The sixth (and 10th) World Cup match will be played on Sunday at Adelaide, where India have only lost one of the six matches it has played against sides other than Australia. Pakistan meanwhile have lost 10 of the last 12 ODIs they have played.
Pakistan skipper and best batsman Misbahul Haq is traversing a poor run of form in ODIs since his record breaking year in 2013, though he did score a 91 not out in the warm up game against England. Of course Pakistan will also be carrying the ODI deadwood also known as Younis Khan, who has two half centuries in three World Cups and one century (in a losing cause) in six years.
Meanwhile, three of Pakistan’s top four bowlers Saeed Ajmal, Mohammed Hafeez and Junaid Khan won’t be a part of the World Cup owing to a combination of injuries and issues with bowling actions.
So basically history, form, record books, team composition, conditions – pretty much everything – will be against Pakistan on Sunday. Just the way we like it.
No one thrives amidst low or non-existent expectations in all of sport more than the Pakistan cricket team
No one thrives amidst low or non-existent expectations in all of sport more than the Pakistan cricket team.
Barring the 2011 semifinal, Pakistan were favourites in the other four ODI World Cup matchups, which worked against them. Furthermore, the fact that the match on Sunday, for all practical purposes, won’t have that big an influence on the overall standings, considering the format, will further ease the pressure on Pakistan.
If we’re looking for more positives, then the team’s performance in the two warm up matches against Bangladesh and England would be a good place to start, despite the fact that the middle order bailed out the top-order chasing down not particularly high scores – the story of Pakistan cricket post-Saeed Anwar. Another important fact is that India, despite being in Australia for the past three months, haven’t won a single international match since the beginning of their tour Down Under.
Pakistan’s first choice 11 is still a mystery – a sign of an unsettled team that has been in poor form of late – but if logic prevails, Younis Khan shouldn’t be a part of the team after failing against New Zealand in both recent series and doing nothing meaningful in the warmup matches either.
Ahmed Shehzad, Harris Sohail, Misbahul Haq, Shahid Afridi and Irfan Khan are virtually the only players guaranteed a spot in the team on Sunday. Form book would dictate that Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal and Yasir Shah should also be a part of the playing 11. This would leave Nasir Jamshed and Sarfraz Ahmed vying to partner Ahmed Shehzad at the top of the batting lineup, with Wahab Riaz, Sohail Khan and Ehsan Adil vying for two fast-bowling slots. Umar Akmal would have to keep wickets if Nasir Jamshed is preferred over Sarfraz Ahmed.
Despite India’s recent struggles, they still have one of the most powerful batting line-ups in the world right now. Their bowling – their customary weaker link – is pretty ordinary, even by their not-so-high standards.
The result of the Pakistan-India match would hinge on one important question: can Pakistan’s depleted bowling lineup restrict India to below 250-260? Because it is hard to imagine Pakistan scoring over 275 – batting first or chasing – owing to a 90s strategic hangover, wherein ‘saving wickets and going ballistic at the end’ is the default plan. This plan is religiously followed whether we’re batting first or chasing targets of 250 or 350.
However, should we be bold (read sensible) enough to not include Younis Khan in the starting 11 (recall Waqar Younis, 1999), with Hafeez out we might have a batting lineup that is the right blend of anchor and acceleration, at least on paper. And of course despite it being virtually a third string bowling attack, the bowlers still have it in them to conjure the proverbial rabbit out of the hat.
Pakistan go into the match against India (just like the World Cup itself) as cornered underdogs. If the team overcomes history and massive odds to prevail, expect the nation to go ballistic and expectations to soar.
Pakistan-India match is the only sporting game (ridiculously) dubbed ‘bigger than the World Cup’ itself. Either result would mount severe pressure on Pakistan who have historically succumbed to the burden of expectation at the biggest stage.
But then again, this is the first World Cup where the team would be led by Misbahul Haq. Maybe Pakistan cricket’s perennial unsung hero has one last miracle up his sleeve.