RANCHI: Cricket fans can’t seem to control their excitement as the arch-rivals, India and Pakistan meet for their second clash in the Asia Cup on Sunday at the R Premadasa Stadium in the Sri Lankan City of Colombo.
Expressing their excitement, Indian fans said that they are confident of India’s win in the second encounter with Pakistan. India will play their first Super Four stage match of the Asia Cup 2023 against Pakistan in Colombo on Sunday.
Some aspiring players at a cricket academy in Ranchi extended their support to team India and said that they were confident of India’s victory.
One of the players at the academy while talking to ANI said, “…At the international level you have to face all kinds of bowlers and I believe the Indian team is prepared for that. We are expecting a better performance in this match as compared to the last one…Indian team would want to focus on their top order and not repeat the mistakes they did in the last match.”
The group stage match between India and Pakistan was called off due to rain, with both teams sharing one point each. In the match, the Indian batting team struggled in front of Pakistan’s pace attack, especially Shaheen Afridi who had taken four wickets in the match.
India were bundled out at 266 in 48.5 overs with Hardik Pandya’s 87 and Ishan Kishan’s 82 helping the team post a decent target.
However, rain played spoilsport and the match was called off without Pakistan facing a single ball.
Another player of the academy mentioned Pakistan having a strong bowling attack but he expressed his confidence in the Indian team.
“Pakistan is a good team and we can’t ignore them…with Shaheen Afridi and other Pakistani bowlers in form, their bowling attack is really strong…we are hoping for aggressive cricket from Indian players… players like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni used to play attacking cricket from the very first ball, we hope that our top order plays in a similar manner today…” he said.
Meanwhile, with clouds once again looming over Colombo, Babar said that the team is focused on what it can control.
“We are focusing on things we can control. It rained for four days. The way the sun is out does not look like it will rain. But we will focus on utilising whatever time we get to the best of our abilities,” he said.
Earlier, on Saturday, Pakistan announced their playing XI for their second encounter with team India in the Asia Cup. The Men in Green are going with the same eleven that they put up against Bangladesh in their first game of the Asia Cup Super-Four stage.
Paksitan (Playing XI) against India: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf. (ANI)