3 things India need to do right to defeat Pakistan in Super 4 clash of Asia Cup 2023

All roads lead to the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on Sunday as India and Pakistan square off in the Super Four of the Asia Cup 2023.

The two teams locked horns in Pallekele last weekend, only for rain to have the final say as the match was called off after India's innings. They were bowled out for 266 in what was a closely fought see-saw battle, setting things up for what promised to be an engrossing second half.

Sunday's contest marks India's first Super Four encounter, even as Pakistan began their journey in the round with a clinical victory over Bangladesh in Lahore earlier in the week. There is a reserve day in store for this marquee clash owing to the possibility of murky weather in Colombo on Sunday.

Having been tested to the hilt with the bat in their Group A clash against Pakistan, India will know that they have to turn in a solid display across departments in order to outlast Babar Azam and company.

Here, we look at three things the Men in Blue have to do right in order to defeat Pakistan in their Asia Cup clash on Sunday.

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#1 Look to score and not survive against the new ball

One thing India have been guilty of in their recent matches against Pakistan is their tendency to survive against the new ball as opposed to going hard at it.

While one might argue that it wasn't the case in last year's Asia Cup in the UAE (albeit in the T20I format), it is important to mention that Shaheen Afridi, who has been a thorn in India's flesh, didn't take part in that event owing to injury.

His return at the T20 World Cup seemed to play on Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul's minds in Melbourne last year with the duo not cashing in on a number of loose deliveries early on. While Rohit looked solid in India's Group A fixture against Pakistan last weekend, a spell of rain dented his momentum.

It isn't easy to score against the swinging ball, especially against skillful bowlers of Shaheen and Naseem Shah's ilk. But the best way for the Men in Blue to make a statement would be to look to score and signal their intentions of taking the game to Pakistan's best players.

It needn't necessarily be in the form of a flurry of boundaries. Regular strike rotation is all that's needed at times to frustrate the opposition while setting the tone for the rest of the batting lineup to take over.

India's opening pair of Rohit and Shubman Gill will certainly want to show a marked improvement on what transpired in Pallekele when they face up against Shaheen and company on Sunday.

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#2 Put Pakistan under pressure in the middle overs

The middle-overs are a phase where Pakistan have a few flaws to iron out and this applies across departments. Shadab Khan hasn't been penetrative enough in making inroads in this phase, leaving Haris Rauf with the responsibility of using raw velocity to blow the opposition away.

Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya duly took on Shadab in Pallekele, putting India's innings on track with a superlative partnership. With Mohammad Nawaz and Agha Salman not making an impact either, India will do well to continue taking the attack to the spinners in the middle overs on Sunday to have Pakistan clutching at straws.

Strike rotation in the middle overs is something that Pakistan have struggled with on the batting front as well. Their task is bound to get tougher against Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav on a Colombo surface that is expected to assist spin. Mohammad Rizwan has the experience while Iftikhar Ahmed can hit a long ball despite his evident struggles in countering quality spin.

If there is a phase were Pakistan can be stalled with the bat though, it is the middle-overs. India have the arsenal to do so and must apply the spin choke to the fullest apart from doing the exact opposite on Pakistan's own spinners with the bat.

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#3 Deploy Kuldeep Yadav early against Babar Azam

Kuldeep remains India's X-factor with the ball as their wicket-taking weapon in the middle overs. Yet, it makes sense to bring him on much earlier than usual should Pakistan lose an early wicket and skipper Babar Azam stride out.

Kuldeep has had the wood over Babar, having dismissed him twice in the format and the latter striking at a rate of just 52.9 against the left-arm spinner. It's no surprise given that Babar tends to start well when there's more pace on the ball, never mind the variations that Kuldeep brings with him.

With the possibility of rain adding some moisture to the surface, it won't be a bad idea at all to deploy Kuldeep early to take advantage of the same. Extra bounce and fizz off the deck will only strengthen his variations even further with the batters bound to find it tough to get going instantly.

If he does bowl in the powerplay at the fall of the first wicket, it would mean he has just two fielders patrolling the boundary ropes. It's a risk worth taking from India's point of view, however, given that Babar's wicket will give them a solid grip on the contest, putting incredible pressure on Pakistan to recover thereafter.

This is an option that Rohit and the think-tank must certainly not be averse to as they seek to begin their Super Four campaign on the right note.

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Who among India and Pakistan enter the Super Four clash in Colombo as favorites? Have your say in the comments section below!

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