ICC World T20: 5 decisive head-to-head clashes that can decide India's fate
After clinching their sixth Asia Cup title unconquered, it will be difficult for one not to tag India as favourites in the upcoming ICC World T20. The hosts are enjoying a 7-game unbeaten run in the T20 Internationals and have alsowon 10 of their 11 pastencounters.Oozing with confidence, the hosts go in the tournament to do a repeat of their 2011 heroism. But it will not be a cakewalk for the hosts;pitted in the group of death alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, mighty Aussies and the ever improving dangerous Kiwis, they will need to seize the key moments of the every clash.Whether M.S. Dhoni and his men will lift the coveted trophy at Eden Gardens on 3rdof April will depend on some key clashes in the group stages.Here are 5 battles that can determine Indias progress to the finals.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin vs Glenn Maxwell
As they say, Old is Gold. This battle between the offie and unorthodox batsman dates back to IPL 7 where Maxwell smashed Ashwin to every corner of the ground and ensured his team won both the matches. However, with the passage of time, the Indian spinner has evolved a lot and has scalped Maxwell 4 times since then.
It promises to be a mouth-watering contest between the two immensely skilled players in their own domain. While Ashwin will go in the tournament as the top-ranked T20 bowler, Maxwell would be coming off a scintillating knock of 75 against the Proteas, helping his team to chase down 205.
Time will tell if Ashwin can spin a web around Maxwell or if the switch-hits and reverse-scoops dominate the carrom ball.