India looks for redemption in do-or-die encounter

Will we see a repeat of these images on Sunday?

There was a time, not very long ago, when India were considered to be the kings of the sub-continent. India were believed to be favourites in any game played by them in Asia.

But since the T20 World Cup has commenced a fortnight ago, India is facing huge problems in getting their playing combinations right and in executing their plans on the field. The match against Australia exposed the team’s imbalance and posed questions for the team management to ponder upon for their next big game that will be played today.

India has always done well against Pakistan in World Cups. In fact, the only time Pakistan has managed to defeat India in World Cups is during the recent warm-up match of this tournament. But the scenario has changed today. Pakistan is performing very well in the tournament and they will draw a lot of confidence from their recent back of the door victory against South Africa.

Their team combination also looks better balanced, with key players like Umar Akmal , Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal delivering for the team consistently. They will be looking to replicate their performance against India in the warm up game.

The Indian camp will want to get their act together and perform to their full potential in this game. Because there is no doubt that if this team performs to its full potential, they can beat any opposition in the world.

Players like Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir have been performing for the team regularly and Irfan Pathan’s recent performances inspire a lot of confidence. All that is required now is for the team to perform together as a unit.

The match today is a do-or-die match for India as the loss against Australia on Friday has affected the team’s run rate very badly. It will be a mental test for the team but they have faced these situations innumerable times in the past and the statistics of past matches suggest that they deliver the most awe-inspiring performances during times when they have their backs against the wall and it is absolutely essential to win.

The match, being an India-Pakistan game, has a huge build-up as usual and the fact that India’s place in the tournament is at stake, gives the match a lot more significance and this will attract a lot of eyeballs. The supporters of both teams will want a close match and they will be hoping that their respective teams come up trumps in the match tonight.