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ICC T20 WORLD CUP: HOW WILL INDIA AND PAKISTAN FARE AT THE MCG?

Ind Vs Pak have enjoyed a storied rivalry in international cricket with the best of the games between the two teams coming in the shortest version of the game. Whenever these two teams take center stage, nothing gets bigger than that game. India’s first-ever loss against Pakistan in World Cup history has raised the stakes of the high-profile battle in Melbourne this year in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.

The Asian Giants are all set to add a new page to their old book of rivalries when the two teams meet at the MCG on October 23. It all started in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup when a young Indian team led by charismatic leader MS Dhoni thumped Pakistan in a nail-biting affair to clinch the first-ever World T20 title.

In the T20 World Cups that have taken place over the years, India has won every game except the first-ever encounter that was decided by a bowl out after the game was tied and the most recent match of the T20 World Cup 2021.

The last time these two sides faced each other in Dubai was during the T20 World Cup 2021, when Pakistan comprehensively outplayed India by a margin of 10 wickets. Both sides have high expectations to perform well in this nail-biting game, as they are very evenly-matched teams going into the fixture. A blockbuster is expected to be on the cards.

An overview of the venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground

The MCG track has changed over the years, and now with every passing domestic season, we can see a considerable amount of grass cover, swing, and seam movement for the quick bowlers that make a good contest between bat and ball.

The fast bowlers in particular enjoy bowling at this venue as they get that extra bounce off the wicket, but the batting-friendly nature of the wicket is the reason why pacers give runs at 8.71 runs per over. Spinners also enjoy bowling on this surface with the big boundaries coming into play, and they keep getting wickets as the game progresses. Statistically, spinners have enjoyed more success at the MCG in comparison with pacers. Finger spinners concede runs at a rate of 7.10 per over, while wrist spinners concede runs at a rate of 7.59 per over. The iconic MCG has so far seen a total of 15 T20I encounters. In these games, nine matches have been won by the teams batting second. Additionally, dew does not play a big part in the game, so tossing won’t be a huge factor that can influence the outcome of the game.

PAKISTAN

In cricket, fast bowling and Pakistan are often mentioned in the same breath, with some of the fiercest pace bowlers coming from the country. In the current Pakistan squad, it is again the fresh, fast bowlers of Pakistan who have redeemed their team and made them a credible contender for the cup. The last time Ind Vs Pak met in a World Cup game, Pakistan’s spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi dismantled India’s top order while others supported him to restrict India to a modest total. However, it was not just the fast bowlers; spinners also played their part in the historic win. From the last World Cup, Pakistan’s bowling lineup is more or less the same, only Hasan Ali will be missing the high-octane clash. Along with Shaheen and Haris Rauf, Pakistan also has promising newcomers in Naseem Shah, Mohammad Wasim, and Mohammad Hasnain in their fast bowling camp. Shaheen can inflict early damage on any opposition, while Rauf is a middle-death overs specialist.

In the spin department, vice-captain Shadab Khan and left-arm spinning all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz have been terrific since the last World Cup. In addition to both of these spinners, skipper Babar Azam also has the luxury of having Iftikhar Ahmed on this side, who can roll his arm over when needed. Lately, Iftikhar has proven to be a reliable option with the ball for Pakistan in the middle overs. Overall, the attack looks complete, with a good variety of bowlers.

There is no doubt that Pakistan has the talent and potential in their bowling group to challenge any batting line-up in the world.

INDIA

The Men in Blue sustained a huge blow when fast-bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was ruled out of the tournament due to an injury. Bumrah’s absence will have a significant impact on the outcome of the game, knowing the game-changing skills the right-arm pacer possesses. India has added veteran speedster Mohammad Shami to the squad as a replacement for Bumrah. Despite adding a seasoned campaigner in Shami and having two of the most successful T20I bowlers in the country, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal, the Indian bowling attack looks depleted.

