There would probably be something in the air of New York right now. The locals would be mumbling about feeling the presence of something. How unusual is it that the same eerie feeling is sending chills down the spines of everyone? Are aliens paying us a visit? Or some sinister plans involving superpowers are being made under the sky of New York? Whatever it is, it’s nerve-wracking. But wait till they find out how much more heart-pounding it will get. Perhaps these are the last hours of the unaware American population. Tomorrow’s sun would rise seeing Americans talking about a certain game called ‘cricket’. Talking about how buzzing the newly built stadium was when two of the giants of the game – India and Pakistan met each other in New York.
No matter where in the world would a game between Pakistan and India be, fans are guaranteed to show up. This time it’s a land alien to cricket. At a stadium that was built overnight to host a World Cup and more importantly to host these two teams, whose rivalry has been ignited by years of political and military tension, to put up a show that would attract even those who know cricket only as an insect.
In the context of this World Cup, the game holds its own importance. In addition to the pressure of this cricket El Classico, Pakistan would be stressed to the max to realize how important this game is for their survival in the World Cup. If Pakistan lose against India and the USA win all of their remaining games (including one against India), they will make it to the Super 8s instead of the Babar Azam-led team. It’s Pakistan’s last shot to keep things slipping out of their hands. Pakistan has only beaten India once in the World Cups. Although that too came under the captaincy of Babar Azam, with more or less the same team, that Pakistan team and this Pakistan team are lightyears away from each other. Nasser Hossain very famously once said that the Pakistan team is one minute down and the next minute up. Unfortunately for Pakistan, it’s the minute down right now.
India, too, are not on a roll currently but they are doing just enough to keep them floating. They have played one of their matches here, against Ireland. The team, in general, also looks better than their archrivals. However, this game would be crucial for India too. In case they lose to Pakistan and Pakistan and the USA somehow win their remaining games with a good margin, both teams would be the ones proceeding to the next stage.
Team Overview:
Pakistan team is sinking in problems and conundrums. All of their players seem to have gone out of sync. Middle-order woes were always a constant for the men in green but they are now coupled with slow starts and out-of-form bowlers. Despite having the reputation of the team with the best bowling lineup, they are scratching their head to see which combination they need to select for the big game. Shadab Khan, who is the only one in their spin department who has been playing regularly, has been off his rocker lately. This adds to the ever-burgeoning problems of Babar Azam immensely. Losing to the USA in their previous game, the spirits have reached a new level of low as well. All of this means a disheveled, baffled, and defeated Pakistan team will turn up against India.
India is in a better place than their neighbors. With Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli in the top 3, they would likely get off to a good start. Jasprit Bumrah’s return is a huge positive for their bowling lineup and keeping in mind how Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh bowled in the game against Ireland, their bowling attack feels as complete as it can get. As of now, India seems to have prepared themselves in every way they can to face Pakistan.
Head-to-head Matches:
Barring their famous win against India in the T20 World Cup of 2021, Pakistan has never defeated India in any World T20 matches. Both teams have been up against each other 7 times, out of which India triumphed over their neighbors 6 times.
Weather and Pitch report:
Weather is likely to remain clear, a few temporary showers may come to witness the game but they will not be strong enough to dampen the buzz around this game.
There is a lot to say and write about the Pitch at the New York Stadium. There is a lot that has been said and written about the Pitch at the New York Stadium as well. In short, it’s a lethal pitch for you if you are a batter. Bowlers get a handsome (and almost unbelievable) amount of variable bounce off the pitch which is nothing short of a nightmare for batters. Winning the toss, the captains would want to bowl first.
Prediction:
Predicting the results of this game is never a piece of cake. At their lowest, the Pakistan team becomes even more dangerous. Besides this rivalry forces the best out of both teams, so almost every encounter goes down-the-wire. Keeping stats and history in sight (and forcing all the confounders out of the conversation), India has more chances of winning this game, though more than that a neck-to-neck competition is a probability.
Where to Watch:
You can watch the games on the following platforms as per your region:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
