Preview: India vs Pak – 2nd T20I
First Published : 27 Dec 2012, 12:39
Last Modified : 27 Dec 2012, 12:39
What
Second of the two Twenty20 Internationals between India and Pakistan
When
Friday, Dec 28, 2012
Where
Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad.
The Teams
After suffering last-over defeats in their last two T20Is – to England and Pakistan – Team India will have a bit of stepping up to do in terms of keeping their nerves in tense moments. Fall of nine wickets in the last 10 overs in the first T20I in Bengaluru suggests that the batsmen will do well to add a bit of discretion in their shot selection and calmness in their minds. MS Dhoni gambled by leaving his ace spinner, R Ashwin, out of the first T20I in favour of Ravindra Jadeja; and he paid dearly for it. Jadeja’s 2.4 overs yielded 29 runs and he went wicketless. This time around, Ashwin might return in the blue jersey.
Pakistan came into the series with a distinct edge over the hosts in terms of their superior bowling attack. The difference was unmistakable in the first game. Mohammad Irfan, that towering giant of a fast bowler, made things a tad awkward for the Indian batsmen. Sohail Tanvir kept the noose tightened at one end, while Umar Gul picked wickets as well. Saeed Ajmal proved he is as effective against the spin-loving Indian batsmen as he was against England. If there’s one area where the visitors fall short, it’s the inexperienced top-order. Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Hafeez saved them the blushes in Bengaluru, but a good start is invaluable in a series such as this one.
Key Players
Debutant Bhuvneshwar Kumar was a revelation for India in the first match. The conditions were perfect for his swing bowling and he made the most of it by rattling the Pakistan top-order. The traditionally flat wicket of Ahmedabad will test the young man’s character and it will be interesting to see how he comes along. Ajinkya Rahane has shown pluck and skills in whatever opportunities he has had. Now is the time for the young man to convert the starts into big scores.
Pakistan have always been a bowling side and it’s no different this time around. However, of late, the focus has shifted a bit from pace to spin, thanks to Saeed Ajmal. While he will continue to play a crucial role, one man who can really ruffle up the Indians is Mohammad Irfan. As skipper Mohammad Hafeez said, the 7ft 1in “surprise package” will continue to unsettle the Indian batsmen.
Trivia
In 13 Twenty20 Internationals this year, Indian part-timers (excluding Yuvraj Singh) have taken just five wickets at an average of 72.80 and an economy rate of 9.10. Yuvraj has taken 14 wickets at an average of 11.14 and an economy rate of 5.85.
Among major teams, Pakistan have the best economy rate in the last 5 overs – 7.55. India have the worst – 9.48
Stats
Venue Stats
Average first innings score at Ahmedabad: 159
Average second innings score at Ahmedabad: 147
Result summary at Ahmedabad:
|
Won by side batting 1st |
Won by side batting 2nd |
No Result |
|---|---|---|
|
2 |
2 |
0 |
[First three statistics are from IPL games played at this ground]
Team Stats
Head-to-head:
|
Mts |
Ind |
Pak |
NR |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall |
4 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
|
in India |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Form guide (most recent listed first):
India : Lost, Lost, Won, Won, Won (3 wins, 2 losses)
Pakistan: Won, Lost, Won, Lost, Won (3 wins, 2 losses)
The Squads
India: MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Gautam Gambhir, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Rohit Sharma, R Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, Ishant Sharma, Ashoke Dinda, Parvinder Awana, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez (capt), Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Ali, Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Irfan, Nasir Jamshed, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal, Umar Amin, Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar
