India Cricket

Group 2 of the World Twenty20 Super 10 stage continues on Sunday as India face current holders West Indies in what should be an intriguing match.

Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Date: Sunday, March 23

Start time: 1.30 p.m. GMT

Live on: Sky Sports (U.K.), Fox Sports (Australia), Super Sport (South Africa), BTV (Bangladesh), PTV Sports (Pakistan), Star India (India), SLBC (Sri Lanka), ESPN3 (USA)

Weather: According to Weather.com, conditions don’t look ideal in Mirpur, as thunderstorms are threatened on what promises to be a humid day.

Overview

India have already played once in this World T20 while it is the West Indies’ first game, so this could be an interesting encounter in Mirpur.

The Indians started well as they comfortably overcame Pakistan by seven wickets thanks to some restrictive bowling and some solid batting.

The Pakistanis batted first and made 130-7 from their 20 overs, a below-par score that was heavily restricted by Amit Mishra, Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in particular.

In reply, India coasted home for the loss of just three wickets, with an unbeaten 36 from Virat Kohli and 35 not out from Suresh Raina making things look very comfortable indeed.

Meanwhile, 2012 champions the West Indies looked in decent form as they overcame England 2-1 in a T20 series at home before seeing off the same opposition in a warm-up match in Bangladesh.

With their explosive batsmen and cunning spin bowlers, they may well present a stern test for their opponents and will want to start their title defense with a victory.

Team News

India (from): MS Dhoni (capt.), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma, Varun Aaron

West Indies (from): Darren Sammy (capt.), Samuel Badree, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cottrell, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Krishmar Santokie, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith

Key Players

Amit Mishra

Last time out against Pakistan, Mishra returned the superb figures of 2-22 from four overs with one maiden and will want the same again.

The leg-spinner has had something of an interrupted international career, so he will be determined to stamp his authority on this game.

Sunil Narine

On Bangladesh’s slow, turning pitches, Narine will be relied upon as the West Indies’ biggest spin threat.

Having proved himself in the Indian Premier League and international cricket, Narine is a tremendous asset and may well find himself taking the new ball at times.

Unless you’re at the ground, you rarely see it. The telecast cuts away to adverts between overs. But were you to see the short interlude after one over and before the next you would see the pitch becomes a swarm of movement. Bowlers. Fielders. Batsmen. Umpires. Twelfth men. The occasional groundsman.

It’s a hubbub of activity. 

But not if you’re Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Watching Dhoni walk between overs is like watching a movie star walk away from an explosion. His expression is neutral. His face betrays nothing. His stride is equal. His gait anodyne. That walk is almost ritualistic, an overly rite of passage. It has become a cliche to describe him as such, but Dhoni on a cricket field is the personification of equanimity. 

Taking a look at the scorecard from India’s victory over Pakistan you would think that Dhoni had no impact on the result. He didn’t take a catch, made one stumping and didn’t bat. But if you were to look more closely, his influence marks the scorecard and the result, both literally and figuratively. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wg98wQh04k

In Twenty20 cricket, the captain is more important than in any other format.

The parameters are narrower, the margins are smaller, thus the importance of every decision is magnified in context of the final result. Centimeters, not meters matter. Seconds not minutes. Balls (or even a ball) not overs. The pressure is unparalleled. Consider that as you consider India’s opposition and the stage of the tournament. Yet, Dhoni remained sage against the machine.

Of course, it is perhaps a stretch too far to attribute the calmness of his charges in their comfortable victory to his influence, but it is Dhoni’s ineffable effect that makes you even consider such a possibility in the first place. 

Ultimately, Dhoni’s more tangible influence on the game can be gauged in the details of his strategy in the field. Within the first 11 overs, all six of India’s bowlers had bowled at least one over. None of them had bowled more than two overs in a row. Indeed, no one bowled more than two in a row all innings. The Sylhet pitch was a sticky turner and not easy for batsmen to attack on.

Dhoni’s expert shuffling of his pack only made things more difficult still with barely enough time for the batsmen to have a sighter before a bowling change had been made. 

Indeed, batting in T20 cricket is all about rhythm and momentum—building an innings to a crescendo. Dhoni’s captaincy didn’t allow Pakistan to establish any kind of coherence to their innings, and it showed. Kamran Akmal’s run-out was a dismissal emblematic of the indecision that filtered through the Pakistani batting order.

