Match Details
The high-stakes match is scheduled for Saturday, 14 October, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Historical Context
India and Pakistan, two cricketing giants with a rich shared history, are set to face off. Despite Pakistan’s dominance in the ODI format, with 73 victories compared to India’s 56, India has maintained an unbeaten record in the Cricket World Cup against their arch-rivals since their first encounter in 1992.
Current Tournament Performance
Both teams have been in impressive form in the tournament so far, heightening the anticipation for their group stage match. India’s spinners dismantled Australia’s batting line-up in their first match, while Pakistan made easy work of the Netherlands in their opening game.
Team Performances
India’s top-order batsmen, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, have been in fine form, guiding their team to comfortable victories against Australia and Afghanistan. On the other hand, Pakistan’s batting line-up, led by Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan, has shown its depth and strength, successfully chasing down the highest ever target in Cricket World Cup history against Sri Lanka.
Previous Encounters
The last ODI match between the two teams was at the Asia Cup last month, where India secured a resounding 228-run victory, thanks to centuries from Kohli and Rahul.
Team Line-ups
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav.
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Wasim.
Players to Watch
India – Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma, with his record-breaking performance against Afghanistan, is a key player for India. His average against Pakistan is close to 50, and his match-winning 140 in their last Cricket World Cup encounter four years ago is a testament to his abilities. His performance against Pakistan’s new-ball bowlers could be a game-changer.
Pakistan – Hasan Ali
Hasan Ali, with six wickets at an average of 17.33 in the World Cup so far, is Pakistan’s leading bowler. Despite a career average against India that isn’t particularly impressive, his performance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2017 Final, where he took 3/19, shows that he can rise to the occasion in high-pressure games.