What
Match four of the ICC Cricket World Cup, 2015 between India and Pakistan
When
February 15, 2015 | 09:00 IST | 13:30 GMT
Where
The Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia
The teams
India
MS Dhoni’s men haven’t had it easy since they stepped on the Australian shores last November. In close to three months there, the only win India have managed is against Afghanistan in a World Cup warm-up game. This winless run has added to the already intense pressure the defending champions find themselves under going into the tournament. To add to their woes, they have lost their most experienced bowler – Ishant Sharma – to injury. The only way for Dhoni and his men is up. At least that’s the way they would approach their first match, against Pakistan.
The good news for India is that their batsmen struck form just ahead of the tournament, albeit against the modest Afghan bowling attack. Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Suresh Raina all scored runs and that should put the captain’s mind at ease. Virat Kohli’s bat has been quiet for a while now after an illustrious Test series. The big occasion of playing Pakistan could just be the adrenaline boost he needs.
The bowling has been a major area of concern for India. Umesh Yadav, however, has shown discipline. He was the only Indian bowler to restrict the rampaging Aussies in India’s first warm-up match and he maintained a tight leash on the Afghan batsmen as well. With two new balls and bouncy wickets, R Ashwin’s guile in the middle overs will be crucial for Dhoni as part-timers could be taken to cleaners.
Pakistan
Mercurial and unpredictable, Pakistan have the ability to surprise anyone, including themselves, on a given day. They surely want to break the World Cup jinx against India and Misbah-ul-Haq would desperately hope for the good Pakistan to turn up on Sunday.
Pakistan’s batting will strongly rest on the shoulders of Misbah and Younis Khan. If one of them occupies one end, the likes of Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi can up the ante from the other. However, the opening pair of Nasir Jamshed and Ahmed Shahzad will have to ensure they don’t burden the two seniors in the middle-order with the task of resurrecting the stumbling innings.
Pakistan’s bowling will be led by the seven-footer Mohammad Irfan, who will have an obvious advantage over the vertically modest Indian batsmen. The Irfan factor has been playing on the Indians’ minds as suggested by their net sessions where they faced throwdowns from a man standing on a stool. Leg-spinner, Yasir Shah, has been impressive in the lead-up to the World Cup and his role will be immense against the flamboyant Indian middle-order.
Key players
India
Rohit Sharma likes batting in Australia, especially in the ODIs. He is back to fitness and form as his 150 against Afghanistan showed. With Shikhar Dhawan not in the best of touch, Rohit’s presence in the top-order will be important. His new approach – score the first 20-25 runs with caution and then accelerate – is what India will be hoping to bank on to get a big total on the board. With bowling not being India’s biggest strength, it will be imperative for the batsmen to take charge and that should start with Rohit at the top.
Pakistan
In the structure of the Pakistan team Misbah-ul-Haq is a monk in the midst of chaos. With all the flamboyance and uncertainty around him, the captain goes about his business of restoring an iota of sanity in the innings. There are also times when the monk becomes the marauder and both his avatars are equally dangerous for the opposition. Pakistan will depend heavily on Misbah in this emotionally charged contest.
Squads
India: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Shami, Mohit Sharma.
Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Ahmed Shahzad, Ehsan Adil, Nasir Jamshed, Harris Sohail, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Khan, Umar Akmal (wk), Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Younis Khan.