The pitch was certainly not one that lent itself to panicked hacking, but before long, they were reduced to such in pursuit of a competitive total. 

Dhoni’s tactics were only half the story, however. It was his luxury that his bowlers—the one erroneous over from Yuvraj Singh aside—bowled so well. Man of the Match, Amit Mishra, in particular was impressive. At 31 years of age, he has rather snuck under the radar, this being just his second T20 international. Yet, a superb Indian Premier League for the Sunrisers Hyderabad last year demanded inclusion.

It speaks volumes of Dhoni’s captaincy that in a match that he appeared to do so little in, he can be interpreted as having such an effect. As the tournament progresses, and in closer matches, such subtleties and nuances will become increasingly important.

India came into the 2014 World Twenty20 with doubts surrounding the team, following two heart-breaking losses at the 2014 Asia Cup last month. The team needed more than just a win against rivals Pakistan, and a dominant seven-wicket victory on Friday was exactly what the doctor ordered.

The final score was impressive, with the goal of 131 runs achieved with just five batsmen. But even more important was the way the team eventually came out on top. Solid execution, some impressive spin bowling and patient, level-headed batting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbMJDm8Qd1k

India never once allowed their opponents to turn the match into a heated affair and remained calm from start to finish, and in doing so looked the part of the perfect offensive machine we all know the Men in Blue can be.

When the match was over, Pakistani public figures were very quick to congratulate the Indian team and praise the Pakistani effort, as it was very clear this Indian team was unstoppable today:

Amit Mishra took two wickets in four overs while Ravindra Jadeja added another wicket and kept his economy rate under five (finishing with a 4.5) as India's group of spin bowlers thoroughly dominated any and all opposition, opening the door for the batsman to finish the job.

Bowling had been the team's biggest weakness during the Asia Cup, and a solid performance against Pakistan was very much needed in order to boost morale.

As the Cric Wizz shows, they did more than just that:

With the bowling seemingly resolved, India could focus on what the team does best—scoring runs with one of the most dangerous batting line-ups in the world.

Rohit Sharma got things started with 24 runs on 21 balls before Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina each added more than 30, with the latter two never bowled out.

As explosive as the team's batting can be, it was the patience and coolness displayed against experienced bowlers like Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez that impressed the most. Never reaching for runs, the Indian batters simply took what was given and patiently worked their way toward the target of 131.

Andrew Gale agreed India's batting is as impressive as ever:

India's batting will make them a dangerous team to face regardless of the circumstances, but teams like Sri Lanka and West Indies looked out of reach for the Men in Blue due to the bowling issues and an overall quality India simply couldn't match.

But if Mishra and Jadeja can keep up the level of bowling we saw on display against Pakistan, the sky is the limit for one of the giants of world cricket.

With the defending champions West-Indies and a red-hot Australian team also vying for one of the top two spots that lead to the knockout stages, India will need a complete performance to qualify from Group 1. If the win over Pakistan is any indication, that's exactly what we're going to get.

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India and Pakistan get the next stage of the World T20 underway on Friday in Dhaka.

Two of crickets heavyweights are going toe-to-toe again, just a few weeks after their meeting in the Asia Cup.

There is surely no finer matchup to open proceedings, and both sides will be looking to grab the early initiative in the group.

Date: Friday March 21

Time: 1.30 p.m. GMT/9.30 a.m. ET (7.30 p.m. local)

Live on: Sky Sports 2

Form Guide

India comes into the tournament out of form after a disappointing Asia Cup campaign, but boosted by the return of MS Dhoni to the lineup.

If one person can make a difference to the upturn in fortunes of the Indian attack, Dhoni is that man.

A calming presence, Dhoni leads from the front, but will need to get the very best out of an inexperienced group of players. 

India will need to settle into the tournament quickly, but with only five T20I's played since the last World T20, it's likely to be a big ask.

In terms of current form in this form of the game, there really is little to go by. However their PR indicating their only loss in the last World T20 somehow qualifies them for a decent campaign this time around (per Sidharth Monga of ESPNCricInfo) is a little misguided.

Spin will be crucial for the Indians to garner any sort of success, so much will fall on the shoulders of Ravi's Ashwin and Jadega who've been warming up nicely for their stint in the IPL.

