India vs Pakistan HIGHLIGHTS T20 World Cup: Kohli 82* leads IND to thrilling last-ball win over PAK

Rohit Sharma: “I have no voice left. We were always wanting to make sure we stayed in the game as long as possible. We’ve been talking constantly about it. No matter what the situation, you’ve got to believe you can pull through, and that partnership changed the game for us. There was good carry, good swing as well, and we utilised that well up front. That was good to see from the bowling perspective. They batted well in the middle. We knew it would not be an easy target on that pitch. We knew we would have to bat out of our skins. Virat and Hardik are experienced guys. Staying calm and taking it as deep as possible was critical, and they did that. It’s good for our confidence to get off the mark in our first game, and the way we won is more pleasing for us, the way we came back. Hats off to Virat. It has to go off as not one of his best, but the best innings he has played for India. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported us, and I will expect nothing less wherever we travel in Australia.”

Virat Kohli, MoM: He’s not able to say much, because it’s just too noisy for that. “Well, it’s a surreal atmosphere. I honestly have no words. I have no idea how that happened. Hardik kept telling me, just believe we can stay till the end. I’m lost for words. Well, I think when Shaheen bowled from the Pavilion end, I told Hardik we have to take him down. The calculation was simple. Nawaz had one over to bowl, so if I could take Haris down, they would panic. It came down to 16 off 6. I’m kind of lost for words. [On the two sixes off Rauf:] It’s just instinctively I saw it, told myself to stay still. The one at long-on was unexpected, it was a back-of-a-length slower ball. The fine leg one, I just threw my bat at it. Till today I said Mohali was my best T20 innings. Then I got 82 off 52, today I got 82 off 53. Both are just as special. All these months when I was struggling, you guys [the crowd] kept me going. Thank you so much.”

Nawaz to bowl the final over, Hardik on strike. Nawaz to Hardik, OUT! Straight up and an easy catch for Babar Azam first ball! Dinesh Karthik walks in at 7. Karthik steps out as Nawaz bowls a high full-toss. No no-ball and India only gets a single. 15 needed off 4. Low full-toss and Kohli only gets a toe onto it. Kohli and Karthik scramble and reel in two runs. 13 needed off 3. Full toss and Kohli flicks it for SIX over a flying deep mid-wicket fielder - NO BALL! FREE HIT FOR INDIA! Babar goes up to the umpires but the decision stands. 6 needed off 3. WIDE! 5 off 3. Nawaz hit the timber and the ball races past Rizwan - Kohli and Karthik reel in THREE runs! 2 off 2 for India now. Nawaz to Karthik, OUT! Nawaz rushes to the pads and the ball falls to Rizwan who flicks the bails as Karthik steps out of his crease. What drama! India needs 2 off the last ball as Ashwin walks in. WIDE! Nawaz sends way down leg! 1 off 1 for India. Ashwin lofts the ball over mid-off for FOUR - India beats Pakistan by four wickets.

TAKE A BOW, VIRAT KOHLI!

Hardik Pandya c Babar Azam b Mohammad Nawaz 40 (37b 1x4 2x6); Dinesh Karthik st †Mohammad Rizwan b Mohammad Nawaz 1 (2b)

Hardik flicks a length ball for a single. All eyes on Kohli now. Kohli lobs one over point for another single. The required run rate continues to shoot up as Hardik and Kohli bring up their 100-run stand from 75 balls. Dot. Rauf bumps one in and beats Hardik. A superb delivery to follow and Hardik only gets a single. SIX! Kohli crunches a short, straight ball down the ground for a maximum - what a shot from the master! SIX! Kohli sends the stands into raptures with a nonchalant shot over fine leg. 16 needed off the final over as Kohli unleashes his very best under pressure.

