Legit claim or fake talks from Salman Ali Agha: Can Pakistan realistically beat India in Asia Cup Super Four?

Notably, the next assignment for the Pakistan team is against their arch-rivals, against whom they were humiliated in the league stage. The readiness for India demands a significantly higher standard than overcoming a spirited UAE.

What the UAE win revealed

Pakistan demonstrated valuable composure after an uncertain start. Fakhar Zaman’s contribution became crucial, backed by Shaheen Afridi’s late flourish. Even after being rocked early, they managed to post a defendable total before deploying spin and variations to strangle their opposition in the chase. The challenge now lies in scaling the template against India’s deeper batting lineup and superior bowling attack.

The India readiness test

Powerplay conundrum: Pakistan’s biggest problem lies in their powerplay batting. They have been consistently losing wickets early and ending up posting a below-average score in the first six overs. Against India’s attack, Pakistan need to find a way to score more at the cost of fewer wickets. This can only be done if they work on the rotation of strikes and reserve the risks for deliveries in the hitting zone.

Middle over stranglehold: The middle overs present a different set of challenges for the current Pakistan line-up. India’s spin trio excels at covering dot-ball pressure into mistakes. Pakistan must develop clear rotation patterns - sweeps, nudges, and taps to maintain a steady run-rate in the most crucial phase of the game. Mohammad Haris could be used as a floater to break any scoring stagnation between overs 9-16.

Death phase dilemma: In the death overs, Pakistan cannot rely solely on cameos. They need their top or middle order batters to settle down and preserve themselves for the final few overs.

Bowling adjustments required

Shaheen remains the leader of the pack, but he needs to adapt quickly to the conditions. Changing length and looking for a different spot if hit on the full is something the left-arm pacer must look to try. The presence of Haris Rauf will automatically bolster the attack, and Salman Ali Agha will have to keep himself flexible as a skipper to get the most out of these two.

Abrar Ahmed has so far looked the best bowler of the team. His stats might not tell, but he has been one bowler whom the batters have tried to handle with caution. This is something the captain needs to cash in. Set attacking fields and try to make chances happen with Abrar, rather than sitting back and waiting for the batters to make a mistake, should be the way to go.

Verdict

Pakistan have reset their belief and possess the foundations to turn the tables around against India. However, they must solve their middle-overs scoring stagnation and finalise proper phase-wise bowling plans. Addressing these might bring them closer to India and help them put up a better fight in this ultimate battle.

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