For Pakistan, Shahid "Boom Boom" Afridi—fresh from his big-hitting cameos in the Asia Cup—will play in this one despite still not being fully fit, per Abhishek Purohit of ESPNCricInfo.

Mohammad Hafeez believes Afridi's excellent form stands the Pakistani's in good stead per ESPNCricInfo:

He is in good form and we have seen that in the Asia Cup. It is always great when your senior players are looking forward to challenges.

The way the momentum has shifted, it is a boost for our morale. 

Hafeez himself is at odds with the Pakistani selectors over who should make up their WorldT20 side, per NDTV, which doesn't bode well for the country at this stage of proceedings.

Former skipper Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal have been included, but Malik hasn't played in a Twenty20 international since November. 

Fawad Alam—who has been ignored by the selectors since 2010—has been drafted into the squad, so it's perhaps easier to understand Hafeez's stance.

Much is expected of paceman Umar Gul, who had a disappointing Asia Cup by his own standards. Just three one-day games in the last year because of persistent knee problems could hamper his bowling, but he can always be relied up to grab wickets.

Key Stats

Umar Gul's 74 wickets in this form of the game equates to am impressive ration of a wicket for every 14 runs.

He has the best bowling figures of 5/6 so, as long as there's no rustiness, India needs to be on their toes from the outset.

Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez is ranked the number one batsman in this form of the game and, with over 1,200 runs and 44 wickets to his name, his threat to an Indian victory is obvious.

Mohammed Shami already has 50 ODI wickets in just 29 innings in this form of the game, and India's seamer continues to be their "go-to" bowler.

All stats courtesy Rohan Raj of India Today.

India and Pakistan meet for their mouth-watering first clash of the ICC World Twenty20 on Friday, with both teams searching for early tournament momentum.

Venue: Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur

Commences: Friday, Mar. 21, 2014

Start time: 1:30 p.m. GMT (7:30 p.m. local)

Live on: Sky Sports 2

Weather: The Weather Channel is predicting a fine and very hot day, with the top temperature expected to hit 36 degrees Celsius during the afternoon, before light breezes bring about a slightly cooler evening.

Overview 

So early in the tournament, yet such a critical encounter. Even without the backdrop of the nations' chequered history, India and Pakistan's early confrontation in this World T20 would hold a great deal of significance.

Undoubtedly, what both teams will be craving is a fast start. In an incredibly tough group that also contains Australia and the West Indies, early points will be critical for both of these team's hopes of progressing.

Like they did in the ICC Champions Trophy last June, India arrive out of form and down on confidence, with questions being asked of their ability and intent when away from the comforts of home soil. You only need to look at the records for that tournament to understand that an Indian team with a chip on its shoulder is a dangerous beast.

Pakistan, meanwhile, arrive at this point with their customary excitement and unpredictability. While their bowling attack is bolstered by perhaps the best spinning brigade in the tournament, the team's enigmatic and sometimes brittle batting line-up will again determine how far they can go.

What's certain is that the victor of this match will walk away feeling confident of progressing, while the defeated outfit will suddenly find themselves playing catch-up.

Squads 

India 

MS Dhoni (c/wk), Varun Aaron, Ravichandran Ashwin, Stuart Binny, Shikhar Dhawan, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Mohammed Shami, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Mohit Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh.

Pakistan

Mohammad Hafeez (c), Ahmed Shehzad, Bilawal Bhatti, Junaid Khan, Kamran Akmal (wk), Mohammad Talha, Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Sohail Tanvir, Umar Akmal (wk), Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar.

Players to Watch

India 

No Indian player has been the subject of more intense recent scrutiny than the team's captain MS Dhoni. Thanks to a limited-overs thrashing in South Africa and an abysmal tour to New Zealand, questions are being raised of Dhoni and his capacity to lead India beyond home comforts and to the pinnacle of the game.

After missing the Asia Cup, Dhoni's return will be met with a distinctly different pressure to the one he has typically faced to date.

Rather than carrying a colossal nation's hopes, the captain now finds himself genuinely battling public perception for the first time in his career.

Expect the doubts to draw an intense response from Dhoni, who will look to be decisive with his captaincy and ultra aggressive with the bat.

Pakistan

While bowling is Pakistan's true strength, big totals are what define T20 tournaments. Despite Pakistan's line-up looking potentially explosive, there's also a brittleness to it.

