"Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma need to lead from the front" - Harbhajan Singh on the importance of the senior batters in the Ind-Pak Asia Cup clash
Former Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh believes the onus is on senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to deliver the goods in the high-pressure Asia Cup encounter against arch-rivals Pakistan in Pallekele on Saturday, September 2.
While Pakistan won their tournament opener against Nepal in dominant fashion, Team India will be playing their first game of the Asia Cup.
The two sides last met in an ODI four years ago during the 2019 World Cup, with India winning by 89 runs. The Men in Blue have beaten Pakistan in their last three ODI meetings, dating back to the 2018 Asia Cup.
Speaking to India Today, Harbhajan Singh backed the duo of Kohli and Rohit to come good in the marquee clash.
"There's always pressure on senior players," he said. "Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma need to lead from the front. There will be huge pressure on Kohli and Rohit to perform because they are the most senior players. But they've always come good against Pakistan and hopefully, they will come good tomorrow as well."
The veteran duo boasts phenomenal numbers in ODIs, with almost 23,000 runs and 76 centuries between them. They have also performed admirably against Pakistan in the past, with Kohli averaging close to 49 and Rohit over 51.
Harbhajan also mentioned Shubman Gill, who will be playing his first match against Pakistan in any format.
"Someone like Shubman Gill will be playing his first match against Pakistan, in a high-voltage match. He will be keen to perform. I believe India is ready for this competition," he added.
Although Pakistan holds a 73-55 edge against India in ODIs, they have beaten India only twice in the last nine matches since 2013.
Furthermore, Rohit Sharma's Men hold a 7-5 edge against Pakistan in ODI Asia Cup battles.
"I believe India must be ready for this game" - Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh believes that Team India will be fully ready for the crunch Asia Cup game against Pakistan.
While India has been Asia Cup champions a record seven times, Pakistan has, surprisingly, only won the title twice. Both teams are coming off ODI series wins — India against the West Indies and Pakistan against Afghanistan, ahead of the continental tournament.
"I believe India must be ready for this game. They’ve been practicing hard," Harbhajan said. "On the last tour of West Indies, many players like Rohit and Virat were not part of the series. But India versus Pakistan is always a special game. It's a high-pressure game. Kohli, Rohit and the other guys will be very keen to showcase their talent."
An interesting point to note is that India and Pakistan have never played each other in an Asia Cup final in the 39-year history of the tournament.