India and Pakistan lock horns once again and this time it's in the Super-Four stage. The last time, these two sides met, India recorded their largest victory against Pakistan in terms of the number of balls left i.e 126.
India dominated the proceedings right from the start and it was clear who was going to win it. Pakistan never looked like they were in the game and thus lost the plot badly.
India will look to maintain their winning run when they take on Pakistan in yet another fixture which promises to be even more interesting as Pakistan are expected to bounce back.
Let's have a look at the possible playing XI of India that could take the field on the 23rd of September.
#1 Top Order
1. Shikhar Dhawan
2. Rohit Sharma (C)
3. Ambati Rayudu
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma-
This is a no-brainer as both of them are in a blistering form and have gotten India good starts. Rohit would like to convert his fifties into hundreds while Dhawan would like to carry on his present form. He already has a century under his name in the tournament.
If these two batsmen get past the new ball attack of Pakistan, it will be a treat to watch them.
Coming in at No. 3 would be Ambati Rayudu who seems to be enjoying his IPL form. He has been very consistent and scores runs at a quick rate. He averages 50.39 which is the highest in this Indian team. Rayudu rotates the strike regularly and accelerates when needed. He's a real asset to have and I don't see any reason why he should lose his place.
#2 Middle order
4. Dinesh Karthik
5. MS Dhoni
6. Kedar Jadhav
7. Ravindra Jadeja
Dinesh Karthik has gotten starts but he hasn't converted them into big scores. The team management probably recognizes this and he is expected to keep his place. He is just one fifty away from causing havoc in the opposition camp.
MS Dhoni has been a stalwart for Indian cricket for ages and he has finally gotten some runs under his belt. He scored 33 against Bangladesh and played fluently. He perished while attempting to finish off things with a maximum. Dhoni did get a good start against a formidable Bangladeshi bowling line-up which dismantled the Sri Lanka batsmen.
MS Dhoni was always going to be scrutinized based on his batting performances as his wicket-keeping is never a problem. He will look to get a big score if he does get a chance to bat.
Kedhar Jadhav has been the X-factor in this Indian line-up. He can finish games when required and he is a mystery bowler for many. With an unorthodox action, he chips in with wickets regularly and he is a partnership breaker. Jadhav has been consistent and he will retain his place in the playing 11 unless he gets injured.
Jadeja was scintillating in his comeback game, picking up 4 wickets for 29 runs in his 10 overs. His batting form has been good and his counter-attacking 86 against England in the fifth Test bears testimony to it. A live-wire in the field, Jadeja is a real asset to any team.
#3 Bowlers
8. Bhuvaneshwar Kumar
9. Kuldeep Yadav
10. Jasprit Bumrah
11. Yuzevendra Chahal
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar has been in excellent form and he's back to his usual best, swinging the ball both ways. He's a versatile bowler who's deadly at the death overs. He is very precise with his yorkers and is known to limit the run flow. Bhuvi also knows his way around the bat and can score some runs. Dropping him would be a grave mistake.
Kuldeep Yadav is the best chinaman bowler that India has produced in years. Batsmen still have a tough time reading him because of his smooth action and he is a key weapon in India's bowling arsenal. He chips in with wickets in the middle-overs which really helps the team's cause. Kuldeep is known to make things happen with a ball in his hand.
Jasprit Bumrah has been a revelation for India. He hits the deck hard and bowls at a consistent line and length and at a deadly pace. His unorthodox action is even more difficult to pick at the death overs. He bowls his yorkers with pinpoint accuracy and is one of the best death bowlers going around at the moment.
Chahal has been bowling delightfully for the last couple of years. Chahal bowls in tandem with Kuldeep and he, in particular, invites the batsmen to play big shots but deceives them mid-air.
It's always advisable to not tinker with a winning combination and the same team that played against Bangladesh is expected to play against Pakistan in a contest which promises to be a close one.
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