In order to maintain both pace and momentum in their innings, Pakistan will need Mohammad Hafeez to calmly anchor his side and provide a platform for the team's explosive hitters in Sharjeel Khan and Shahid Afridi.

Big matches such as these can often bring about frantic displays from top-order batsmen, resulting in the sort of calamity that sees a team cause its own downfall.

As captain, Hafeez can ensure his side retains a sense of composure with the bat, and provided wickets are in hand, Pakistan could hurt India's under-strength bowling attack in the latter overs.

Prediction

Following a strong Asia Cup campaign that included a win over India, Pakistan enter this clash with the desired momentum. However, a wounded Indian team with something to prove is a very dangerous proposition.

Where Pakistan have the edge, however, is in familiarity. India have played just five T20Is since the last World T20, whereas Pakistan have played 15.

In a pressure-packed environment, the stability that is built upon the solid understanding of roles and partnerships is critical. While Indian players will point to the IPL as proof of their credentials, the side lacks continuity in playing together in this format, which tips the balance in their opponent's favour.

Consequently, Pakistan should just edge out their fierce rivals.

More than 24,000 fans packed into the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg for what would be a monumental encounter—yet few realised it at the time.

Unlike most crowds, those in attendance were split in equal measure for the two fiercest rivals on the planet. Already famous for an intimidating intensity, the "Bullring" hosted a starkly gladiatorial atmosphere on Sept. 24, 2007.

Yet until that point, the inaugural World Twenty20 had embodied a somewhat inconsequential feel. The event was essentially a trail run in the wake of the 2007 World Cup. Weakened teams had been sent; established stars had opted out.

Despite Yuvraj Singh's heroics against Australia and England in earlier matches, the tournament needed a spicy, tension-filled finale to not only justify its presence on the international calendar, but to establish the T20 format as a viable third act of the game. 

Those involved, however, knew little of the impact the final match of the competition would have on the future trajectory of the sport.

Winning his fifth toss on the bounce, MS Dhoni elected to set the tone by sending out his youthful but rather depleted batting line-up.

Yusuf Pathan, replacing the injured Virender Sehwag, opened the innings with Gautam Gambhir to make a promising but short-lived start. From 40-2 after only 5.4 overs, Dhoni's side meandered to just 111-4 from the next 10.

Robin Uthappa came and went, Yuvraj couldn't muster the energy or inspiration for a final tilt, while the captain succumbed to the brilliant and incisive Umar Gul. Only Gambhir's fluent 75 kept the innings ticking along.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUytHnhfB6c

In the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly, who had all skipped the tournament to foster the development of the nation's youth, India's outfit lacked both experience and intimidation. 

It was also a sign of the nation's indifferent feelings towards the format. Despite the first T20 International being staged in early 2005, India had been involved in just one such game prior to the inaugural World T20 in late 2007. Following a disastrous World Cup campaign in the Caribbean earlier in the year that saw the country fail to progress from the group stage, the BCCI's priorities didn't centre on an event and format with an uncertain future.

Yet in the face of that doubt and pre-tournament skepticism, India had utilised the exuberance and vitality of youth to charge to the final. Along with Yuvraj's explosions, the team's energy in the field and with the ball had hit almost unprecedented levels. 

A public that had grown frustrated with its team's performances suddenly found itself embracing a side exuding a highly admirable and unexpected vibrancy. 

Through some late hitting from Rohit Sharma, India edged their way to 157-5—a total considered well below par at the high-scoring venue in Johannesburg. 

That feeling persisted as Pakistan's innings commenced and it appeared certain that only one team could be triumphant when Imran Nazir blazed Sreesanth around the Wanderers in the early stages to offset the wickets of Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal. Such was Nazir's blistering start that the chasing Pakistanis had scorched their way to 53-2 at 10 runs per over. 

But the tide turned.

A surprise runout from Uthappa to dismiss Nazir put the brakes on Shoaib Malik's side, with the capture of Younis Khan a couple of overs later seeing a seismic shift in momentum. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG_no0nAHAI

An Indian side that had overcome the cynicism of its own board quickly began to personify the burgeoning belief and daring approach that had won close to a billion admirers across the world's most influential cricketing nation.

The scoreboard, of course, suggested the match was still far from over. At 65-4, and then even later at 77-6, Pakistan were still within touching distance while Misbah-ul-Haq was at the crease.

