Mohali, March 30: The second semi-final of the 2011 ICC World Cup gets underway between India and Pakistan at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali, Chandigarh today. Both teams are vying for a position in the final where Sri Lanka, having beaten New Zealand in the first semi-final, awaits them.
Speaking on the state of the Mohali wicket Sourav Ganuly said, “It looks a very good surface. It is very well rolled. There is a little bit of grass on it but that is to hold the wicket together. The team winning the toss should bat first and 300 will be an achievable score on this wicket.”
India captain MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bat first. India made a surprise change to their playing eleven by bringing in Ashish Nehra for R Ashwin. Pakistan are playing an unchanged squad from their quarter-final game against West Indies.
Captain speak:
MS Dhoni (India):
On this being the biggest game in his life: “It is difficult to say. I don’t remember how it felt to play the CB series final in 2008 in Australia or the ICC World Twenty20 final in 2007. But having said that, yes, it is a big and very important game for us.”
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan):
On losing the toss: “It does not matter much. But it will not be easy to play spin on this wicket as the ball will grip the surface.”
Playing XIs:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (c & wk), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel and Ashish Nehra
Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (c), Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz and Saeed Ajmal
