Asia Cup - India vs Pakistan: Five key battles

After thumping Bangladesh in the Asia Cup opener, India take on arch-rivals Pakistan in Dhaka on Saturday. Considering that the game will be played in a city that has had historical significance in determining the relations between the two countries, there’s a lot to look forward to – emotions, drama and a fiercely fought contest.In this particular format, India and Pakistan have gone head to head six times, with India getting the better of their opposition on four of those instances. While Pakistan gear up to make numbers such as these look more favourable, Sportskeeda presents five key battles that one will get to see, come 27 February.

#1 Mohammad Amir vs Rohit Sharma

Can Rohit Sharma continue his rich vein of form?

When Rohit Sharma was busy slamming hundreds across the world, Mohammad Amir was gruelling it out in the backyards of Pakistan cricket, attempting what many thought would be a failed comeback.

But what a comeback it has been. After blazing through the domestic competitions in Pakistan, and later on, the Bangladesh Premier League – Amir earned the green jersey back on the tour to New Zealand. He reaffirmed the selectors’ faith by picking up five wickets in two T20I outings.

However, what awaits him, is perhaps the stiffest test of his short career. He will be up against an Indian line-up that look favorites for not just the Asia Cup, but also the World T20, slated to be held in India next month.

Amir’s first T20 outing against India, will bring him face to face with Sharma, a batsman at the peak of his batting prowess. Sharma’s sublime stroke play, and a new found ability to bat deep into the innings is creating headaches for bowlers from across the world. If his 83 against Bangladesh is anything to go by, the best is yet to come.

So will it be Amir’s left-arm outswingers or Sharma’s blade that eventually emerges victorious at Mirpur on Saturday? It’s a contest for the ages.

#2 Virat Kohli vs Shahid Afridi

Will it be Afridi’s night or Virat will steal the show?

Will he or won’t he? Like the usual suspense that surrounds Shahid Afridi’s retirement plans, a question that many will ask is whether Virat Kohli will finish what he left half done in 2014, win the World T20 for India.

While the global competition is a couple of weeks away, one can’t help but underline the importance that the Asia Cup holds for Kohli, who has just returned from a break. In 2014, Kohli, in the form of his life, took India to the brink of victory and will be expected to cross the finish line this time around. But there are a lot of hurdles ahead of him.

Immediate of those hurdles is a strong Pakistani bowling attack led by the wily old (young for some) Afridi. Afridi has been around for nearly a hundred T20I to know what exactly to expect in a high-pressure contest. His 91 T20I wickets have come at an astonishing average of 23.90 and a tidy economy rate of 6.60.

Add to that, his current form has been brilliant – playing for the Peshawar Zalmis against Quetta Gladiators, Afridi picked up a freakish five-for, giving away just seven runs, during the recently concluded Pakistan Super League. With experience behind him, and form by his side, Afridi might prove to be a handful against Kohli.

What goes in Kohli’s favour though, is his ability to deliver under trying circumstances. In recent memory, Kohli has been prolific in his performances against Pakistan and the Mirpur encounter promises to be no different than Adelaide 2015.

#3 Ravichandran Ashwin vs Umar Akmal

Will Akmal have the answers to Ashwin’s trickery?

The only time Ravichandran Ashwin dismissed Umar Akmal in an international encounter also happened to be a T20 game. Although 2012 seems to be a part of distant memory now, one can’t help but talk about the dominance India has had over Pakistan in cricket’s shortest format.

Barring the one game which India lost in Bangalore, in December 2012, India has managed to gain an upper hand in all the encounters, beginning with the tied contest at the World T20 2007. Pivotal to India’s success has been the spinners – the number one currently being, Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ashwin for all the criticisms he has faced for lacklustre showing overseas, is India’s most lethal weapon in the subcontinent. He can attack, getting the hard new ball to turn and bounce and contain the run flow in the middle overs. One of his primary responsibilities will be to keep in check the steady flow of runs that batsmen like Umar Akmal can accumulate.

Akmal on his part has created quite a reputation for himself – that of a young cricketer with match-winning abilities, but also that of one who self-destructs easily. It will be a battle within a battle, to see if Akmal is able to hold his initial instincts and launch a controlled attack on Ashwin.

Akmal is coming into the tournament with three consecutive unbeaten half-centuries in the Pakistan Super League, and Pakistan’s strength in this tournament will be heavily dependent on how Akmal is able to convert this rich vein of form into something big.

Could Ashwin be his first victim? Time to find out.

#4 Yuvraj Singh vs Himself

Will Yuvraj show India the path to victory?

DNB, DNB, 15*, 10, 0, DNB, 15 – that’s how Yuvraj Singh’s recent scores look like. Taking into context his much-hyped comeback, the clock is ticking for the ageing southpaw. Once known as bowlers’ worst nightmare, Yuvraj lately has just not had enough time in the middle to even think of replicating some of his performances of yore.

He has mostly been scratchy and unsure of his game, getting bogged down frequently.

2014 was just two years ago, and Mirpur would remind him of the nightmarish outing against Sri Lanka in the Finals of the World T20. If Yuvraj is to break out of that shell and do something extraordinary for his country on Saturday, he needs to quell the inner demons and come out with his best foot forward.

Against Pakistan, Yuvraj has had considerable success in the past and his finest knock came in the form of an 86 that he scored against India’s arch-rivals in Ahmedabad in 2012. It’s high time that Yuvraj revisits those memories and gets the best out in him as he gears up to face an incredulous task – making himself believe that he’s still got it in himself to win games for India.

#5 Ashish Nehra vs Mohammad Hafeez

Can Nehra trump Hafeez or will it be the other way round?

Out of all Indian bowlers who have bowled more than ten overs in 2016, Ashish Nehra has the second highest number of wickets to his name. He has an average that is a shade above eighteen, and a strike-rate that is only second to Ravichandran Ashwin’s.

Touching 37, Nehra has found a new lease of life while leading the inexperienced Indian bowling attack in T20s. To say his comeback has been satisfying is an understatement.

Having Nehra back has allowed MS Dhoni the luxury of attacking with his spinners, as more often than not, Nehra has picked up wickets early on in the innings. The left-armer has also been relied upon to bowl in the death, curbing the run-flow along with rookie, Jasprit Bumrah.

It will be fascinating to see how Pakistan’s opener, Mohammad Hafeez approaches the challenge of facing Nehra. Considering that Nehra was already a regular in the Indian team when Hafeez debuted for Pakistan, the Indian fast-bowler will be miles ahead in his experience and understanding of the match scenarios.

But expect Hafeez to come out all guns blazing. A sure shot way to disrupt India’s plans in the Power Play overs is to take Nehra on right from the start and that’s exactly what Mohammad Hafeez will try to do.

Will he succeed? Only time will tell.