Short from Shaheen and Kohli pummels the ball over mid-wicket for FOUR and brings up his 11th 50 in T20 World Cup cricket! Low full-toss and Kohli slices it through point for two runs. Full toss and Kohli lofts the ball over cover for FOUR more! Shaheen comes over the wicket and sends in a sharp bouncer. Kohli mistimes his pull but wants two and is sent back by Hardik. Kohli is not pleased. A single to follow. Angling in to the body and Kohli flicks it over short-fine for FOUR.

Naseem Shah is up for his last over. Hardik flicks a ball down to cow corner for a single. Short from Naseem and Kohli makes room to go over cover to find two runs. Slower bouncer and Kohli misses out on a cut across point. Naseem goes full and Kohli flicks it down to deep mid-wicket for a single. Things slipping away from India’s grasp? A dot to follow. Six runs from the over.

Rauf hits the deck hard and beat Hardik’s hanging blade, searing pace. Hardik glides the next ball down to third for a single. Kohli gets a single. Rauf bumps one short down leg and sends Rizwan flying but fails to keep out a bye. Five runs from the over so far with a ball to go. Slower ball on length and Hardik works it across mid-on for a single.

Kohli and Hardik intensify the running between the wickets. Kohli charges down and makes a last-minute adjustment to flick a yorker for FOUR past short-fine leg. 100 up for India at the end of 15 overs.

Short from Shadab and Kohli rocks to the backfoot and cuts the ball through cover for FOUR. A single to follow. Hardik misses out on a short ball outside the off-stump as he sends it straight to the backward point fielder. Shadab places the ball wide outside the off-stump and Kohli sweeps the ball to deep mid-wicket for a single.

Kohli gets an outside-edge down to third-man for a single. Shaheen slides the ball in and Hardik gently flicks it towards the on-side and sneaks in two runs. Short and angling in and Kohli tucks the ball behind short-fine leg for FOUR. Kohli gets a single. A superb dipper into the blockhole and Shaheen nearly takes out Hardik.

Nawaz slides one in and Hardik wallops the ball over deep mid-wicket for SIX. He pushes the ball down to long-on for a single. Nawaz slips one to Kohli’s pad. The ball lobs up to Rizwan who pouches. Babar is interested for a review and Pakistan goes for it. Replays suggest that there is no inside-edge after Kohli lets out a cheeky smile. There comes the response. A magnificent SIX into the crowd! Dances down the track and smokes the ball into the crowd as Nawaz floats the ball towards middle-and-leg. In the slot and Hardik pumps the ball over long-on for another SIX! Now, is this the over that turn things around for India?

Shadab getting some late drift to keep Hardik in his tracks. Shadab wafts one onto the pads and Hardik drills it down the ground for FOUR. Hardik drives the ball to deep cover and brings up India’s FIFTY in 10.3 overs. Kohli’s wristy flick pins the ball to deep mid-wicket for two runs.

Four runs from Nawaz’s over. Hardik and Kohli have got no half-chances to pounce on. India needs 115 runs in the second-half of the chase.

Superb line of attack from Shadab. No room whatsoever for Kohli and Hardik. Just the three runs from it.

Hardik and Kohli resort to singles to keep the board ticking. Pakistan well and truly on top at the moment. Five runs from the over.

Shadab Khan replaces Naseem. Axar flicks the first ball towards the on-side and sets off on a non-existing single. A run-out chance and Rizwan has perhaps squandered a chance here? OUT says the third-umpire! Rizwan manages to keep the ball in control just about enough to dislodge the bails in time, reckons Richard Kettleborough. A shoddy dismissal in the end for Axar. Hardik Pandya in at 6. He is off the mark with a single.

Axar Patel run out (Babar Azam/†Mohammad Rizwan) 2 (3b)

Short from Rauf and Suryakumar whacks the ball over mid-wicket for FOUR. Rauf to Suryakumar, OUT! A jaffa from Haris Rauf! A fiery bouncer cramps up Suryakumar who nicks one onto the keeper. Axar Patel in at 5. Axar is off the mark with a solid backfoot punch through point.