They might have to heavily depend on players like Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel, who don’t have any experience playing on a big stage like the T20 World Cup. Bhuvneshwar will have to act as the leader of the bowling attack. He has been having a great year with the ball, as the right-arm pacer has bagged 32 wickets in 24 matches while conceding runs at a rate of 7.21 per over. Bhuvneshwar will be key to India’s success, as he troubled Babar Azam in the Asia Cup 2020 and will look to do the same at the MCG. India has found a new hero in Arshdeep, who has made a name for himself as a wicket-taking option. Whether in powerplays or death overs, he has been a valuable asset to the team. Harshal Patel’s recent struggles with the ball have added to India’s woes. Rohit Sharma and team management may well have to turn up to Shami for the Indo-Pak game. In the spin department, India has 3 quality options – Chahal, Axar Patel, and Ravichandran Ashwin. India will rely heavily on them to get crucial breakthroughs. In all likelihood, the Men in Blue will take the field with the potent duo of Chahal and Axar. All in all, there is no doubt India will dearly miss the presence of Bumrah and with a few of the bowlers not in great rhythm, India will have to pin their hopes on their seasoned campaigners – Bhuvneshwar, Chahal, and, Shami to come good. Arshdeep will be a dark horse for the game. Indian fans will hope that things fall into place and that their bowling will punch above its weight.

CONCLUSION

Pakistan clearly edges out India on the bowling front in IND Vs PAK . The Pakistan team has a good blend of bowlers who are in form, whereas the Indian team will have to do a lot of thinking to field the most potent attack. The only advantage India has over Pakistan is a seam bowling all-rounder in Hardik Pandya who can be the difference-maker with the ball, as he did in the Asia Cup earlier this year. The conditions at the MCG will favor Pakistani bowlers more as compared to Indian bowlers. In IND Vs PAK

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In a few days, team India will begin their journey in the T20 World Cup 2022, one of the year’s biggest cricketing events. Going into the World Cup, India is considered one of the leading contenders to win the prestigious title.

There is no shadow of a doubt that India’s best performance in the global event came in the inaugural edition, when the MS Dhoni-led Indian team defeated arch-rivals Pakistan in the final to lift the title in 2007 and became the first team to do so. However, since then, the side has failed to bring back the glory. After rewriting history in 2007 in South Africa, they have only made it to the final of the tournament on one other occasion, which was in 2014 against Sri Lanka. An ICC trophy has eluded India since 2013, when they won the Champions Trophy in England under Dhoni. In particular, if we talk about the 20-over World Cups, then from 2007 until now, it’s been a really long wait for India to claim their second T20 World title. In the second edition of the global event, India crashed out of the Super Eight stage. The story was no different in the second edition in 2010.

In the 2012 T20 World Cup, India failed to advance to the second round despite losing just one game in the tournament due to a poor run rate. In the 2016 T20 World Cup, India made a semifinal exit after losing to the West Indies, while in the 2014 T20 World Cup India lost in the finals against Sri Lanka and ended as runners-up of the tournament. But despite those defeats, during this period, the Indian team has been a top-five team in T20I cricket. This raises the question of why the team struggles in the ICC events.

Let us try to zero in on the major factors behind this drubbing in the T20 World Cups.

2021 T20 World Cup (Finish: Super 12)

In the 2021 T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Team India had a season to forget. After suffering a thumping defeat against arch-rivals Pakistan in their first match, followed by another loss to New Zealand, the men in blue could not proceed to the knockout stage.

India could not make it into the semi-finals in what was the first instance since 2012 that the team crashed out as early as the group stage of a major ICC event. A few selection calls, like the omission of wily leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and picking Varun Chakravarthy and Rahul Chahar ahead of him, hurt India as the Indian spinners underperformed in the last edition. At the start of any tournament, a team needs to start well, and India lost the first two games to Pakistan and New Zealand, respectively, which hampered India’s chances.

2016 T20 World Cup (Finish: Semi-finalists)

2016 was another year in which India entered as the favorite to lift the coveted trophy as they were the host nation. On the back of strong performances in the Asia Cup, India started the event with a disappointing loss against New Zealand in Nagpur but then won consecutive games to reach the semi-final stage. In the semi-final, the Dhoni-led Indian team surrendered to the two-time champions West Indies to end their campaign. It was that semi-final game in particular where India’s lack of discipline with the ball hurt them at the end. Man of the match from that game – Lendl Simmons got three reprieves and on the two occasions, the Indian bowlers were found guilty of bowling no balls. Dew also played a big part in that game, even when India was defending a total of 192. But that cannot hide India’s abysmal display with the ball. West Indies capitalized on the home team’s sloppy bowling display and used the conditions to their advantage in a high-scoring semifinal showdown.

