Asia Cup 2018: 4 factors that will determine the India vs Pakistan match
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team is all set to take on Pakistan on September 19th at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai at the Asia Cup 2018. Both the sides will be well-oiled with a 'warm up encounter,' if anything with Hong Kong, with all due respect to the nation.
Any India vs Pakistan encounter is highly regarded and this year’s Asia Cup encounter will be no less as the two sides meet for the first time since the final of the Champions Trophy last year at the Oval.
Out of the 12 times the sides have met in the Asia Cup, India has six victories while Pakistan claimed five, with one match being abandoned. The Asia Cup will also serve as a foresight for the World Cup in 2019 as India and Pakistan are the only two strong contenders in the tournament.
With Afghanistan and Bangladesh already qualifying makes it more probable that the two sides will meet once again for the final and hence the September 19 clash will be important for both the units. That aside, the sheer euphoria that surrounds an India vs Pakistan encounter will make fans all over the world sit up and take notice.
As strategies are forged, creases ironed and tactics developed, we look into few elements that may make a difference in this epic encounter.
#1 Pakistan's home advantage
The UAE is Pakistan's home turf after their home country was deemed unfit to host games due to security concerns. The Pakistan Super League 2018 took place in UAE with 18 games taking place in the very stadium that India faces Pakistan in.
UAE has become Pakistan's den, as much as they would love to play home games in Pakistan. For instance, an unsuspecting Sri Lankan side faced the desert wrath as Pakistan claimed 8 victories in as many encounters -- 5 ODI and 3 T20.
Now India is definitely not Sri Lanka, but it will still be a steep challenge as they take Pakistan in their own 'make believe' backyard.