Suryakumar Yadav c †Mohammad Rizwan b Haris Rauf 15 (10b 2x4)

Naseem to SKY, beaten. Naseem seams the ball away from a good length and Suryakumar nearly gets an edge on that one. Naseem angles in a short delivery and Suryakumar flicks it over square leg for three runs. India will need to do a lot of running in this chase and who better to have out there than Virat Kohli.

Rauf replaces Naseem. Surprises Rohit with a sharp length delivery that springs up from the deck. Rohit does well to take his bottom hand off the bat to prevent an injury. Rauf to Rohit, OUT! A tentative push from Rohit as Rauf lures him into this shot. No way out of that 145kph delivery and Iftikhar takes a good, sharp catch at first-slip. Massive jolt for India as Suryakumar Yadav enters at 4. Rauf overpitches and SKY creams the ball down the ground for FOUR to get off the mark. A hint of room and Suryakumar drives through cover and reels in three runs.

Shaheen starts with a delivery that moves away from Rohit. A solid push from Rohit towards cover and he gets a single. Shaheen pushes one full and across. Kohli neatly leaves the ball on length. Shaheen overpitches and Kohli eases into a drive through point for two runs. Shaheen comes around the wicket. He hits Kohli high on the pads as the ball swings in a tad too much.

Naseem starts off with a skiddy ball that hits Rahul high on the pads while sliding down leg. Full and straight and Rahul punches the ball to mid-off. Babar has placed a leg-slip for Rahul. Short ball and Rahul parries the ball over backward point for two runs. Naseem to Rahul, OUT! Played on! A tame dab against a back of length delivery casts Rahul’s downfall. The extra pace helps the ball to spring up quickly off the deck and Pakistan has struck early. Virat Kohli in at 3.

KL Rahul b Naseem Shah 4 (8b)

Shaheen up with the new ball. KL Rahul on strike. Inswinging low full-toss and Rahul almost lobs it back to Shaheen! Inside-edge and Rahul is off the mark with a single down to fine leg. A hold-up in play as a couple of fallen placards behind the sight-screen causes a disturbance for Rohit. Rohit takes guard outside the leg-stump. Low full-toss onto the pads and Rohit flicks it through square for a single. Rahul dabs it past point for a single. Slower-ball outside the off-stump and Rohit drives the ball through cover for two runs.

Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul walk out for India. Shaheen Afridi warms up and takes the new ball.

150 up with a wide from Bhuvneshwar. A single for Masood. Bhuvneshwar to Shaheen, OUT! Quicker bouncer and Afridi chips it straight back to the bowler. Haris Rauf in at 10. Low full-toss onto the pads and Rauf flicks it over mid-wicket for SIX. Length from Bhuvi, Rauf swings and misses. Change of pace and Rauf misses another half-tracker. Slower-ball and Rauf runs a bye. A tame throw from Bhuvneshwar concedes an extra run and Pakistan finishes at 159/8.

Shaheen Shah Afridi c & b Kumar 16 (8b 1x4 1x6)

Back of a length delivery from Arshdeep to Afridi who slices it down to third-man for a single. FIFTY for Masood with a single. He has maintained his calm despite wickets tumbling around him. Length from Arshdeep and Afridi wallops it over mid-wicket for SIX! Full outside the off-stump and Afridi pumps it down the ground for FOUR. In the blockhole from Arshdeep, Afridi gets an inside-edge down the leg. Karthik puts in a good effort to deny a boundary.

Shami from around the wicket. He angles the ball in and Masood moves towards the on-side and slices on through the vacant slip cordon for FOUR. Shami overpitches and Masood flicks the ball wide off Ashwin at mid-on for FOUR. Short ball and Masood makes room but fails to connect. Masood flicks a ball down to fine leg for a single.

