IND vs PAK: Hardik Pandya Will Be Key Against Pakistan: Sanjay Manjrekar
On a super Sunday, India will play archrival Pakistan in Dubai in what is sure to be a major match.
However, the absence of regular matches means that Indo-Pak rivalries are more frequently played between opponents who are not familiar with each other.
When a team only plays that opponent once or twice a year, it is difficult to prepare for them, so one must be prepared for the unexpected.
When India and Pakistan last faced off, neither team knew how much Shaheen Shah Afridi had advanced. The outcome was a 10-wicket loss for India.
Hardik Pandya May Handle Shadab Khan Well: Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar, a well-known cricket commentator and former India cricketer, has chosen his top player for the highly anticipated match, claiming that he will be the difference maker between the two teams.
“Hardik Pandya has a pretty good record against Pakistan. If you remember the 2019 World Cup as well, he was the one who got runs in that match against Pakistan. Hardik Pandya, at the moment, is batting like a dream,” said Manjrekar on Sports 18.
“His (Pandya’s) prowess against pace and spin is there for everyone to see. Shadab Khan is a pretty competitive bowler. He is not the traditional wrist-spinner that you get; he doesn’t turn the ball massively but has the guiles that you need in T20 cricket.”
“He (Shadab) is also now more experienced than he was say three-four years back. But Hardik at the moment, as I said, is at the top of his game. So Shadab Khan – despite being a pretty good bowler – Hardik Pandya should be able to manage him. He (Pandya) is not somebody who is good against pace when the ball is coming onto the bat, but against spin, you can have him. I think he reads a leg-spinner pretty well. So shouldn’t be a problem for Hardik”, he added.
