Asia Cup 2023: Pakistan Are Favourites For Title, Says THIS Former Bowler Ahead Of India Vs Pakistan Clash

India will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening Asia Cup 2023 match in Kandy on September 2.

Team India will take on Pakistan in Asia Cup 2023 match on September 2. (Photo: ANI)

Hosts Pakistan will open their campaign in the Asia Cup 2023 with a Group A clash against Nepal in Multan on Wednesday. The biggest match of the tournament will take place on Saturday (September 2) when Pakistan take on arch-rivals India in their second match at the Pallekelle International Stadium in Kandy.

Pakistan have only played a handful of ODI matches against India over the last five year and their last win over Rohit Sharma’s side came six year back in the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final. Since then Pakistan have lost twice to India – by eight wickets and nine wickets – in the 2018 Asia Cup and by 89 runs (DLS method) in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

However, Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker in Asia Cup history – Saeed Ajmal – believes they will be the favourites to win the title. “Pakistan are favourites to win the Asia Cup as they have played a few matches in Sri Lanka of late. They have already adapted to the conditions there. We have an edge as far as fast bowling is concerned. Shaheen and Naseem are known to claim wickets with the new ball while Haris Rauf is good at death bowling,” Ajmal told The New Indian Express newspaper.

Ajmal claimed 25 wickets for Pakistan in 12 matches in Asia Cup ODI format. The former Pakistan off-spinner believes Jasprit Bumrah’s return to the Indian side will boost their confidence heading into the Asia Cup.

“Jasprit Bumrah’s return has boosted India's confidence and they bat deep with Ravindra Jadeja coming at No 7. They have good all-rounders in Hardik Pandya, Jadeja, and Axar Patel. Even Kuldeep can bat. Middle order is a worry for Pakistan and if they can manage it, they along with India, Australia, and England can reach the WC semi-finals,” he added.

Ajmal believes that the high-voltage clash between India and Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad will play a big role in the match with ‘home advantage’ with Team India.

“Wickets in Asia remain the same so that will not matter. Pakistan are No 1 side in the ODI and this happened because of their top-order batter and pacers. Home crowd can be an advantage as more than 1 lakh fans will be rooting for you at the world's biggest stadium in Ahmedabad,” said Ajmal.

“But if Pakistan bat first then it will not matter as they will have an edge over the hosts otherwise it will be 50-50 for both teams. If Shaheen and Naseem pick wickets in the first few overs then India will be in trouble early on,” he elaborated.

India vs Pakistan is bigger than the Ashes: Tom Moody

As the excitement builds in the lead-up to the highly anticipated cricket clash between India and Pakistan at the Asia Cup 2023, former cricketers Sanjay Manjrekar and Tom Moody offered their insights into the dynamics shaping Team India’s preparations and the potential challenges they might face.

.@TomMoodyCricket sheds light on the elements that he believes will be a challenge for @ImVkohli, and #TeamIndia. Do you agree with him? __

Tune-in to #AsiaCupOnStar
Aug 30 | 2 PM | Star Sports Network#Cricket pic.twitter.com/jZNunXpfan — Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) August 28, 2023

Former Sri Lanka head coach Moody also reflects on the significance of the India-Pakistan clash, comparing it to the esteemed Ashes series, and discusses the strengths and considerations of both teams as they gear up for this monumental showdown.

“I think this match surpasses the Ashes. It’s always got a lovely story to it, and both are outstanding cricketing nations. And when you look at that Pakistan squad, it does boast a lot of talent. But one thing that stands out for me is that it also boasts experience. So now they have the combination of experience and talent, they are a real threat. They can match India with their pace bowling; they’ve got genuine pace on their side, and the only issue I see them potentially having is the depth in the quality of their batting which India has got. So that’s going to be the interesting pressure that they put on the likes of Babar Azam at the top of the order,” Moody said.

Speaking exclusively to Star Sports on ‘Game Plan’, former Australia cricketer Tom Moody emphasizes the pivotal role of Pakistan’s Shaheen Afridi, particularly with the new ball, in potentially destabilizing India's batting lineup. “Shaheen Afridi. Full Stop. I just think that Shaheen Afridi with the new ball is a major threat, which he has done historically. Broken through with that new ball, manages to blow away a couple of early wickets, which then opens up the middle order for India to resurrect things. Particularly for a middle order that hasn’t had a lot of game time,” Moody added.