But even with eight overs still to be bowled in a final on a knife's edge, the juggernaut that Twenty20 would become had already begun to roll. There was palpable tension in the stadium. After a parade of both disappointing and lopsided World Cup finals, the game's newest format was already in the midst of hosting the most captivating conclusion a global tournament had ever seen. 

Misbah bravely edged Pakistan towards their target of 158 alongside the useful Yasir Arafat, with three quick sixes off Harbhajan Singh rapidly reducing the task to just 20 runs from 12 balls (it had once been 54 from 24).

As he'd done against both India and Australia in previous encounters, Misbah was again rescuing the enigmatic Pakistanis, with his exploits giving his side the apparent edge with two overs remaining.

A tight and disciplined 19th over from RP Singh, which saw the wicket of Gul fall from its fifth delivery, left just a tantalising final six balls remaining, 13 runs needed and only one wicket in hand.

There, in an iconic cricketing cauldron, with Joginder Sharma at the top of his mark, a revolution was being born. A nation that had flirted with the concept of a franchise-based T20 league was on the cusp of winning the format's biggest prize. Six balls separated both teams from victory, but few realised that those six balls represented the beginning of a new era in the game.

The formation of Indian Premier League would quickly follow the result. Multi-million dollar auctions would soon be an annual practice. Players' attitudes to the sport and the opportunities it offered would be forever altered; early retirements, T20 specialists and maligned mercenaries would all rise to prominence. 

Despite meeting T20 cricket with a customary resistance, the BCCI would soon hold the bulk of the game's wealth in its pockets, transforming India from influential to all-powerful. Even the "establishment" in England and Australia would find itself aligning with India, defining itself in relation to the polarising board and the glamourous IPL.

The six balls became five, but only after a horrific wide from the first delivery of the over. Misbah then clubbed Sharma's next effort over the fence to make the equation six runs from four balls. 

Could history have been altered had the outcome of the next delivery been different? It's possible. A Pakistani triumph, while also significant, wouldn't have held the gravity of an Indian victory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idIlxT93gzQ

While Misbah's ill-fated scoop shot will be among the tormentors of his own mind, the batsman played an irreversible and iconic part in the alteration of the sport's future course. 

Sreesanth took the catch. Elation ensued. The game has never been the same since.

India made short work of Afghanistan in their final 2014 Asia Cup match on Wednesday, a dead rubber which threw up more questions about their selection policy than their performance.

Afghanistan's batsmen, who had performed well in victory over Bangladesh earlier in the tournament, capitulated spectacularly at the first sign of spin and were all out for 159 inside 46 overs.

India reached the set target from just 32.2 overs, with openers Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane scoring 60 and 56 respectively before falling and leaving it to Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik to finish the job. 

However, the post-game talking points were not about the result—neither side could have progressed to the final—but about India's selection with their stuttering one-day side.

The key lessons learned from each side in this dead rubber are examined below.

India's refusal to experiment could cost them

There would seemingly be no better time to experiment with the Indian side than a dead rubber in a competitive game against Afghanistan.

However, there was no place for fast bowler Ishwar Pandey, who has been part of the ODI squad for the recent New Zealand tour and the Asia Cup but has not appeared in either.

Furthermore, there was still no spot for middle-order batsman Cheteshwar Pujara, who has become a regular Test player and averages 58.92 in domestic one-day cricket.  

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar was very critical after the game when talking to Star Sports (h/t ESPNcricinfo.com):

Very hard to understand, to be honest with you, it's baffling.

Some of the players have been playing non-stop, they need a bit of a break before the World T20 starts, the second thing is if you are not going to give the reserve players a chance, then when are they going to play.

Are you worried that Cheteshwar Pujara will score runs so that your favourites who are not consistent might have to make way?

It looked like an obvious opportunity for India to try something new, but their refusal to do so could become a problem as it could breed an atmosphere of complacency within the squad.

With the World Twenty20 in two weeks' time, India could do without any criticism of their selection process.

Afghanistan need to improve their batting against spin

The newcomers to the tournament can leave with pride having claimed the not inconsiderable scalp of Test-playing nation Bangladesh. 

They are in a good position, having gained vital experience, ahead of the World Twenty20, but they will need to improve their batting going into that tournament.

Their major problem seems to be against spin. They picked up 52 runs off 11 overs against the Indian seamers but were all at seas against spin.

