India vs Pakistan: Will India Win Again?

Aakhir Tak – In Shorts

• India is set to clash with Pakistan in the Champions Trophy, entering as strong favorites.
• Shubman Gill highlights the excitement surrounding India-Pakistan matches, enjoyed by all.
• Pakistan struggles with injuries, further solidifying India’s advantageous position.
• India’s batting and bowling look strong; Pakistan faces challenges in both departments.
• Conditions in Dubai might offer some help to Pakistan, but a win remains challenging.

Aakhir Tak – In Depth

The India vs Pakistan match in the Champions Trophy 2025 is a huge event for cricket fans. India enters this contest as overwhelming favorites. Pakistan, struggling with injuries and inconsistency, will need nothing less than a miracle to pull off an upset. This rivalry, steeped in history, is always a high-stakes affair.

“India-Pakistan has a long history. It’s an exciting contest when these two teams play. Everyone enjoys watching it. If so many people are happy to watch the match, then who are we to say that it is underhyped or overhyped?” India vice-captain Shubman Gill said.

Scheduled for February 23rd, this ICC tournament clash promises to shatter television broadcast records. The Dubai International Cricket Stadium will be packed. This India vs Pakistan encounter remains a marquee clash in ICC tournaments, significantly due to the infrequency of these meetings.

The dynamics of this rivalry have shifted since the 1990s. Once dominant, Pakistan has struggled. The gap between the two sides has widened as India continues to produce a conveyor belt of talent. Rishabh Pant, one of the world’s top wicketkeeper-batters, may be benched. Pakistan, hamstrung by injuries, will scramble to assemble a batting line-up. This line up must withstand India’s quality bowling, even without Jasprit Bumrah.

The hype remains, but the fear of facing a world-class bowling attack—Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar—has faded for Indian fans. For Pakistan fans, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan don’t inspire the same hope as Inzamam-ul-Haq and Javed Miandad once did.

80-20 IN FAVOR OF INDIA?

India enters as overwhelming favorites. Pundits predict an 80-20 split in India’s favor. Given recent form and man-to-man matchups, it’s difficult to see how Pakistan can win. The conditions in Dubai may help Pakistan, but victory is a tall order.

Anyone predicting a Pakistan victory relies more on hope than logic. India is the superior side. Fans dedicating their Sunday will hope for a close contest, a rarity in India-Pakistan matches since the millennium.

Former India fast bowler Atul Wassan hopes Pakistan beats India. This, he says, would add spice to the Champions Trophy. He likens India’s dominance to a predictable Bollywood film, where Amitabh Bachchan always wins.

CONTRASTING MOODS IN THE CAMPS

India brims with confidence after defeating Bangladesh in Dubai. Defending champions Pakistan face potential early exit. This would be their first major tournament at home in 29 years.

Pakistan needs a miracle. Their net run rate suffered after a loss to New Zealand. Fakhar Zaman’s injury further weakened their batting. Zaman orchestrated India’s downfall in the 2017 Champions Trophy final. This tilts the balance even more in India’s favor.

WILL CONDITIONS IN DUBAI SUIT PAKISTAN?

Pakistan’s strength is traditionally their bowling. Their fast bowlers stepped up in the 2021 T20 World Cup and the 2017 Champions Trophy.

However, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf have not been at their best. Coach Aaqib Javed compared them to Wasim, Waqar, and Shoaib, attempting to motivate them. He quickly retracted, admitting they have a long way to go.

“Look, I have heard lots of options and discussions going on. Other teams have too many spinners and we have lesser spin options. The teams play their game on their own strength. We have like a specialist three, I would say one of the best pace bowling options in today’s game with Shaheen, Naseem, and Haris. It reminds me of the 90’s. So, I think reaching that level still they have time, but they have all the ability to repeat those sorts of performances,” Javed said.

Shaheen and Haris have the best strike rates in ODIs since the 2023 World Cup. However, they haven’t looked the same since recent injuries. Naseem, arguably the best, is overburdened. Shaheen and Haris looked toothless against New Zealand, who amassed 320.

The conditions in Dubai won’t be as quick as during the 2021 T20 World Cup. The pitches have tired after a full season of the ILT20. If the ball sits up instead of zipping past, Pakistani pacers might struggle.

With no dew in the second innings, the pitch slowed during the India-Bangladesh game. India didn’t have to chase much, thanks to a strong bowling show.

Teams need more than one specialist spinner to exploit the sluggishness. Bangladesh managed this. Pakistan only has Abrar Ahmed, relatively inexperienced in ODIs.

A SILVER LINING FOR PAKISTAN?

Pakistan might be better positioned in Dubai than on batting-friendly pitches like Karachi and Lahore. Australia chased 352 in 47.3 overs against England in Lahore. The slowness might prevent India from batting Pakistan out of the game. If Pakistan posts 260-280 or chases a similar target, they could compete. A high-scoring contest favors India, given their superior batting.

TEAM NEWS: INDIA VS PAKISTAN

Fakhar Zaman is out due to injury. Imam-ul-Haq replaces him, likely slotting straight in. Kamran Ghulam, Faheem Ashraf, and Usman Khan are options to bolster the middle order. Saud Shakeel could partner Babar Azam at the top.

India is unlikely to tinker with their winning combination. They might consider Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin. Arshdeep Singh replacing Harshit Rana appears unlikely.

PREDICTED PLAYING XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Shami.

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (C & WK), Salman Ali Agha, Tayyab Tahir, Khushdil Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed.

FORM GUIDE

India: Won 3-0 vs England, then beat Bangladesh in the CT 2025 opener.
Pakistan: Lost 2 of 3 matches in a home tri-series, then lost to New Zealand.

MATCH-UPS TO WATCH

Rohit Sharma vs Shaheen Afridi: Shaheen has troubled Rohit. However, Rohit dominated their last ODI World Cup meeting.
Virat Kohli vs Abrar Ahmed: Kohli has struggled against spin. Abrar might fancy his chances.
Salman Ali Agha vs Indian spinners: Salman unsettles spinners. Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel will look to counter him.
Mohammed Shami vs Babar Azam: Shami is back to his best. An early wicket is on the cards.

PREDICTION: WHO WILL WIN IND VS PAK?

Form favors India. However, a cornered Pakistan can always surprise. Rule them out at your own peril, but this assessment is driven more by hope than logic. The Champions Trophy is at stake.

Aakhir Tak – Key Takeaways to Remember

• The India vs Pakistan match is a marquee clash in the Champions Trophy.
• India appears stronger than Pakistan, showcasing depth in both batting and bowling.
• Fakhar Zaman’s injury is a significant blow to Pakistan’s batting lineup.
• Dubai’s pitches might favor spinners, adding a layer of complexity to the contest.
• Pakistan needs a miracle, a combination of peak performance and strategic advantage, to secure a win against India.

Aakhir Tak Editor-in-Chief

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