Asia Cup 2018: Battles to lookout for in India vs Pakistan

The biggest rivalry in the cricketing world will get another chapter added, as India takes on Pakistan in what will be the second game of either team in the Asia Cup 2018.

One of the most talked about things while building up for this mouthwatering clash are the individual battles that can possibly take place on the field.

So here is a list of some to make things even more interesting for the people who will be tuning to watch India vs Pakistan.

1. Rohit Sharma vs Hasan Ali

The Indian captain will be on the lookout on the warning Hasan Ali sent before this tournament started. The feisty bowler made a statement before the Asia Cup, that he wants to take all ten wickets when India vs Pakistan gets underway.

Rohit Sharma has a lot to live up to in this tournament as he will filling in the shoes of Virat Kohli. Given how much India struggled in England, a brilliant performance throughout the campaign might make him get a chance to return to the Test team eventually.

Hasan Ali has been on roll recently. The confidence he is in could be a deciding factor how well Pakistan does in this tournament. If he can outplay Rohit Sharma or get his wicket, will make a statement in regards of bowling ability.

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2. Shikhar Dhawan vs Mohammad Amir

Opening southpaw batsman has been going through a turbulent time recently while batting for India, and it could ominous for him when he comes across fast bowler Mohammad Amir.

Shikhar Dhawan has struggled all tour long when India played against England. He was unable to adjust to the pitches and the way the ball would swing. After being criticised heavily in the media, a general consensus was made that if he wants to be in the Indian team, his performances in the Asia Cup have to be spectacular and worthy of an opening batsman.

However, the fact Mohammad Amir has always performed well against India might not help Dhawan’s case. Amir was the one who absolutely ran through the Indian batting lineup in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. He is expected to be buoyant and raring to prove that his talent is up there with the best in the world.

3. Bhuvenshwar Kumar vs Babar Azam

The Indian swing magician, Bhuvenshwar Kumar knows that Pakistan’s opening batsman Baba Azam is arguably the biggest threat against his team, and to take him out as early as possible would be his agenda when gets on the pitch to bowl.

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Bhuvi has been the role of leading the Indian bowling attack in Asia Cup. He has added pace in the recent years to exceptional bowling artillery he already possesses. He hasn’t won many major trophies with India since arriving and will have his eye out for this one.

Pakistani explosive batsman Baba Azam had been knocking on the door to be considered as the most dangerous players in the world in the recent years. He has come into his own lately, and scoring centuries for the No.2 ranked ODI batsman in the world, apparently isn’t a difficult ask.

4. Hardik Pandya vs Shoaib Malik

In a cricket game, arguably the most important players are the all-rounders, given how much of an impact they can have while batting or bowling. In this battle, Hardik Pandya and Shoaib Malik will be looking usurp one another to assert the dominance of their country on the match.

Hardik Pandya is a live wire, but he is also extremely inconsistent. In one game he will score a century and also take five wickets, but in the other, he will make immature mistakes costing his team the game. He is still considered to be the best all-rounder India has and has another opportunity to silence his critics by doing well in the Asia Cup.

On the other hand, Shoaib Malik is the embodiment of what a batting all-rounder should be. A gold dust to his side, Shoaib has never failed to impress with either his bat or with the ball. Even though he is 36-years old now, the hunger Shoaib has to make Pakistan the best team in the cricketing world, hasn’t been satiated.