India's spin trio of Ravindra Jadeja, Ravi Ashwin and Amit Mishra took combined figures of 25-3-73-7 between the 12th and 36th overs when they rotated.

Samiullah Shenwari managed to reach 50 but other than that Afghanistan were lacklustre.

Captain Mohammad Nabi addressed the issue post-game, saying via ESPNcricinfo.com: "We have come to world cricket just a while ago. We need time. We have a lot of camps before the 2015 World Cup, and we will bring a batting coach from Australia or New Zealand as well." 

India vs. Pakistan is one of the best and most famous rivalries in the world of sport.

With only five one-day internationals between the two played over the last three years, Sunday's Asia Cup battle is one to savour for both sets of fans.

The Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh, provides the neutral setting for a match which will really whet the appetite of the purist, despite neither side enjoying particularly good form, both having won one and lost one in their opening two games.

Defending Asia Cup champions Pakistan saw off the spirited challenge of Afghanistan by 72 runs but were out-thought by the Sri Lankan bowling attack, losing the match by just 12 runs.

India also lost to the Sri Lankans by two wickets but easily chased down the 280-run target set them by Bangladesh.

The last time these two arch-rivals met in the Asia Cup, India emerged triumphant by six wickets. The Pakistan target of 330 that day was successfully chased down in less than 48 overs, per Cricket Country.

Without captain MS Dhoni, who is out injured for this one, the Indian team will need to draw inspiration from elsewhere to ensure a similar outcome.

Key Players

Ravindra Jadeja

His team-mates call him Sir. His captain at IPL side Rajasthan Royals, Shane Warne, nicknamed him "Rockstar."

Ravindra Jadeja is box office, the man for the big occasion. A supreme belief and confidence in his own ability is allied to all-round excellence.

His repertoire of spin variation makes him a very tricky customer to bat against as Australian captain Michael Clarke will attest to. The Indian maestro dismissed Clarke in five out of six innings during their Test series.

Jadega has hit the ground running in this Asia Cup tournament: The three wickets picked up against the Sri Lankans were for a measly 30 runs.

Whilst he is unlikely to emulate his three triple centuries in the Ranji Trophy, Jadega has shown himself to be adept with the bat, and the Pakistanis would do well not to underestimate either aspect of his game.

Shikhar Dhawan

For the second time in a fortnight, Shikar Dhawan has fallen just shy of a century.

A wonderful knock of 94 from just 114 deliveries against Sri Lanka earlier in this tournament was the highlight of the Indian innings.

Dhawan's prowess at the crease was described by NDTV Cricket:

Dhawan played a balanced knock - one that combined aggression with sensible nudges for ones and twos.

Dhawan's fifty took him just 68 deliveries and had five boundaries in it. His next fifty was equally measured as he targeted all parts of the ground to keep the score moving.

Although he did lose the company of an in-form Kohli, the setback hardly affected his rhythm. Dhawan, like most left-handers, was brilliant with his drives which were timed to perfection on a batting deck.

It follows the 98 scored in the Wellington Test against New Zealand and is the sign of a player in top form.

Never one afraid to take the game to the opposition, a good solid knock from Dhawan and fellow opener Rohit Sharma will allow India's middle order, in particular Virat Kohli, to build a foundation from which to win the game.

Junaid Khan

Khan is a genuine fast bowler, who is unplayable on his day. 

Sri Lanka found that out to their cost at the back end of last year when the left-arm pace man ripped through their attack, taking five wickets.

India know all about his accomplishments with the ball, as Emmad Hameed of the Express Tribune noted:

Junaid Khan has a psychological edge over [Virat] Kohli after having dismissed him on all three occasions in the bilateral ODI series last year.

The lack of a wicket so far at this tournament will only fire him up further to break his duck in this one.

You can't keep a good man down for long, and Khan is simply too good a bowler to allow this game to pass him by and give him an unwanted hat-trick.

Umar Akmal

Pakistan's wicket-keeper has already made history at this tournament.

Akmal's unbeaten 102 from 89 balls against Afghanistan is the first time a Pakistani wicket-keeper has made a century in the Asia Cup. 

It was a sensational innings and a man-of-the-match award was therefore a given.

The nature of that knock, and a 74 against Sri Lanka in their other game, is enough evidence to show that if India fail to keep Akmal under wraps, it's likely he will again be the match-winner for Pakistan.

