3 Reasons why India will beat Pakistan in the Asia Cup
An India vs Pakistan encounter has always been a marquee match-up in International Cricket. It has, also, become an extinct contest for reasons unrelated to the realm of international cricket. Nevertheless, the rare prospect of a match, between these two teams invites decibels worth of excitement, fervour, and chest-beating from fans of both teams, often months in advance.
The next India vs Pakistan clash is right around the corner. It's on September 18th, 2018, as a result of an Asia Cup fixture. Traditionally, while emotion filled and edge-of-the-seat moments encapsulate the atmosphere surrounding this age-old match-up, ultimately, more often than not, the team with the better skills ends up winning.
Going into the Asia Cup, both India and Pakistan appear to be well-settled teams that are in good form, that have their combinations sorted, and their off-field distractions dealt with. Unlike their previous contest in England, in the Champions Trophy (CT) in 2016, this time around, the two teams will meet in the desert heat of the UAE.
The playing conditions in the UAE, equally, suit both the teams. While the UAE has served as de facto home-base for Pakistan, for the past several years, India has played in similar conditions, at home. So, no team holds an advantage on that front. However, there are three critical elements to this contest that'll determine the winner. Let's analyze this match-up in the context of these key elements.
#3 Spinners
The pitches in the UAE are generally spin-friendly. Particularly, in the middle overs, spinners become critical weapons for stifling the run-rate and picking up crucial wickets. India, since losing to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy finals, has replaced its finger-spinners- Ashwin and Jadeja- with a couple of willy wrist-spinners- Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. Yadav and Chahal have performed incredibly well for India, both at home and overseas.
The Pakistani batsmen, who'll be facing these Indian spinners for the first time, will have their work cut out for them. Pakistan's strength lies in their pace bowling attack. Their spinners, Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, will hardly pose any problems to an Indian batting line-up that fancies playing spin bowling. So, India clearly has an edge in the spin department.