Arshdeep cramps up the batters with his nagging incoming delivery. Incredible fielding from Kohli in the deep to keep the batters on their toes. Arshdeep to Asif, OUT! Short ball onto the shoulders and Asif gloves one over to Karthik. Superb control from the left-armer and India continues to chip away with the wickets. Shaheen Afridi in at 9.

Asif Ali c †Karthik b Arshdeep Singh 2 (3b)

Short and wide from Hardik and Nawaz slashes the ball over backward point for FOUR. Hardik feeds length and Nawaz clears his front leg to drive the ball over cover for FOUR. Hardik to Nawaz, OUT! A quick bumper cramps up Nawaz who gloves the ball to Karthik.

Ashwin returns with Mohammed Nawaz joining Shan Masood - two left-handers at the crease. 100 up for Pakistan as Nawaz and Shan nudge about the gaps for singles. Leading-edge off the bat of Shan Masood and the ball hits the spider-cam and moves away from the ring of fielders on the off-side. Dead ball. Rohit Sharma is not pleased with the spidercam and has a word with the umpire. DROPPED. Masood thumps it down the ground and Ashwin fails to latch onto a tough chance.

A sharp delivery to start the over from Hardik. He squares up Shadab with a ball that skids on from the length past the outside-edge. Hardik to Shadab, OUT! Shadab mistimes a length ball high into the evening sky and Suryakumar takes a comfortable catch at long-on. Haider Ali walks in at 6. Hardik keeps it straight on length and Haider chips it back. Deceptive change of pace and Haider is lured into a loose shot over cover for two runs. Hardik to Haider, OUT! A rash heave across the line and Haider holes out to Suryakumar at wide long-on.

Shadab Khan c Yadav b Pandya 5 (6b 1x4); Haider Ali c Yadav b Pandya 2 (4b)

Shami to Iftikhar, OUT! That’s plumb. Full and rushing into the pads and Iftikhar misses the ball by a mile. Massive strike for India as Iftikhar was looking menacing over the last two overs. Shadab Khan in at 5. Full from Shami and Shadab creams it down the ground for FOUR.

Iftikhar Ahmed lbw b Mohammed Shami 51 (34b 2x4 4x6)

Length ball and Iftikhar unleashes a slog-sweep for a massive SIX over cow-corner. SIX more! Iftikhar wallops the ball over long-on. Shoddy ball from Axar on length and Iftikhar isn’t thinking twice before stepping out to smack the ball. SIX again! Loopy delivery outside the off-stump and Iftikhar muscles the ball from the crease towards long-off. KL Rahul puts in a good dive but fails to keep the ball in play. Iftikhar dabs the ball towards point and a midfield from Ashwin concedes three runs. FIFTY for Iftikhar Ahmed!

Ashwin continues to flip through his tricks and darts one into the blackhole. Ashwin wafts one in and Iftikhar lofts one just over Rohit Sharma at cover for two runs. In the slot and Iftikhar steps out and smokes him over long-on for a huge SIX.

Short ball from Hardik outside the off-stump and Iftikhar guides it down to third-man for a single. A loosener from Hardik and Iftikhar promptly puts it past backward point for FOUR.

Ashwin loops one in and Masood steps out and carves the ball towards long-off for two runs. Ashwin is bowling much slower through the air as Iftikhar and Masood resort to singles. Six runs from the over.

Shami continues to hit the deck hard. Shami to Masood, OUT or not? Masood pulls an angled short ball down to fine leg and Ashwin scoops low to take the ball low from the ground. Is that not out? The umpires review and the ball is seen to be touching the ground before lobbing to Ashwin’s palms. NOT OUT. Ashwin was perhaps a second or late too to react to the catch there. Shami follows up with a yorker to Iftikhar. BEATEN. Shami seams the ball away from Iftikhar on the good length outside the off-stump.

Good first ball from Hardik as he hits the deck hard and gets it to move away from Iftikhar. Short and Iftikhar mistimes his pull but reels in three runs. Hardik cramps up Masood with a short ball. He sets off on a run but is quickly sent back by Hardik on the follow-through. Direct hit from Hardik and the replays suggest that Masood has just made his ground by a whisker! Short ball to the body and Masood parries it over for FOUR through fine leg.