He plays against spin and pace equally well and is beginning to translate his obvious potential into important and vital innings.

Perhaps India's only hope of curtailing his excellence is if the local law enforcement catch up with the player, after an arrest warrant was issued for a traffic violation, per The News.

Prediction

As so often happens in these titanic tussles, the game is as much about will to win as it is about ability.

Just a point separates the two in the most recent standings, and India can ill-afford to slip further behind their rivals.

Equally, Pakistan will not want to loosen their grip on a title won so impressively last time.

Expect the flat wicket to prove crucial to the outcome of this one, India adapting better to the conditions and taking this by a couple of wickets. 

India and Sri Lanka continue their Asia Cup campaigns with a game against each other in Fatullah, having both taken victory in their opening matches of the tournament.

Venue: Khan Shaheb Osman Ali Stadium, Fatullah

Date: Friday, Feb. 28

Start time: 8 a.m. GMT

Live on: Star Cricket (India), PTV Sports (Pakistan), MTV Sports (Sri Lanka), Channel 9 (Bangladesh), 1 TV (Afghanistan), Star Life OK (UK), ATN (Canada), Willow TV (USA)

Weather: According to Weather.com, it promises to be partly cloudy for the game, with highs of 28 degrees Celsius.

Overview

India took a comfortable victory in their first game of the Asia Cup, as they beat hosts Bangladesh by six wickets.

The Bangladeshis batted first and did well to reach 279-7 from their 50 overs, with captain Mushfiqur Rahim reaching 117 and opener Anamul Haque making 77.

India’s bowling effort was led by Mohammed Shami, who took 4-50 in his 10 overs and took some crucial wickets.

In reply, the visitors looked in some trouble at 54-2 when Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were removed in quick succession, but that brought Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane together.

The pair put on 213 for the third wicket in 32 overs to take India to the brink of victory, with Rahane making 73 and Kohli an impressive 136.

India were then led to victory by Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik, with an over to spare.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka were also successful in their opening game of the tournament as they squeaked past Pakistan by just 12 runs.

The Sri Lankans batted first and were indebted to opener Lahiru Thirimanne, who scored 102 from 110 balls and dominated proceedings early on.

He was supported by 67 from Kumar Sangakkara and an unbeaten 55 from captain Angelo Mathews, with the latter’s knock coming from just 50 balls as Sri Lanka looked to be aggressive in the closing stages.

Pakistan’s bowlers were largely expensive, with Umar Gul and Shahid Afridi leading the way with two wickets apiece as Sri Lanka closed on 296-6 from their 50 overs.

In response, the Pakistanis batted well but lost wickets at regular intervals until captain Misbah-ul-Haq was joined by Umar Akmal in the 24th over.

The pair put on 121, but when Akmal fell for 74 and was then followed by Afridi just two overs later, the game was nearly up for Pakistan.

Despite some late fireworks, they were bowled out for 284, meaning Sri Lanka took a tight victory by just 12 runs.

Lasith Malinga was their leading bowler, taking 5-52, and that included the crucial wickets of Misbah, Afridi and Bilawal Bhatti, who made 18 from 13 balls.

With both teams having won their opening matches, this fixture promises to be an absorbing one even with this year’s tournament still in its infancy.

Team News

India (from): Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ambati Rayudu, Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Varun Aaron, Stuart Binny, Amit Mishra, Ishwar Pandey, Dinesh Karthik.

Sri Lanka (from): Angelo Mathews (captain), Dinesh Chandimal (vice-captain), Lasith Malinga, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Kusal Perera, Kumar Sangakkara (wk), Mahela Jayawardena, Lahiru Thirimanne, Thisara Perera, Suranga Lakmal, Chathuranga De Silva, Sachithra Senanayake, Ajantha Mendis, Ashan Priyanjan, Dhammika Prasad.

Key Players

Virat Kohli

India cruised to victory against Bangladesh thanks in large part to 136 from captain Virat Kohli, as they eased home by six wickets.

Kohli looked in very good touch in his innings of 122 balls and will be a prized wicket for the Sri Lankan bowlers.

Lasith Malinga

Still one of the most lethal pace bowlers in world cricket, Lasith Malinga was on top form against Pakistan and will want to reproduce that against India.

Malinga’s 5-52 against the Pakistanis was critical in Sri Lanka restricting their opponents’ run chase, and he will want to do something similar as his country’s senior seamer.