PAK vs IND Match Preview

In the previous match, Imam Ul-Haq and Mohammad Rizwan each scored half-centuries, which should alleviate some of the scoring pressure on Babar Azam. Nonetheless, Babar is currently in excellent form and will thrive under the pressure of a high-intensity match.

However, the form of Agha Salman and Fakhar Zaman is somewhat concerning.

Pakistan opted to include Faheem Ashraf in the previous match instead of Mohammad Nawaz, and it is likely that the same decision will be made for this contest. Having Faheem Ashraf at number 8 significantly enhances the team's batting depth, allowing them to attack more aggressively or recover from early losses.

Pakistan's lack of a quality spinner who can control the scoring rate during the middle overs and take wickets is a significant weakness. While Shadab Khan has shown flashes of brilliance, his performance has been suboptimal overall, partly due to unfavorable conditions.

As a result, Pakistan is heavily reliant on its pace attack to deliver. Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah form a formidable pace attack and will be eager to unsettle the Indian openers once again. The Pakistani bowling attack's relentless attacking nature ensures that they are always on the lookout for wickets.

Pakistan is currently the world's top-ranked cricket team for a reason and should not be underestimated by anyone.

The team's performance on this tour has been far from impeccable. In the first match, the top-order batsmen experienced a collapse, and were it not for a gritty partnership between Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya, the team would have been bundled for a sub-par score.

India's top order displayed a tentative approach in the previous match and failed to take the game to the Pakistani pacers. It is expected that they will show more initiative in the upcoming match.

The second match saw a mediocre bowling effort, with Nepal scoring more runs than the skipper Rohit Sharma would have liked. The fielding effort was particularly poor, and the bowling also seemed lacklustre.

However, there were a couple of positives, with Shubhman Gill and Sharma putting up an unbeaten 147-run partnership in the match against Nepal. It remains to be seen how they will fare against Pakistan's quality pace attack.

India must also consider its team selection, with KL Rahul available for selection, but Ishan Kishan in great form. Shreyas Iyer appears to be somewhat vulnerable, but it is hoped that he will get another game to prove his worth.

The lack of batting depth remains a significant issue for India. If they lose early wickets, they will be unable to attack at the end. The return of Jasprit Bumrah since the match against Nepal will add bite to the pace attack, while Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja remain the two spinners on the team.

India's bowling was subpar against Nepal and must improve in the upcoming matches.

Weather Report

The weather is expected to remain overcast and there is a high chance of rain. However, we do have a reserve day for this match in case of interruptions. 

Pitch Report

The R. Premadasa Stadium isn’t much of a high-scoring venue but has hosted some thrilling encounters in the past. The average first-inning score on this ground is around 230 and anything over 270 will be tricky to chase. The pitch is on the slower side and as it has been raining in Colombo over the past week, there will be some moisture in the surface.

Notable stats

Imam Ul-Haq's consistent batting

Imam Ul-Haq has been a consistent performer for Pakistan at the top of the order. He has scored 362 runs in his last 8 outings at an average of 51.71 and a strike rate of 78.69.

Team News

Jasprit Bumrah has returned from India and will be back in the team. 

 

PAK vs IND Probable 11

PAK Playing 11

  • Fakhar Zaman
  • Imam Ul-Haq
  • Babar Azam (C)
  • Agha Salman
  • Mohammad Rizwan (Wk)
  • Iftikhar Ahmed
  • Shadab Khan
  • Faheem Ashraf
  • Shaheen Shah Afridi
  • Naseem Shah
  • Haris Rauf

IND Playing 11

  • Rohit Sharma (C)
  • Shubhman Gill
  • Virat Kohli
  • Shreyas Iyer
  • Ishan Kishan (Wk)
  • Hardik Pandya
  • Ravindra Jadeja
  • Jasprit Bumrah
  • Mohammed Shami
  • Mohammad Siraj
  • Kuldeep Yadav
This is not the official playing 11 for the match. This is a prediction of the expected playing 11 for each team based on the writers analysis.

Dream11 Prediction

We are backing India to win this match. They are a quality side and enjoy a good record against Pakistan in recent matches, especially when it comes to ICC tournaments. The team has plenty of depth in its batting and that will be a big advantage for them. 

 

Top Picks

Babar Azam: Babar Azam is having an excellent year so far as he has scored 706 runs at an average of 54.30 in 2023.

Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli has a brilliant record at the Premadasa Stadium and has scored centuries in each of his last 3 appearances on this ground. He has scored a total of 519 runs in 8 innings here at an average of 103.80.

Ravindra Jadeja: One of the top all-rounders in ODI cricket, Jadeja has scored 127 runs this year and has also picked up 8 wickets. 

 

PAK vs IND Dream11 Team 1

Keeper: M Rizwan , I Kishan

Batters: R Sharma, V Kohli (C), B Azam (VC)

All-rounders: R Jadeja, H Pandya

Bowlers: J Bumrah, S Afridi, H Rauf, N Shah

PAK vs IND Dream11 Prediction - OCB Team Prediction