India Vs Pakistan sporting competition continues. Although, in a recent press conference Indian team’s captain tried to make things look normal by saying, it is just a game. However, when it comes to India vs Pakistan, few other sporting rivalries can match that.
Similarly, Pakistan team’s captain wants his team to feel no pressure. Furthermore, he wants the boys of his team to get in a relaxed state of mind. He believes if they feel good, they will be able to perform in a crucial match.
Over a Billion People to Watch India vs Pakistan Matches
It is not something that we see every day. The viewership is just massive and means so much for the advertisers. The combined population of India and Pakistan is around one and a half billion. One and a half billion people make over 20 percent of the entire world’s population.
A Shared History of Differences and Clashes
Pakistan and India have fought three wars with each other. The new hike in relations is a cause of concern for the international community. The Kashmir issue is still looming without any solution in sight. There is so much at stake when it comes to the two nation’s playing cricket with each other.
India’s Denial to Play a Bilateral Series
Recently, the Indian Sports Minister categorically denied any chances of the two countries playing each other. He argued that cricket and terrorism cannot go together. However, India will inevitably be playing Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy 2017.
Community Make Up of Birmingham
There is a population of around 2 million people who either belong to India or Pakistan. It will be an exciting contest with such a tremendous support drawn from both the countries. In the last ICC encounter, India beat Pakistan back in 2015.
#IndiavsPak Twitter Trend
The IndiavsPak trend is going viral on Twitter. The fans from both sides are going bizarre over this cricketing phenomenon.
Bindass_Bol said to girls that if a guy calls them between 3 pm and 11 pm (the match timing), they should marry that guy.
Some Twitter users are running polls if India or Pakistan will win. Others are running polls if Virat Kohli will make a century against Pakistan.
Pakistani fans are also wishing the best to their team.
India vs Pakistan – The Secret Indian Team Meeting
Indian current team captain understands well the pressure on his team. Therefore, he along with MS. Dhoni went together to a Chinese restaurant in Birmingham. Three other team members also accompanied the duo.
Media reports suggest it to be a pre-match planning rather than a dinner. The meeting lasted for over 2 hours. They parked their car a little farther to avoid fans. After the conclusion of the dinner, the duo along with other members took a stroll. The cricketers also did not heed to any selfie requests.
Weather May Threaten the India vs Pakistan Game
There are predictions of rain on the day of the match. If there is rain, it will result in a tie between the two teams. Indian team already had to conduct an indoor match practice due to wet weather conditions. Weather experts say that there is a slight chance of improvement in the weather conditions. However, these conditions may not change by Sunday.
The last match on this ground was played on 2nd June 2017, between Australia and New Zealand. It was a Group A match drawn because of disruption by rain. New Zealand made a decent total of 291 runs. In response, Australia made 53 for 3 in 9 overs play. It seemed to be a win for New Zealand as Australia was struggling with a run chase of 235 in 33 overs. The two teams got one point each as a result of the draw.
India vs Pakistan – A Great Contest between Bat and Ball
India is long known for its outstanding batting abilities. Depth in the batting lineup has always made it difficult for Pakistan to make enough runs. Indian team can chase massive totals. Pakistan is not historically known to chase bigger scores. It would be interesting to see what lineup India plays.
Indian squad.
- Virat Kohli (Captain)
- Shikhar Dhawan
- MS Dhoni (Wicket Keeper)
- Kedar Jadhav
- Dinesh Karthik
- Ajinkya Rahane
- Rohit Sharma
- Yuvraj Singh
- Manish Pandey
- Ravichandran Ashwin
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar
- Mohammed Shami
- Umesh Yadav
- Hardik Pandya
Pakistan has relied heavily upon its bowling. Bowlers of the Pakistani cricket team defended some of the most challenging totals in the past. Pakistan always had a formidable and quick pace attack. The country also has highly talented spin bowling attack.
However, Pakistan’s batting lineup will need to perform. Otherwise, it will become difficult for the team to win the match. Temperament, patience, and ability to perform under pressure are keys to success.
Pakistan’s squad.
- Sarfraz Ahmed (Captain & Wicket Keeper)
- Ahmed Shehzad
- Faheem Ashraf
- Azhar Ali
- Babar Azam
- Haris Sohail
- Mohammad Hafeez
- Shoaib Malik
- Umar Akmal
- Fakhar Zaman
- Hasan Ali
- Imad Wasim
- Junaid Khan
- Mohammad Amir
- Shadab Khan
- Wahab Riaz
