Time for India vs Pakistan but all eyes on Bumrah and Shaheen

Whenever India plays Pakistan, subplots abound. Things will be no different in the Asia Cup clash in Pallekele on Saturday, the first of possibly three games between them in this tournament. Between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, hitters who effortlessly combine artistry with an appetite for runs, who will have the biggest impact? Willpower Kuldeep Yadav Will weaving magic with his left-arm wrist spin or the leg-spinning Shadab Khan be more effective in the middle overs? Can Hardik Pandya Putting out the greatest hits at number 6? Or will Iftikhar Ahmed’s six-hit prowess win?

These are all fascinating mini-battles that will likely influence the outcome of Saturday’s match. But if we look at the bigger picture (after all, the Asia Cup is a chance to fine-tune the World Cup), it’s all about the performances of the pace leaders. Jasprit Bumrah and Shaheen Afridi after fighting long-term injuries that will be seen with the most discerning eyes. Because no one is arguably as closely intertwined as they are with the fortunes of their teams in this year’s ODI World Cup, no matter what the numbers say.

A year ago, neither found the Asian Cup auspicious. On the eve of the tournament, which served as a precursor to the T20 World Cup in Australia in October-November, Bumrah was diagnosed with a lower back injury, while Afridi had knee problems. Pakistan’s left-arm pacemaker returned in time for the biggest event, but his approach was cautious, the cost of perhaps hastening his recovery being felt in the final against England, when he would stop at the start of his third over and hobble off. of the field. Although Afridi returned to play for Pakistan in April, a matchup against India is his most pressing challenge since his return. Bumrah, of course, has had an excruciating wait of nearly a year to compete while dealing with complications from an injury that affected his career.

Now back without restraint or warning, both will be looking to make up for lost time in their respective roles as pace bowling group leaders. The signs have been encouraging. Bumrah made a solid comeback in the T20 series against Ireland, taking four wickets in eight overs in two matches. He seems to have progressed further at India’s training camp in Bengaluru before boarding the flight to Sri Lanka, gradually increasing the workload on him and starting bowling at full speed.

You’ll know that a low-key T20 series in the idyllic settings of Ireland is a far cry from the cauldron of an India-Pakistan encounter anywhere in the world. Will he be able to remain calm when Fakhar Zaman, for example, tries to disturb him? Can he break through the stout defenses of Azam and Mohammad Rizwan? How will your lower back react to the charge of ten overs in such a high-pressure environment?

Bumrah will search for these answers himself over the next few weeks. Because the 29-year-old, and India by extension, cannot allow even an iota of doubt heading into a World Cup campaign on home soil. They paid the price at last year’s T20 World Cup, when a Bumrah-less attack lacked noticeably in the semi-final against England.

Without a doubt, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, prasidh krishna and shardul thakur they make for a strong supporting cast in the pacing department, but Bumrah is that leading man who beautifies a scene with his mere presence. The data can indicate only a marginal difference: India has a winning percentage of 68.05 with Bumrah in the team, versus 64.6 without him.

But there is a certain X-factor that bowlers of his ilk bring to the table, which goes beyond his impressive career record of 121 wickets in 72 ODIs at a strike rate of 31.4. Whether it’s his ability to move the new ball both ways, his clever array of slower balls or his precise execution of the yorker, you can count on Bumrah to deliver in several stages of a one-day inning.

“It’s great to have Bumrah back and bowl well. Jasprit is someone we have greatly missed over the past two years. We will help you do it slowly. It was nice for him to facilitate the tour of Ireland by bowling four overs. Now we have the opportunity to achieve it in the Asia Cup. Now we have a whole month before the World Cup. He gives us more options in the pace bowling department,” India coach. Rahul Dravid he told reporters after the six-day training camp.

The taller and ganglier Afridi radiates similar attributes for Pakistan, who win 55% of their games with him in the eleven. The left-arm pacer warmed up for Saturday’s match by winning 2/27 against Nepal in Multan on Wednesday. While kushal bhurtel He was caught by Rizwan with a side leg choke, rohit paudel he was undone by a characteristically swinging yorker against whom much more skilled batsmen than the Nepal captain have failed. Just ask the India captain, who was sent off on the first ball from him in their T20 World Cup showdown in Dubai two years ago.

Given the schedule before us, Bumrah and Shaheen will surely have plenty of opportunities over the next couple of months to show off these skills. They’ll hope Saturday’s game is a good start to that effort.