Shami starts with a nagging delivery with a ball that tails in to hit Masood awkwardly high up on the bat. Shami swings one in again and thuds high into the pad. Short from Shami and Masood slaps the ball over point for FOUR. Shami angles the ball in again and Masood flicks it to the deep on the on-side and finds three runs.

Masood flicks Bhuvneshwar through mid-wicket for three runs. Iftikhar slaps the ball across the line for two runs. Nine runs from the over.

Arshdeep strays to the pads and Masood guides it down leg for FOUR. A single to follow. Arshdeep finds the perfect channel to beat Rizwan’s outside-edge with successive deliveries that take up from length and move across the blade to the keeper. Leading edge and the ball falls inches short of Virat Kohli. Rizwan attempts to flick a length delivery and miscues it towards Kohli who runs in but fails to cover enough ground. Top effort. Arshdeep to Rizwan, OUT! Rizwan holes out to fine leg. A superb bouncer angling in at the shoulders and Rizwan fails to get the desired timing to send it all the way.

Mohammad Rizwan c Kumar b Arshdeep Singh 4 (12b 1x4)

Bhuvneshwar squares up Masood with a nip-backer that squeezes through his gates to Karthik. He follows up with an inswinging yorker and Masood manages to work it towards square-leg and find two runs. Impeccable accuracy up-front here from Bhuvneshwar who sends in another swinging delivery into the blackhole.

Arshdeep to Babar Azam, OUT! Arshdeep swings the ball in and hits Babar’s pad first ball. Loud shout and the umpire raises his finger. Pakistan reviews. THREE REDS on replay and Babar departs for a golden duck! Full and swinging in and Arshdeep strikes with his first ball in a World Cup. Shan Masood in at 3. Arshdeep welcomes Masood with a length ball outside the off-stump and beats him with some late movement. Arshdeep follows up with a nip-backer that Masood flicks it to the on-side. Masood dabs the ball to mid-off and Kohli scampers to collect the ball and misses the stumps at the non-striker’s. Massive miss there as Masood was well short of his crease. Kohli is in disbelief! Arshdeep strays to Rizwan’s legs and he flicks it down leg for FOUR.

Babar Azam lbw b Arshdeep Singh 0 (1b)

Bhuvneshwar up with the new ball. Rizwan on strike. Two slips in place. A good first ball from Bhuvi outside the off-stump and Rizwan leaves the ball on length. Quick bounce andBhuvneshwar’s second ball hits Rizwan high on his front glove. He is wincing in pain and the physio has come out. BEATEN again. Bhuvneshwar places one a tad shorter and Rizwan fails to connect yet again. Five dots! Well outside the off-stump and Rizwan has a streaky flash at it. Bhuvneshwar swings one down leg and Karthik stops a certain boundary with a spectacular full-length dive to his right. Rapped on the pads and a stifled appeal from Bhuvneshwar after the ball rushes into the front pad. Top start from Bhuvi.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan walk out to the centre as the Men in Blue take the field.

Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam lead their respective sides out for the national anthems. Rohit with some vibrant expressions at the end of the Indian anthem. All set to roll.

Have many fond memories here, I made my T20 debut in Australia, and from there the journey has continued. It’s good to be back here, you can’t get a better place to play sport and enjoy. The body is fine, I think you should put that topic about my body on rest, you will see me bowling. We are playing international cricket, it’s not only about Pakistan bowlers. Any team which is playing will have quality bowing at this level, international cricket has certain standards. So we all are aware about it. We have worked very hard to come here. The team that plays well, wins the contest.

