Expert Speak: India-Pak Match Is Anybody’s Game

Ahead of the India-Pakistan WT20, the experts believe that the game could go either way. Here’s what they’re saying.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi offers namaz at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. (Photo: IANS)

Admire Amir’s Bowling to Rohit, Virat: Gambhir

Whatever Indian or Pakistani fans make of the upcoming encounter, it is just another fixture, writes Gautam Gambhir in The Hindustan Times. Ignore the battle references, he says and go to the Eden Gardens stadium to admire young Mohammad Amir bowling to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

You have my words that despite my on-field skirmishes with Shahid Afridi and Kamran Akmal, we still are good friends...I have been doing some media work with Shoaib Akhtar. We talk about anything, from the quality of KFC in India compared to Pakistan to the hotel he is staying in Delhi, or even the vibrant outfits he proudly wears as a TV commentator.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir. (Photo: AP)

India Must Quickly Deflate Afridi’s Confidence to Beat Pakistan

Comparing India’s failure to perform against the Kiwi spinners to poorly cooked prawn vindaloo, “which just shouldn’t happen,” Ian Chappell blamed India’s failure on ego and faulty technique.

It was a combination of ego and faulty technique. India, having held New Zealand to an eminently attainable target, decided they were going to flex their muscles and intimidate the opposition by an overt show of superiority. Instead of just making sure they reached the target and pocketed the all-important opening points of the tournament, they decided to try and annihilate New Zealand.

<b><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-t20/world-t20-india-must-quickly-deflate-afridi-s-confidence-says-ian-chappell/story-uoU8CEMWqTeKghonUBAUUO.html">Report</a> in <i>The Hindustan Times</i></b>

Everybody’s Game is Anybody’s Game

Laying bets on the India-Pakistan game at Eden will be an exercise in futility, says Shamik Chakrabarty in The Indian Express. The T20 format is unpredictable and doesn’t give anybody an upper hand, especially when two equally-matched teams meet.

The dividing line between success and failure is very thin in the shortest format. Past performances don’t matter. History is irrelevant. Pakistan’s convincing win against Bangladesh and India’s batting meltdown against New Zealand would be of little consequence, when the match referee flips the coin in front of 67,000 fans. India’s superiority over Pakistan in the ICC tournaments would mean nothing. Pakistan’s all-win record in shorter formats at Eden, too, would barely have any significance.

After One Pakistan Skipper’s Gaffe, the Other Makes the Right Noises

Shahid Afridi may have declared to the Indian media that his fans in India love him more and earned the ire of his Pakistani fans, but Sana Mir, the Pakistan Women’s team’s skipper wasn’t about to make the same mistakes. She was in no mood to add fuel to the raging fire, writes Vishal Menon in The Indian Express.

“We really love playing here in India but we also love playing back home. In fact, we get more love at home and love playing in Pakistan more because we don’t get a lot of opportunities to play at home,” she says. A diplomatic and well-thought out reply that evoked guffaws from the journalists present.

Rohit, Shikhar Have Lacked Consistency: Kris Srikanth

If everything had gone by the book, India would have reached Kolkata victorious, writes Kris Srikanth in The Times of India. If India win the match and go on to win the cup, victory will taste even sweeter, he said. For that, the openers have to buck up, he says.

The opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shikar Dhawan has created a mirage. After managing 83 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, Sharma has scored 60 runs in his next five innings at an average of 12. Dhawan, on the other hand, has fallen for under 10, four times in his last nine innings. Not the kind of consistency you expect from world-class openers.