IND vs PAK 2022 [In Pictures] “One sleep away” - Team India gear up ahead of Asia Cup clash against Pakistan
Team India are all set to take on Pakistan in the much-hyped Asia Cup 2022 clash on Sunday (August 28). On the eve of the match, the Men in Blue were seen preparing for the mega challenge.
Sunday’s contest between India and Pakistan will be the first encounter between the arch-rivals since the T20 World Cup last year when Pakistan hammered Team India by 10 wickets.
On Saturday (August 27), the official social media handles of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared images of Indian players practicing ahead of the big match against their neighboring nation.
The pictures captured cricketers in varied moods, from relaxed to intense. BCCI shared the images with the caption:
“One Sleep Away #TeamIndia all set for #AsiaCup2022.”
One Sleep Away ⌛
#TeamIndia all set for #AsiaCup2022 💪
#AsiaCup https://t.co/zGz6NaKmk6
The Indo-Pak clash, the first match of the tournament in Group A, will be held at the Dubai International Stadium.
At the same venue, Afghanistan thumped Sri Lanka by eight wickets in the Asia Cup 2022 opener, a Group B encounter, on Saturday.
“We have decided to try out a few things” - Rohit Sharma ahead of match against Pakistan
Speaking ahead of the much-awaited contest against Pakistan, India captain Rohit Sharma stated that the team is willing to try out a few things as they think beyond just the result. At a press conference, he said:
“We have decided to try out a few things. We might not be successful. As far as combinations is concerned you will get to know tomorrow. We have decided in the group to try a few things irrespective of result.”
Asked about the mood in the camp, the 35-year-old asserted that it is buzzing. He elaborated:
“Fresh tournament and new start. Not thinking about what happened in the past. Challenging to play Pakistan. Taking one game at a time!.”
On the likely playing XI, he explained:
“We have not decided on playing XI. We will watch the match tonight and decide. Match will be played on the same wicket."
India will miss pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel in the Asia Cup due to injuries. However, Rohit expressed confidence that the youngsters can do the job, while also hinting that keeper-batter Dinesh Karthik might get picked in the XI on Sunday. The Hitman said:
“All the young bowlers stand a chance to get a nod in. We are open to give responsibility and see how they respond. We will go in with best possible XI. Dinesh off late has done well in recent times.”
The #AsiaCup2022 is a fresh tournament and a new start. We are here for a purpose and we will focus on what we want to achieve from this tournament. Everyone is very excited to be here: #TeamIndia captain @ImRo45 ahead of #INDvPAK. https://t.co/HxfO5ziSJ5
India will go into Sunday’s match high on confidence and form. In their previous T20I assignment, they thumped the West Indies by a 4-1 margin.