Preview: Ind v Pak – Match 20, ICC WT20
First Published : 29 Sep 2012, 17:25
Last Modified : 29 Sep 2012, 17:27
What
The 20th match of the 2012 ICC World Twenty20, which is between India and Pakistan. This is India’s second Group 2 game in the Super Eights stage of the competition.
When
September 30, 2012. The game begins at 7:30 pm, IST.
Where
The R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. India have played all their games of the tournament at this venue, with their loss to Australia being their first ever defeat in a T20I at the Premadasa Stadium. Pakistan, meanwhile, played their first game at this venue when they stumbled their way to a two-wicket win against South Africa in their first Super Eights encounter.
The Teams
Once again, the problem faced by the Indians ahead of this game pertains to the balance of the side. After being whipped by Australia, Virender Sehwag may be back in the side, though it remains to be seen which bowler is likely to sit out to accommodate him. Yet, if the warm-up game against Pakistan before the tournament is anything to go by, four specialist bowlers may not be enough to stop the highly unpredictable Pakistan batting line-up. Also, should Australia trump South Africa in the other Group 2 game that will be played before this match, India will certainly need to beat Pakistan to keep their hopes of a semi-final berth alive.
Pakistan’s strength, as always, remains in their bowling department. They have the spinners – Shahid Afridi, Raza Hasan, Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez – to exploit the conditions in Sri Lanka. In fact, in Hafeez and Afridi they have two all-rounders, who give great balance to the side. Their batting, though, remains the big worry as was amply demonstrated during their thrilling two-wicket win against South Africa, in what was by all accounts a low-scoring contest.
Key Players
India will look to MS Dhoni in more ways than one in this game. From getting the right team selection to coming up with a knock that could turn the game in favour of the Indians, Dhoni could very well be the difference between the two sides on Sunday evening.
Saeed Ajmal is by all accounts the best spinner in the world currently. He gave the Indian batsmen a hard time in the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup semi-final, and had it not been for several dropped catches, may have actually finished with better figures than 10-0-44-2. This, then, could be his chance to get back at the Indians in a World Cup encounter.
Trivia:
-
India have never lost to Pakistan in a World Cup. They have beaten them in both previous T20 encounters (once in a bowl-out after a tie) and in all their five ODI World Cup games.
-
Pakistan have won most number of matches in World T20s – 15.
Venue Stats:
India – played – 4, won - 3, lost – 1, tied – 0, no result – 0
Pakistan – played - 2, won - 2, lost – 0, tied – 0, no result – 0
Highest total in an innings: England 196/5 in 20.0 overs v Afghanistan – September 21, 2012
Lowest total in an innings: Afghanistan 80/10 in 17.2 overs v England - September 21, 2012 and England 80/10 in 14.4 overs v India - September 23, 2012
Best individual score in an innings: Luke Wright (England) – 99* v Afghanistan – September 21, 2012
Best bowling figures in an innings: Harbhajan Singh (India) – 4.0-2-12-4 v England – September 23, 2012
Average first innings score at R.Premadasa Stadium in T20Is: 158
Result summary at R.Premadasa Stadium in T20Is:
|
Matches |
Side batting 1st won |
Side batting 2nd won |
No result |
Tied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall |
6 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
Head-to-head:
|
Matches |
Played |
Ind won |
Pak won |
No result |
Tied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1* |
|
In Sri Lanka |
0 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
In ICC WT20 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1* |
* won by India in a bowl-out
Last T20I encounter between both sides: 24 September 2007 at Johannesburg
Brief scores: India (157-5) beat Pakistan (152) by 5 runs
ICC World Twenty20 record:
|
Country |
Played |
Won |
Lost |
No result |
Tied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
India |
20 |
10 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
|
Pakistan |
23 |
15 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
Form guide (most recent listed first):
India: Lost, Won, Won, Lost, Won (3 wins, 2 losses)
Pakistan: Won, Won, Won, Lost, Tied (3 wins, 1 lost, 1 tied)
The Squads:
India: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Gautam Gambhir, R Ashwin, L Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Ashok Dinda, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, SK Raina, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (c), Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Imran Nazir, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Sami, Nasir Jamshed, Raza Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Gul, Yasir Arafat
All stats are as on September 29, 2012 before the start of the England v New Zealand encounter in Pallekele
