Cricket is something that Indians worship. Cricket fans religiously follow this sport and its recent developments for the upcoming events. This time, the 16th edition of the Asia Cup is currently being held in Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This is the first time two countries are organizing this spectacular sports event due to political friction between India and Pakistan. Six teams are currently playing at this international event. These teams are India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. The teams are divided into two groups. In Group A, India is paired with Pakistan and Nepal. In group B, Sri Lanka is paired with Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Apart from enjoying the top events of these international tournaments, the fans enjoy playing a fantasy cricket league and making predictions with their analytical skills and knowledge. Let us find out how things are turning out for the Indian cricket team.
India’s Performance in The League Matches Asia Cup
The first match against Pakistan in this tournament could have been more satisfactory. The top-order batting line-up crumbled miserably under the exclusive performance of the Pakistani bowlers. All the wickets fell, and the score went to 266 runs on 2 September 2023. We should note that Pakistan is currently the top international team on the ODI ranking list of the ICC. India is presently in the 3rd position on that list. Pakistan’s top bowlers Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf claimed four crucial wickets during the first spell. India lost four top batters by scoring 66 runs only in Pallekele. The partnership of Ishan Kishan (82 runs) and Hardik Pandya (87 runs) gave a little morale boost to the team’s performance. Afridi performed well and claimed four wickets in 10 overs by giving 35 runs only. On the other hand, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah claimed three wickets each in their respective spells. Due to unprecedented rain, Pakistan did not get to bat. The sudden change in weather worked in the favor of the Indian team. Both the teams scored one point. The winner of this match would have scored 3 points. It was a relief and despair for the Indian fans to watch their team crumble under the wrath of the Pakistani bowlers. Pakistan defeated Nepal in the opening match of this tournament. The team scored 2 points. We all know that the Group A consists of India, Pakistan, and Nepal. Considering the formidable position of Pakistan, we can clearly understand that this team is going to the next stage quickly. On the other hand, India emerged victorious against Nepal as per the DLS method. Hence, the top teams for the Super 4 stage from Group A will be India and Pakistan, the two biggest rivals in the cricket history of the world. This rivalry goes back to 1952.
The History of India and Pakistan’s Rivalry
Both countries can feel the thrill whenever India meets Pakistan on a cricket ground. The high-octane matches pump adrenaline in the veins of fans and keep them stuck to their seats throughout the duration. This thrill of rivalry goes back to 1952, when India played against Pakistan for the first time. It was five years after the horrifying events of the historically-prominent partition in 1947. The Indian team crushed Pakistan under the captaincy of Lala Amarnath in this test match. Since then, these international teams have met on common grounds, creating many memories for the fans. This time, the Asia Cup 2023 will deliver the same base of rivalry. We can imagine how intense the matches will be when India tries to reclaim the top position. On the other hand, Pakistan will defend its position with its bowling and batting squads.
India’s Fate in Super 4 Matches of The Asia Cup 2023
As mentioned earlier, the first showdown between Pakistan and India did not go as expected. India will get another chance to meet with Pakistan in the Super 4 Leg of the Asian Cup again. To understand the journey of India after the league matches, let us look at the next match schedule decided by the authorities.
6 September: Pakistan vs. Bangladesh, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, 2:30 pm IST
9 September: Sri Lanka vs. Bangladesh, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 3 pm IST
10 September: Pakistan vs. India, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 3 pm IST
12 September: India vs. Sri Lanka, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 3 PM IST
14 September: Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 3 PM IST
15 September: India vs. Bangladesh, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 3 pm IST
Final – 17 September: Team 1 vs. Team 2, R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo, 3 pm IST
After the Round Robin method of the first stage of Asia Cup 2023, these crucial matches will help between the top four. From the above schedule, it is clear that all four teams will play against each other to get selected for the final positions. Pakistan has the highest net run rate (NRR) of +4.760 and 3 points in Group A. On the other hand, Sri Lanka has an NRR of +0.594 and 4 points, the highest in Group B. Consecutively, India scored +1.028, and Bangladesh scored +0.373 NRR in their scorecards. India will face Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka and must play its top game. India has to win at least two matches against any team in the Super 4 Leg. Things will turn out better if India manages to defeat Pakistan, the biggest rival of this team in this tournament. On the other hand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are also in their formidable forms. They are showing the ideal traits of promising winners of this competition. Hence, the matches between these teams will be thrilling enough to watch.
In a Nutshell
The journey of the Indian cricket team has not been so satisfactory up until now. The first meet with Pakistan’s formidable bowling line-up crumbled the batting squad of the Indian team. The Indian fans expected much more than the outcomes. India has managed to enter the Super 4 section of the Asia Cup. Let us wait and watch how this team performs in the upcoming matches, and we hope to win this tournament.
