Even the forecast of a wretched weather has failed to dampen the spirits before a high octane India-Pakistan T20 World Cup cricket in Melbourne on Sunday.
There was cacophony as fans beat drums, there was loud music from both countries, charged-up banters around the iconic MCG as blue and green shirts swamped the pathways to the MCG. Expectedly, Indian fans had outnumbered their rivals as well as on the level of decibel.
Still, the personnel in green did not budge
One frisky Pakistan fan, Mohammad Wahab from Lahore, won the battle of words and slogans. The young boy mimicked how KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will get bamboozled by Shaheen Shah Afridi in reference to lanky Pakistan paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi’s triple strikes in last year’s T20 World Cup match in Dubai. That formed the basis of Pakistan’s incredulous ten-wicket win over India — their first win in 13 attempts against India in all ICC World Cup matches (20 or 50 overs). Not a single soul outside the MCG and millions around the globe would like rain to make the occasion a damp squib.
And hopefully nature will also relent. The Bureau of Meteorology also seems to be avid fans of Indo-Pak cricket as they keep changing the forecast — from 90 percent rain to 30 late on Saturday night. It will further lesse, for sure it has to.
Despite Indian fans terming it a “fluke” and “thing of the past” Wahab and his coterie were fully charged, not sparing any moment in reminding the ten wicket thrashing and one win in two Asia Cup games. Inside the stadium, the men in blue were doing their drills, knowing their unpredictable opponents would throw a challenge like no other.
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Rohit played down the fear of rain
“We need to come here thinking that it’s a 40-over game,” said Rohit. “We will be ready for that. If the situation demands that it’s a shorter game, we will be ready for that as well.”
His counterpart, Babar Azam also feels rain or no rain remain out of control. “We have not been singing lullabies ‘rain, rain go away,” because it’s out of our control. We can control what we can control. It would be good to have a full match because millions of fans are waiting for this match,” said Babar, who led Pakistan to a semi-final finish in his first experience as captain.
Rohit will experience that for the first time here. Rohit admitted Pakistan has always posed challenges and to face that challenge India will be short on weapons. Their ace, spearhead and wicket taking bowler Jaspit Bumrah is not here in Australia after a recurrence of back problem last month. His replacement Mohammad Shami has experience but not the reputation of Bumrah. Shami was made a villain after India’s defeat in Dubai last year for conceding 43 runs in just 3.5 overs.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘pressure’ because pressure is constant, I would like to take this as a challenge. This Pakistani team is a very challenging team. I have been playing against Pakistan since 2007. Some matches we lost and some we won but the challenge of playing Pakistan has always been there.
“Pakistan were good on the day of the T20 World Cup match (in 2021). They were also good at the Asia Cup. Luckily for us we gotta play them twice at the Asia Cup, we don’t get to play them a lot. We got to gauge them, their strengths, weaknesses.”
Last year India failed to qualify for the semi-finals — a lacking that Rohit felt was addressed in 30-plus matches this year. That doubles down to the fact that India has not won a major ICC event since the 2013 triumph in the Champions Trophy in England.
“It’s there at the back of our players’ mind (not winning an international event for nine years), but it’s important to just keep that away and just focus on the job at hand. It’s my personal belief that if you think too much of the past, I think you won’t be able to focus on the present.”
Pakistan’s body language has looked better, igone if that’s my bias. But the fact is that a tri-series win in New Zealand has boosted the confidence of this young team. “We are focusing on the match and hope that we are able to execute our plans come Sunday.”
While India will miss their spearhead Bumrah, Pakistan will sigh a relief that their linchpin of the fast bowling attack Shaheen Shah Afridi has returned after a knee injury. Shaheen will accompany Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah — the trio playing for the first time in an international match for the first time. If Shaheen is lethal, Haris is venomous, having played for Melbourne Star in the Big Bash in 2019. He took 20 wickets in ten games including a hat trick. Naseem Shah has also sent down shivers in Indian batting during the Asia Cup, leaving the rivals wondering how Pakistan can produce a battery of fast bowlers.
“The way our fast bowlers are performing, Shaheen [Shah Afridi] has come back, [Mohammad] Wasim, and especially the way Haris [Rauf] has improved his bowling and grown his game, our confidence in our bowling unit is quite high,” said Babar. “So, on that day, we will try to execute our plans. We have a good, strong bowling attack and that is acclaimed by all.”
Babar ruled out top order batter Fakhar Zaman from Sunday’s game saying the left-hander is not hundred percent and it would not be a good idea to risk him.
So once more the battle lines are drawn. The fans are ready with nearly a packed 100,000 MCG — already having an iconic status in world cricket — will add another chapter by hosting an Indo-Pakistan T20I for the first time. Fingers crossed, rain stays away and it proves to be a cracking game.
Fans around the world do not expect anything less.
HEAD TO HEAD (T20Is)
Matches 11, India 8, Pakistan 3