India XI: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami

Pakistan XI: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Shadab Khan, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Asif Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf

TOSS: India wins toss, opts to bowl

Rohit Sharma: We are going to field first. Looks like a good pitch, it’s always nice with overcast conditions. Think the ball will swing around a bit. Preparations have been good. We played a couple of practice games in Brisbane. Time to come out and enjoy ourselves. We were expecting nothing less than this, hopefully we’ll entertain them. We have seven batters, three seamers and two spinners.

Babar Azam: Toss is not in our hands. We’ll try to post around 160-170. We have prepared well, and we are ready for this big game. We won a series back home, we played a tri-series in New Zealand, so we are prepared.

Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam at the centre.

“The pitch has some nice covering of grass, it is rock-hard. A good batting wicket, overall. There will definitely be some pace and bounce on offer. Captain winning the toss must elect to bat first,” says Michael Clarke.

All fired up and ready. Virat Kohli is here.

Virat Kohli is leading an animated talk in the Indian huddle as the MCG continues to grow louder.

Mohammed Shami is marking his run-up. Indications of India’s Playing XI then? R Ashwin is also going through multiple fielding drills.

Well, this is incidentally only the second time India and Pakistan are facing one another at the MCG. The last time they met, Sunll Gavaskar’s team India won the 1985 World Championship by eight wickets in the final over Pakistan.

• India needs one win for most wins across formats. They will surpass Australia’s record of 38 wins from 2003.
• Rohit Sharma needs three sixes for the most sixes among Indians in T20 World Cup, will surpass Yuvraj Singh’s tally of 33.
• Rohit Sharma will surpass MS Dhoni for most matches among Indians in T20 World Cup with his 34th appearance.

Batting run-rate against spin at MCG: 6.79

Batting run-rate against pace at MCG: 7.53

Rizwan has the most runs against spin this year - 315 runs at a 129.09 SR. Suryakumar has the second-most runs against spin - 275 runs but at a 159.88 SR.

In 2022, Pakistan’s middle-overs strike rate has been in the 7.80 range. India has struck at 9.08 per over. In 2021, it was the other way around with Pakistan almost touching 8 rpo and India down below in the 7.7 range.

Babar Azam’s last three matches before the pandemic in 2019 were his only T20Is in Australia. He scored two fifties in Sydney and Canberra and was out for 6 in Perth. Since then, in the next 56 innings, Babar has almost scored 56 per cent of his career runs.

But his career strike rate has almost remained the same. Currently at 129.65, it was down to 127 in the period from 2016 to 2019 and has only gone up to 131 in the last two seasons.

Given the large boundaries, going short up front is a clear option - and that was one of the ways Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed him in the Asia Cup.

It is a similar case to Rizwan. He struggled during the 2019 Australia tour, scoring just 19 runs in three innings. In a four-year career up till the end of 2019, he had scored only 180 runs at an SR below 98.

In the last two years, he has been absolutely phenomenal while piling up 2280 runs in 57 innings, just one more than Babar while his strike-rate too has remained around 131.

Clearly, a similar ploy could work in such conditions where the square boundaries are larger - going short that is.

Despite the scrutiny of their strike-rates, Babar and Rizwan have accounted for almost 50 per cent of Pakistan’s T20I runs this year.

Suryakumar Yadav will undoubtedly be India’s trump card in Australia. SKY has notched up staggering numbers this year in all T20Is.

Second leading run-scorer in 2022 - 801 runs in 23 innings.

Only batter to smash 50-plus sixes in a calendar year - 51*

Highest career T20I strike-rate - 176.81

Highest middle-overs strike-rate (min. 15 innings) - 180.95

Death-overs strike-rate: 258.92

India skipper Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid have been meticulous in their usage and approach with match-ups which has dominated the dynamics of T20 cricket. Here is Ayan Acharya explaining how match-ups and smart tactics could be the bridge between India’s elusive ICC title this time.

INDIA PREDICTED XI: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami.

SQUAD: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami.

PAKISTAN PREDICTED XI: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Shan Masood, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi.

