The Indian batting unit did pull off a good show against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup group stage fixture. Though the bowling did disappoint fans and many experts. While chasing a target of 193, Hong Kong managed to reach 152 runs losing five wickets. And Indian team management will certainly be wary of their bowling ahead of the crucial Super 4 match against Pakistan. Things got worse for India after their star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was ruled out of the Asia Cup due to a knee injury. Axar Patel will now join India squad as Jadeja’s replacement.
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The Super 4 match between India and Pakistan will be played on Sunday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The two teams have already faced each other in the group stage of the Asia Cup. Hardik Pandya had showcased his stunning all-round prowess in that game as India scripted a thrilling five-wicket triumph against Pakistan. The 28-year-old is now all set to make a comeback to the team for the vital Super 4 encounter.
The Babar Azam-led side, on the other hand, displayed a terrific bowling against Hong Kong in their last match. Hong Kong batters simply surrendered as they were bowled out for a mere total of 38. Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan scalped four wickets in the match.
Weather report
Dubai weather is expected to be mostly sunny on Sunday. It is highly unlikely that rain will play spoilsport during the India vs Pakistan game as there are zero per cent chance of precipitation. The wind speed is expected to be around 7 km/h on matchday while the temperature could hover around 31 degrees Celsius to 41 degrees Celsius. The humidity is forecasted to be around 52 per cent.
Pitch report
Teams batting second at this venue often get an advantage. The pitch at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium appears to be slow at times. It has also proved to be spin-friendly in recent times. The dew factor is expected to play a key role during the run chase.
India (IND) vs Pakistan (PAK) Possible Starting XI:
India Predicted Starting Line-up: Rohit Sharma (captain), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh
Pakistan Predicted Starting Line-up: Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Babar Azam (captain), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani
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