3 things Pakistan need to do right to defeat India in Super 4 clash of Asia Cup 2023

India and Pakistan are all set to face each other yet again in the Super Four stages of the Asia Cup 2023 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday. Their group-stage encounter, although unfinished, gave a serious impression that there is not much to separate between the two sides, who have a lot more in common than what meets the eye.

As usual, the expected match-up is bound to be between the Indian batting unit and the Pakistani bowling attack. The latter may have won a significant part of the battle in their earlier meeting, but they made a huge mistake by taking their foot off the pedal.

The Men in Green have transformed their side and have evolved from mid-table finishers to genuine contenders. Their recent rise in rankings coupled with their much-improved confidence is a testament to this fact. India, on the other hand, also come across as a formidable outfit, who by either form or reputation, tend to get to the task at hand.

Pakistan's last ODI win over India came during the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy, and they will be keen to usurp their rivals, considering that they have a credible record in the recent past, although in a different format.

On that note, let us take a look at three things Pakistan need to do right to defeat India in the Super Four clash of Asia Cup 2023.

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#1 Make the new ball talk against the famed Indian top order

Shaheen Afridi and company were on point against the Indian batters in the group stage and made the most of the new ball. Even with minimal movement, they managed to get the better of some world-class batters.

Apart from dismissing them, they made their lives extremely difficult, particularly Shubman Gill, who struggled for his 10 runs off 32 deliveries.

Pakistani pacers will be pleased with how pacers fared in the first match of the Super Four between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Seamers had a say in the proceedings and got a lot of help with the new ball, and they accounted for 14 out of the 19 wickets that fell in the contest.

Shaheen Afridi and Naseem Shah will have to find control right away and not allow the Indian top order to settle down. Once they make early breakthroughs, they can expect Haris Rauf's raw pace to trouble middle-order batters like Shreyas Iyer and even Ishan Kishan, if he makes it to the playing XI.

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#2 Use the fourth seamer smartly, and not deploy spin from both ends

Following the group stage, a major change that Pakistan have made is the inclusion of Faheem Ashraf as the fourth seamer instead of Mohammad Nawaz. It was when Babar Azam introduced spin from both ends in the clash against India, that their control slipped away.

Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya were able to comfortably deal with the spinners, and the pacers had to return back to trigger another collapse. By dropping Nawaz, the skipper can always ensure to have pace from one end at least while Shadab Khan operates from the other.

The change worked well in Pakistan's win over Bangladesh in their first Super Four stage clash. Even in the unforgiving heat and a flat surface, the pacers combined to claim nine wickets.

This is where the advantage of having batters who can bowl a few overs comes in handy. If Babar needs more input in the form of spin, he can always turn to the likes of Salman Ali Agha or Iftikhar Ahmed.

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#3 Middle order should look to negotiate the Indian spinners well

The Pakistan batting unit did not come up against the Indian pacers in the group stage due to persistent rain. Much like the Pakistan bowling unit, there is a lot to be fearful about the Indian bowling attack as well.

While the debate surrounding Shardul Thakur's selection will remain, India are still likely to have a highly potent attack led by Jasprit Bumrah. The key match-up in this regard is likely to be Pakistan's right-handed heavy middle order against the Indian spinners.

Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav are excellent against the right-handers and have the knack of picking wickets at regular intervals. Even though the Pakistan middle order has not put a step wrong in the tournament so far, it is still their weakest aspect on paper and something that India will look to exploit.

Who will win the contest between the two arch-rivals? Let us know what you think.