SQUAD: Babar Azam (c), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood. Standby Players: Usman Qadir, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani.

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Bumrah’s injury
Why Ashwin shouldn’t warm the bench
Dealing with injuries
A special Ravi Shastri impression

Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun talks had plenty to share when WV Raman caught up with him in a Wednesdays with WV episode.

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Here is how you can follow the marquee Super 12 clash between India and Pakistan today.

Rohit Sharma has had a penchant for going big ahead of Diwali. Well, these are his scores on the day before Diwali in the past:

• 74(47) vs afg in 2021 T20 WC (won M.O.M)
• 111*(61) in T20I vs WI in 2018 (won M.O.M)
• 70(65) in ODI vs NZ in 2016
• 209(158) in ODI vs aus in 2013 (won M.O.M)

- Credit: TWITTER/@cricketwithraju

While India suffered its first defeat against Pakistan in the World Cup last year, the Men in Blue still possess the better head-to-head record.

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Ayan Acharya, Lalith Kalidas and Dhruva Prasad preview the India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup game and explore the match-ups coming into play in this high-profile Super 12 clash.

Three hours out from the toss. Quite possibly one of the most unpredictable India - Pakistan clashes over the last 15 years?

The Melbourne weather has been among the most talked about points in the build-up to this game, so much so that it might even affect the line-ups of both sides. Here’s how the latest forecast looks like around the MCG.

Agrey shroud moved across the wet skies, and as Melbourne stirred awake, some citizens were out running, a few walked their dogs, birds sought worms in damp parks, and at a church, full granite and grace, a couple got married. Just as trams did their Saturday runs, the sun peeped out, and it was time for cricket.

If there is an ICC Twenty20 World Cup match in town, the city didn’t offer any clue. Past the Yarra River and the Rod Laver Tennis Arena, which will witness a post-Roger-Federer-Serena-Williams-era Australian Open in January, drums could be heard. Soon the Melbourne Cricket Ground, with its history and the statues of Dennis Lillee and Shane Warne, loomed, and Indian fans were milling around.

Finally there was a buzz as the stage was set for Sunday’s contest between India and Pakistan. Split by the Radcliffe Line and hamstrung by the absence of bilateral fixtures, the sub-continental neighbours have found their cricketing jousts being restricted to ICC events or continental tournaments like the Asia Cup. Over the last year, the rivals have faced-off thrice – once during the 2021 T20 World Cup and twice in the recent Asia Cup.

India may have an overall edge in ICC contests, but Pakistan has slowly turned the tide, winning a hyped encounter last year and equally will take heart from the 1-1 result in the recent Asia Cup. Rohit Sharma leads a team that should correct a historical vacuum: India last won an ICC tournament - the Champions Trophy – in 2013.

The Men in Blue step in without two stars – Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja. Even if the injured duo will be missed, the squad has the past to lean on for the feel-good vibe. Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly skipped the inaugural 2007 edition, and M.S. Dhoni led a young team to a cup triumph. Even this current outfit has many players who, in Test whites, have humbled the Aussies in their backyard.

Rohit, K.L. Rahul and Virat Kohli lead the batting charts that draws its x-factor from Suryakumar Yadav. Against an incisive Pakistan attack further strengthened by the return of pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi with his left-arm angle, India has to bat deep. The likes of Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik have a task on hand even while the option to field Rishabh Pant, due to his success in Australian conditions, is a lingering temptation. If Mohammed Shami plays, he has to fill Bumrah’s shoes and equally mask Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s rustiness. The spinners have a challenge, but vast grounds offer protection, provided the fielding delivers.

The regular trope from the days of Sunil Gavaskar and Imran Khan has been about Indian batting and Pakistani bowling. It may be true. But equally, the manner in which the Indian attack can control Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and the rest will add a further critical thread. The whimsical Melbourne weather may queer the pitch, while Sunday will empty out streets from Rawalpindi to Rameswaram.

- K. C. Vijaya Kumar