IND vs PAK: "If Pakistan Win The Toss And Bat First, They Will Literally Hammer India" - Shoaib Akhtar

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar stated that the Babar Azam-led team will hammer India if they bat first in their upcoming clash in the Asia Cup 2023. Shoaib Akhtar highlighted that the chasing teams will find it difficult to bat under the lights in Sri Lanka.

The Men in Green will lock horns with the Rohit Sharma-led team in the third match of the Asia Cup 2023 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Saturday, September 2. The two teams had a close encounter during their last meeting in the T20 World Cup 2022.

Babar And His Team Are Very Mature – Shoaib Akhtar

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Shoaib Akhtar pointed out that the toss will play a crucial role in deciding the winner of the India-Pakistan match.

“Babar and his team are very mature. They have played high-pressure games against India before. They won’t be in much pressure now,”said Akhtar.

“If Pakistan win the toss and bat first, they will literally hammer India. Vice-versa, if India win the toss, Pakistan could be in trouble because ball isn’t really moving much under the lights.”

Notably, Sri Lanka won the match while chasing in the second match of the tournament at the same venue. Bangladesh scored just 164 runs after opting to bat first. The hosts chased down the target with 11 overs to spare.

Pakistan Is A Formidable Side – Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar emphasized the importance of India fielding their strong pace bowling trio, considering Pakistan’s balanced batting order. He also mentioned the debate around Virat Kohli‘s batting position and Ishan Kishan’s role in the batting order.

“Both teams have a good chance. Bumrah, Shami, Siraj should be playing together. Kuldeep should play. There’s a debate on Virat Kohli on whether he should bat at 3 or 4, and whether Ishan should bat at 5 or open the innings.

But what I must say is that Pakistan is a formidable side. They have the ammunition with the ball, and their batting is settled. It isn’t a volatile batting order anymore, like in the past. These are the two balanced sides when they play in the sub-continent,” he concluded.

Ishan Kishan is set to play as a wicketkeeper batter in the match against Pakistan, as KL Rahul was ruled out of the first two games due to a niggle. The team management might consider giving a chance to Kishan in the middle, with the top order settled.

Also read: IND vs PAK: “Huge Pressure On Virat Kohli And Rohit Sharma To Perform Because…” – Harbhajan SIngh On Blockbuster Asia Cup 2023 Match