Twenty20 cricket is the most popular and thrilling format of the game. Minor mistakes on the part of any team can hugely benefit its opponents. It is mostly the game for young guns. The hit-and-run nature of this format demands a strike rate of much more than 100.

In this format batsmen don’t have to be technically correct. They just have to be able to hit the ball hard and long. This type of cricket reduces the gap between a technically sound batsman and an ordinary player.

Cricket is by far the most popular sport in the sub-continent. No other form of entertainment creates as much excitement and enthusiasm in this part of the world as cricket does.

People around the world have been waiting for the high-voltage game between Pakistan and India in the T20 World Cup to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today. It is the third match between the two teams since the last year T20I World Cup in UAE. Both teams have won one each.

In the last edition of the T20 World Cup, however, Pakistan outclassed India by a massive margin of 10 wickets to end the jinx of not beating India in World Cups.

In the current World Cup, Pakistan is part of group 2 in the tournament with India, South Africa, and Bangladesh in their pool. Both Pakistan and India will be desperate to start their World Cup campaign on a winning note.

How the people are taking this match can be judged from the fact that all tickets for today’s encounter sold out within a few hours. About 1,50,000 fans are expected to be at the MCG, mostly Asians, to see the sub-continental giants. According to some reports it is expected to attract more than a billion viewers.

But the high voltage game is likely to affected by rain as according to weather reports, there are around 60% chances of rain during the match and the weather will also be cold.

At the MCG pitch the ball will come on to the bat nicely. The wicket has always assisted batters with natural stroke-play skills. The average first innings score at the MCG in the last 2 years has been around 165 runs. The toss will also be crucial and the winning captain will choose to bowl first.

The last time the two teams met at the 2021 T20I World Cup, Pakistan had beaten India by 10 wickets in their Super 12 match in Dubai to register their first-ever win against arch-rival in the World Cups.

In the previous seven editions, India (2007), Pakistan (2009), England (2010), West Indies (2012), Sri Lanka (2014), West Indies (2016) and Australia (021) lifted the trophies. Pakistan also beat India in the ICC Champions Trophy final in 2017 in England.

Pakistan lost the inaugural ICC World Twenty20 final to India by just five runs at the Wanderers in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2007 when Misbah-ul-Haq failed to control his emotions. He chose a wrong shot when the Greenshirts were just one boundary away from the trophy.

But Pakistan won the title two years later when Younis Khan and company held their nerves in the 2009 final against Sri Lanka and won by eight wickets at Lord’s.

India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral series since 2013 due to political tensions between the two nations.

After disappointingly losing the 2021 T20 World Cup semifinal to Australia in Dubai last year, Pakistan once again have the chance to repeat their 2009 title-winning success.

Pakistan has recently won the tri-nation series featuring New Zealand and Bangladesh. They are peaking at the right time. The team looks good on paper and if they iron out their middle-order issues, they will be very difficult to beat.

To win against India, Pakistan once again would likely to depend on the performance of the opening pair. A competitive total can provide solid platform for their bowlers to attack experienced Indian batting.

The opening pairing of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan has provided the team stability. Both have been the pillars of Pakistan’s batting lineup for the last couple of years. They have been the most prolific opening pair in the international circuit.

The duo was the hero when Pakistan thrashed India by 10 wickets in the last year’s World Cup and can again lead their team to victory. Mohammad Rizwan has been prolific against India too and has aggregated 193 runs in just three innings.

Shaheen Shah Afridi, after missing the Asia Cup in the UAE, the seven-match T20I series against England at home and the Tri-series in New Zealand due to a right-knee injury, will be the key.

The Indian batting looking stronger than Pakistan middle-order, but on the bowling side, the Men in Green have edge especially in the pace department after Shaheen’s return.

Afridi proved his fitness in the two warm-up matches against England, conceded only 7 runs in two overs and later against Afghanistan, claimed 2 wickets for 29 runs in the quota of four overs.

He got Rahmanullah Gurbaz by surprise as he drilled in the perfect yorker to trap the opener leg before wicket in the first over and bowled Hazratullah Zazai in the second over.

Shaheen, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah and Mohammad Wasim, with Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz can challenge all teams in the World Cup.

Indian bowlers have leaked runs with the bowl in recent times that will be a positive sign for the Pakistani batters. But inclusion of fast bowler Mohammad Shami in place of injured Bumrah in the squad will strengthen Indian bowling considering his pace and bounce that can create some problems for Pakistani batsmen on MCG track.

Pakistan’s pace attack proved too hot to handle when India faced them last at the 2021 T20I World Cup. Shaheen was the chief destroyer with 3-31 runs. India will also face difficulty in dealing with left-arm seamer.

Pakistan also has Haris Rauf whose performance going better after every match. He rattled England batters in the T20I series and took the most eight wickets in six games averaging 23.62 and at an economy of 7.67.

After beating India couple of times in the last one year, the morale of Babar Azam & company is high, but the inconsistent middle order is the most concerned area for Pakistan, despite getting many chances, batsmen get panicky and throw their wickets away on crunch moments.

If the middle order provide support to openers - Babar and Rizwan - Pakistan will have a fair chance to beat India again.

Pakistani players and fans are desperate to repeat last World Cup performance against India and the national team can do it if the batting and the fielding provide full support to the potent bowling attack.

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