pakistan: India v Pakistan: If the rain Gods permit, India could get a cracker of a Diwali gift

No India-Pakistan formation in recent memory has dominated the weather as much as this one. The threat of rain was also seen in Manchester during the 2019 World Cup but this is different. With it raining in Melbourne until around 11:00 on Friday night, everyone has the same question – are there any positive updates on the weather?

At the same time, some weather forecasters have predicted that the chance of rain has decreased over the past day or so and that there may be dry weather in Melbourne in the time frame between 7:00-10:00 pm on Sunday. The drainage at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is said to be good and gives a lifeline to the game.

Ultimately, however, the plan has to take into account the threat of rain. And that brings an extra fast bowler into the equation for both the teams.

While India have limited options in the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Pakistan have a chance to play three fast bowlers who can bowl at 150 kmph. This could create a contest in the batting position between the Indian top order and the bowling attack of Pakistan.

Captain Rohit Sharma is aware of the challenge. During the team’s net season, in two long batting stints, he did not play a single pull shot. He tried to play only in the ‘V’ and was clearly preparing himself to face the oncoming delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi, his undoing in last year’s T20 World Cup.

On the other hand, Pakistan had a black slate right ahead of a good length for Mohammad Rizwan. Water was continuously poured on the slate to make the ball skid. Needless to say, it was the preparation of Mohammed Shami, a plan hatched by two Australians in the Pakistan support staff, Matthew Hayden and Shaun Tait.

The stakes have risen ahead of this all-important encounter, against the backdrop of a war of words between the Indian and Pakistani cricket boards over their participation in the East Asia Cup.

There is an undercurrent of animosity, although players try to reduce it. It’s not just another game because both the captains want us to believe in it. India vs Pakistan is never just another game in the background of what is going on between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In an interview a few months back, Rohit Sharma took a jibe at the fact that he wants his team to be ready for any situation. “We need to be prepared for a situation where we are 10 for 2 or 10 for 3. In such a situation we should not panic. In the last three ICC events, we lost early wickets and that’s where we lost the match. We need to make sure it is not repeated for the fourth time. ,

Trying to attack the Pakistan openers would be risky and India could lose some early wickets in the powerplay. Is India ready for such a situation? Can Suriya, perhaps the best T20 batsman in the world right now, play India’s go-to man in a high-stakes encounter? His record against Pakistan is not great and this is one chance that can change everything. A match-winning effort from Surya could elevate his stock and establish him as one of the greats of white-ball cricket.

Hardik Pandya’s inability to bowl had upset India’s balance in the T20 World Cup last year. This caused a lot of resentment between Hardik and the selectors. He had to go through a lot to be able to make a great comeback. He loves the big stage and that was evident during the IPL. Can he do the same for India and make a difference in front of a packed MCG? This could be the Diwali gift, if the rain god allows, with over a billion Indians waiting at home.

Originally published at Pen 18