Pakistan and India are going to clash on 2 September 2023. Who is going to win, and who is going to lose? If you want to know everything, read this article on that match’s prediction.
Asia Cup 2023 will begin on 30 August 2023 in Multan Cricket Stadium. Pakistan and Nepal are going to play the first match. But do you know who else is in the same group as Pakistan and Nepal? It is India. All the cricket pundits have been saying that Pakistan and India could collide at least 3 times in this tournament.
Read: Venue for Pakistan vs. India decided – Asia Cup 2023
But our focus is on the first match on 2 September 2023. Let’s see who wins.
Pakistan vs India – Asia Cup match
Pakistan and India will play in this tournament on 2 September 2023 in Kandy. There has been a lot of heat between both teams lately. Pakistan fans are angry since they have been robbed of their hosting rights. At the same time, Indian fans are riled up as well.
Both teams have a history of brutal and harsh battles, on and off the field. But we are going to talk about the ones in the cricket field.
There has been a lot of build-up for this match. Both sides have been throwing statements at each other. While Rohit Sharma is looking forward to the clash, Shaheen Afridi is also eyeing for the tournament.
Who will win, and who will lose? It depends on multiple factors. Let’s discuss them.
Team preparations
Preparations from both teams are on the top. From their matches before the tournament to different other things, you can say that BCCI and PCB are trying hard to win this match. It seems like everything has been leading up to this point. Everything was for the Pakistan vs. India match.
India recently had a tour to the West Indies. They played Test, ODI, and T20i series. While the results for the series are in the favour of blue shirts, it seems like something is missing.
On the other hand, Pakistan played a Test series and an ODI series against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, respectively. They played these matches on Sri Lankan soil. And most of the Asia Cup will be on the Lankan pitches. This is something India is missing.
The Pakistani players are well-seasoned. They have played in different leagues such as the Hundred, LPL, and the leagues in the UK.
You can say that Pakistan is slightly better in terms of preparation.
Key Players
Let’s discuss critical players from both teams.
Read: Pakistan Squad for Asia Cup 2023 [Announced]
Pakistan has Babar, Imam, and Saud as their batters. While Saud has to prove himself, he has potential. Imam and Babar need no introduction. For Indians, Fakhar doesn’t need an introduction. Pakistan has spinners like Shadab and Usama who can use the turning tracks. Shaheen and Naseem will be crucial for picking up those early wickets.
Read: India Squad for Asia Cup 2023 [ANNOUNCED]
Indians have a strong batting lineup, as usual. Rohit and Virat are the back bone of the team. We all witnessed on their absence caused trouble for the Indian side in their tour to West Indies. But the spinners like Ashwin and Yadav can change things quickly. They also have Jadeja who has been a menace to Pakistani batsmen.
Head-to-head record
India takes the lead when it comes to the head-to-head record in this tournament. They have won 7 out of 13 times both have faced off against each other.
In Asia Cup 2018, India won all the matches against Pakistan. When it comes to Asia Cup on the Sri Lankan soil, both teams have faced off against each other thrice. And they are tied 1-1 with one match having no result.
The records go against Pakistan. Let’s see if they can break this jinx.
Keep in mind that Pakistan has an overall edge over India when it comes to ODI cricket.
Possible strategies
Pakistan has to bag all the wickets if India bats first. And they have to do it as soon as possible. We have all seen how dropped catches have costed both teams. Fakhar’s dropped catch in the champion’s trophy 2017 still haunts India to this day. Fielding has to be on top.
India will look forward to build pressure in the game by picking early wickets as well. Pakistan’s batting is notorious for the collapses. Hence, India will try to use that fault line.
Pakistan will try to control Virat and Kohli. India has been confident on Shubham as well. Hence, Pakistani bowlers will try to contain him as well. If the green shirts manage to do these things, India is in their bag. Otherwise, the blue shirts will simply chew them up.
Fan expectations and social media buzz
Fans are excited as usual. Both sides are making fun of each other on social media as usual. Pakistani fans are looking forward to Jhantu spaces, while Indian fans waiting for Pakistani fans to break their TVs. These are some sentiments both sides share.
Media, as usual, is milking this well. Pakistan vs India clash always generates revenue. So the hype is real.
Rain may ruin the play.
There are also reports of rain till 8 September in Pallekelle. This is bad for the India vs. Pakistan match. Reports claim that there are 70% chances of the day being washed away by rain. Fans are looking forward to this match. The broadcasters spent a lot of money and these sort of events are their chance of getting the money back with profits.
Everybody will lose if this unfortunate thing happens.
This is where you can read more about this story: Pakistan vs India match may not happen on 2 September
Who will win? India vs. Pakistan prediction
So, we discussed different factors today. Can we make a decision? Yes. If we look at the past record, especially the past 5 matches in Asia Cup, Pakistan is doomed to lose. But if we take into consideration the context of latest events, Pakistan seems to be confident. But confidence has always slapped Pakistan hard. They have to show their top game.
The prediction meter is 51-49, being slightly in favor of Pakistan. Let’s see if men in green can win this time or not.
Pakistan and India will possibly have their next clash on 10 September. Are you ready for these heavy duty matches? Join our WhatsApp group and let’s have a chat.