2014 T20 World Cup (Runners-up)

In 2014, they were comfortably the best team in the tournament but contrived to lose the final to Sri Lanka in a disappointing manner. India remained unbeaten before losing the final, winning all five games. The loss also put paid to their hopes of becoming the only cricket nation to hold all three World titles at the same time. In a crunch game, India could only manage to get to a below-par total of 130 in 20 overs. The hero of the 2011 World Cup – Yuvraj Singh turned into a villain and produced arguably his worst-ever T20 performance on the biggest stage. The left-handed batter looked completely out of sorts in his 21-ball essay and single-handedly stopped India from gaining any momentum in the final overs. Bowlers failed to defend such a low score and India without any resistance, surrendered to the enemy.

2012 T20 World Cup (Finish- Super 8)

With two victories each in Group B of the Super Eight stage, India, Australia, and Pakistan had finished joint first in the pool but the other two teams qualified for the semifinals on their better net run rates.

It was a near-miss for India in the fourth edition of the T20 World Cup held in Sri Lanka. India lost just one match and defeated the likes of Afghanistan, England, and South Africa. India’s only loss came against Australia. In the first match of the super eight stages against a strong Australian outfit, India scored 140 runs which the Aussies chased down easily within 15 overs. India’s bowling wasn’t their strongest suit in the 2012 edition and that was reflected in the game against Australia. Poor execution with the ball was the prime reason behind India’s thumping loss to the Aussies. Due to that loss, the net run rate got affected and in the end, it proved to be a difference maker.

2010 T20 World Cup (Finish- Super 8)

India was placed in Group C along with South Africa and Afghanistan. India had a good start in the tournament, as it defeated Afghanistan and South Africa in its first two matches. However, India once again got knocked out after losing games against Australia, the West Indies, and Sri Lanka. This tournament was a big failure for the team, as they were again knocked out in the Super 8 stage. India couldn’t capitalize on the excellent start to the tournament, and the team lacked a united effort, especially in the second half of the tournament, which led to the team’s downfall. To add to it, India’s conservative approach didn’t help their cause.

2009 T20 World Cup (Finish- Super 8)

The defending champions started the tournament as the favorites to reclaim their title. The expectations grew when India was placed in a weak group along with Bangladesh and Ireland. In the group stage matches, India did well and easily qualified for the super eight stages. However, in the super eight round against the big guns, India again faltered on the big stage and had to face a shameful and early exit. In the super eight, India lost three matches in a row against the West Indies, England, and South Africa.

At the big stage, the Indian team failed to win even a single match and was kicked out of the tournament. This tournament was a nightmare for the Indian team. India’s batting was the biggest letdown. Batters like Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, and MS Dhoni failed to create any sort of impact, and that really hampered India’s winning chances.

Conclusion:

India’s journey in the World Cups has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride. In almost every edition, the team starts the event as favorites and ends up choking either in group stages or in the knockouts. The reason can be the overexhaustion of the players due to the heavy scheduling of the matches before the ICC events. Then, the lack of big-match temperament in players and the conservative approach are things that have been pulling the team down time and time again. The selection has at times been questionable and certainly can be counted as one of the main reasons. These reasons have hindered the Indian team from winning ICC tournaments.

Expectations from the upcoming edition:

This time, the number one-ranked T20 I team looks in good form. In 2022, India played 27 T20I games, winning 21 of them. They have lost 6 times, while 1 game ended without a result. India beat England at home, outclassed South Africa twice this year, and also recently clinched a three-match T20I series against Australia. Despite not having the pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah and star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, many cricket pundits and bookmakers have come out with very favorable odds for India to win the T20

World Cup this year. We believe India will struggle to make it to the final due to the bowling unit – which seems to be the weakest link of the team.

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