ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
Match starts at 7 pm
Colombo, Feb 14: Amid the still-smouldering embers of an impasse that mixed cricket with politics like never before, India will need middle-order stability and a fit-again Abhishek Sharma firing to maintain domination over Pakistan when the two bitter rivals clash in the T20 World Cup’s marquee fixture, here on Sunday.
A temporary ‘peace season’ has dawned after Pakistan made a U-turn from its boycott stand and agreed to take the field against India at the Premadasa stadium here.
It came after weeks of intense parleys that involved the International Cricket Council, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Practically, the whole of South Asia was turning the wheel to make this match happen, should the weather gods allow, because of its power to attract millions — fans and bank balance alike.So, a train of events set off by the BCCI-instructed release of Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman from the roster of Kolkata Knight Riders, that so transformed into a cross-border crisis has come to halt, for now.
On their part, cricketers from both the teams have also tried to temper down the accompanying swirl of hype, terming this match as just another game in the calendar. It’s hard to fathom the precise nature of their thoughts in that regard, but certainly both sides do not want the result to go against them because of the frenzy of negativism it can kick up.
For that, they will have to push the thoughts of a fan backlash behind and focus on the more controllable factors.
In the run-up to the World Cup, the India batting line-up resembled a bulldozer rolling down a slope, crushing everything in its route. But the two matches in the marquee event so far have revealed a mild concern — a propensity to lose wickets in a cluster.
India slid to 77 for six against the USA at Mumbai, while the home side lost five for four against Namibia in the death overs, but its impact was masked by a 200-plus total and a large 93-run victory at New Delhi. On both those occasions, India were propped up by skipper Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya.
But a collective effort is needed to win a long tournament like this, rather than repeatedly relying on individual brilliance. With four points in the kitty, the management would not be overly concerned about it, but they certainly would not want another show of profligacy because Pakistan have the capacity to exploit it.
Chance of rain?
The Sri Lanka Department of Meteorology has cautioned of a developing low-pressure point over Bay of Bengal, which potentially can mean up to 70 per cent chance of rain in the Khettarama area on Sunday evening. (PTI)
