the rise of late, and Team India will have to be on their best to keep the streak alive.

On that note, let us take a look at three things India need to do right to beat Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup clash.

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#1 Ward off the new ball spell

This comes across as India-Pakistan 101 in the guidebook, but the fact that it has been echoed shows how important it is. The key matchup in this historic clash has always been between the gifted Indian batters and the feared Pakistani pacers.

Pound for pound, Team India have a slight advantage due to the absence of Naseem Shah. The youngster had troubled the Indian top order in their recent Asia Cup 2023 meetings, but despite his absence, there is no lopsided winner in this particular matchup on paper.

Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf are very much capable of changing the course of the game in one spell, although the latter does not necessarily operate with the new ball. Furthermore, while Hasan Ali seems like a downgrade to Naseem Shah, he has a knack for picking up wickets and is ranked fourth on the list of highest wicket-takers in the ongoing World Cup so far.

India have horrid memories when it comes to early collapses against Pakistan. If there is a bit of movement on offer, expect Shaheen Afridi to capitalize on it. The left-arm seamer will search for wickets straightaway by bowling full, and the Indian top order needs to be wary of the same.

The opening spell appears as the biggest threat for the Men in Blue, and if they somehow breeze past that, it will be difficult for Pakistan to claw their way back into the game.

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#2 Pace in the middle overs

Several underlined Pakistan's worrisome middle order ahead of the tournament, but it is the same department that has been acting as their biggest strength so far. The inclusion of Saud Shakeel has brought in a lot of stability while Mohammad Rizwan is arguably in the best ODI form of his life.

The duo played massive roles in the team's wins over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka, the latter being a record chase (345) in the tournament.

India often bank on their spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja to run the proceedings in the middle overs. That does not necessarily need any change, but considering that Mohammad Rizwan and Saud Shakeel are very sound players of spin bowling, the Indian pacers will have a key role to play in the middle phase.

The seamers can be rotated with short spells while hopefully Kuldeep and Jadeja can tighten things up from the other end.

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#3 Capitalize on out-of-sort Pakistan spinners

Rarely has a subcontinent side struggled with spin bowling in familiar conditions. The spinners' form was a concern in the lead-up to the event and their fears have come true now.

The duo of Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz have only picked up a combined total of four wickets across two matches so far. Furthermore, to make matters worse, they have not been able to find any rhythm and Iftikhar Ahmed's part-time off-spin has been ineffective at best.

Shadab Khan has an excellent opportunity to capitalize on Team India's right-handed heavy batting lineup, but his own poor form might witness the matchup taking the opposite direction.

The Men in Blue have some talented batters against spin throughout their lineup and if the spin pair are even marginally short of their best, they will be in for a forgettable outing.

Will the Men in Blue continue their winning streak over Pakistan in ODI World Cups? Let us know what you think.