{"id":2443,"date":"2023-09-10T02:45:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-10T02:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/asia-cup-2023-babar-azam-reveals-what-gives-pakistan-an-edge-over-india\/"},"modified":"2023-09-10T02:45:06","modified_gmt":"2023-09-10T02:45:06","slug":"asia-cup-2023-babar-azam-reveals-what-gives-pakistan-an-edge-over-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/asia-cup-2023-babar-azam-reveals-what-gives-pakistan-an-edge-over-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Asia Cup 2023: Babar Azam reveals what gives Pakistan an edge over India"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam said Saturday his side will have an edge over India in their Asia Cup 2023 Super Four clash, with a bowling line-up ready to win matches and tournaments.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch ARY News live on\u00a0live.arynews.tv<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The arch-rivals meet again in Colombo on Sunday after their group match was abandoned due to rain, which has played havoc with the 50-over tournament that is a precursor to the ICC Cricket World Cup in India next month.<\/p>\n

An Pakistan-India clash remains one of the most hotly anticipated matches in world cricket because the two South Asian neighbours only play each other in multi-nation tournaments due to political tensions.<\/p>\n

Pakistan won their opening match of the Super Four stage and a second win will further enhance their chances of making the final on September 17.<\/p>\n

But rain in the Sri Lankan capital is expected to play spoilsport again in the match, for which a reserve day has been kept aside.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can say we have the edge, as we have played back-to-back cricket here (in Sri Lanka) and in Pakistan,\u201d Azam told reporters. \u201cIt has been two-and-a-half months in Sri Lanka including the Test series, Lanka Premier League, Afghanistan series and now the Asia Cup. So you can say it will be advantage (for us).\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Revved up and ready! \ud83c\udfcf\ud83d\udca5<\/p>\n

Game mode \ud83d\udd1b as we look ahead to the Sunday clash.#PAKvIND<\/a> | #AsiaCup2023<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/DJnaITYmAF<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 9, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u2018Good sign\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pakistan\u2019s pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf have stood out, with 23 wickets between them so far.<\/p>\n

Shaheen Afridi, a left-arm quick who leads the bowling, rattled India with his opening burst in the group match, taking the key wickets of skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.<\/p>\n

Babar Azam said the team believes their bowlers can win them titles.<\/p>\n

\u201cProud to have the fast bowlers that we have. One of the best (in the world),\u201d said Babar Azam. \u201cFast bowlers win you tournaments and matches and I have total belief (in) them. The line-up that we have including Naseem and Faheem (Ashraf) is the best lot that we have.\u201d<\/p>\n

India opener Shubman Gill said not playing Pakistan regularly made it tough to gauge the opposition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know that their bowling attack is quite good and when you don\u2019t play against such attacks often it makes a bit of difference in main tournaments,\u201d said Shubman Gill.<\/p>\n

Shubman Gill, who was bowled by Haris Rauf for 10 in Pallekele last week, and the Indian batsmen have been facing a left-arm specialist in their training to counter Shaheen Afridi. He said the variation \u201chelps\u201d.<\/p>\n

India managed to post 266 all out after they slipped to 66-4 against Pakistan last week, and Gill said the team has taken confidence from the fightback.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpeners need to make a good start and need to dominate them from the beginning. In the league match, our top order did not click much, still we made a competitive total\u2026 so, it was a good sign,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile Pakistan announced their team for the big match, keeping an unchanged lineup from their seven-wicket win over Bangladesh in the Super Four opener.<\/p>\n

\n

Our playing XI for the #PAKvIND<\/a> match \ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf0#AsiaCup2023<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/K25PXbLnYe<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) September 9, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Pakistan team: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice captain), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf.<\/p>\n

Related \u2013 Asia Cup 2023: Former cricketer angry at Pakistan-India Super Four fixture<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n