However, it is not possible to have a dream encounter whenever fans want and the low-scoring affair on Saturday at the Asia Cup must have been a bit of a disappointment for hardcore fans of T20 who want a healthy dose of sixes and fours, with a sprinkling of wickets and athletic fielding.
The toss was the biggest factor in the match as there was a lot of grass on the wicket at Mirpur and once India decided to bowl first, they didn’t let the advantage slip.
India’s new-ball bowlers Ashish Nehra and Jasprit Bumrah have formed a formidable partnership and the addition of all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been a stroke of genius.
Pandya’s three wickets underlined his value and the way he cleaned up the tail was a lesson for frontline bowlers.
While India struggled at the start of their chase, a target of 84 was never going to trouble them with the match, effectively, decided in the first 10 overs when Pakistan lost six wickets.
The Mohammad Amir Show...The Virat Kohli Show...and in between we had a game between India & Pakistan. #IndvsPak #AsiaCupT20
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) February 27, 2016
For Shahid Afridi’s men, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Their batting was and still is their Achilles heel and even though they bat deep with Afridi coming in at No7, they lack the conviction to aim for totals in excess of 180 on a regular basis. In T20s, such an attacking mindset is a necessity.
Their batsmen were put under pressure straightaway on a seamer-friendly pitch. All the Indians had to do was stick to the basics and let the ball and pitch do the rest. When they batted, the Indians too were in trouble at 8-3 but they negotiated the tricky first 10 overs and won at a canter.
However, both teams must not analyse the result too much. The Asia Cup’s format was changed to T20s so that the subcontinent teams could prepare for the World T20. And while the format is the right one, the conditions in Bangladesh are completely different to what they will be in India.
According to reports, no chatting amongst India & Pakistan players as they practised, just a few glares ? #Cricket pic.twitter.com/RuyyjdHVAu
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) February 27, 2016
At the Asia Cup, fast bowlers are having a field day and batsmen are struggling to put bat to ball against half-decent seam bowlers. Spinners, especially in the main leg of the Asia Cup, have played second fiddle to the faster men and that is not what the subcontinent is known for.
In Saturday’s match, Pakistan went with four frontline fast bowlers and India introduced their premier bowler – spinner Ravichandran Ashwin – in the 13th over. Such a scenario simply won’t play out during the World T20. Spin will be the key and fast bowlers will have to contain the batsmen.
So while India will be happy with the way their fast bowlers wreaked havoc and their batsmen survived a pace onslaught, they know the lessons learnt in Bangladesh won’t be of much help in India. They still don’t know how they stack up against Bangladesh or Pakistan on true subcontinent wickets.
Still feel childlike excitement before India Pakistan match #AsiaCupT20 (actually, I feel that way before almost every cricket match) ?
— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur) February 27, 2016
For Pakistan, they can bring a bit more balance to their side by dropping one of the pacers – either Mohammad Sami or Wahab Riaz – and bring in spinning all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz. And one should not forget that Afridi is still a major threat on spinning wickets.
The match is done and dusted and both teams should remember that the match-up in India will have a totally different flavour where spin will be king.
And that will be a much closer encounter.
