India face one of their biggest challenges in one-day cricket in recent years as they take on an unpredictable Pakistan in their Asia Cup opening match in Pallekele, Kandy on Saturday, September 2, 2023.
It will be India's first clash against Pakistan in an ODI in four years, having last played against them in the 2019 World Cup. India go into the big game with a near-full strength team with only K L Rahul yet to regain full fitness.
India haven't fared to expectations in ODIs recently, suffering a defeat in Bangladesh in December while they lost a three-match series at home to Australia in March and were made to work hard for their 2-1 series in the West Indies.
Of their last six ODI series, India have won three and lost as many.
Pakistan are looking in some good form coming into the Asia Cup, courtesy of their 2-0 series sweep against Afghanistan in the three-match ODI series played in Sri Lanka.
Before that they beat New Zealand 4-1 at home in April-May.
Pakistan enjoys a superior head-to-head record against India, having won 73 matches out of a total of 132 as compared to India's 55, with four ending in no result.
The two teams have clashed at neutral venues in 40 matches, with India winning 33 and Pakistan 40.
India and Pakistan have played each other in four ODIs in Sri Lanka, with each team winning one while two games were abandoned due to rain.
With the World Cup just around the corner there will be no further experiments as India aiming to field their best XI against Pakistan.
Rohit Sharma, who missed a couple of matches in the West Indies, will be hoping to make a smashing start to the tournament in the company of young Shubman Gill.
Rohit enjoys a good record against Pakistan, with 720 runs from 16 games at an average of 51, including six fifties and two centuries.
Pakistan have struggled to contain Rohit in recent encounters with the India captain stroking two centuries and as many fifties -- (91, 0, 52, 111 not out and 140) -- in the last five innings against them.
Gill, 23, is yet to play against Pakistan in any format and it remains to be seen how he handles the pressure of such a big game.
Senior pro Virat Kohli is another player who relishes playing against Pakistan. His incredible 82 against Pakistan, though it came in the T20 World Cup in October last year, is still fresh in everyone's mind and should be a big morale-booster for India's star batter going into the Asia Cup.
Overall, he has made 536 runs in 13 matches at an average of 48 against Pakistan, with two centuries and as many fifties.
A fit-again Shreyas Iyer is set to take over the No 4 position, where he enjoys a good record with 805 runs from 20 games, with two centuries and five fifties.
Hardik Pandya has struggled for consistency in the middle order, when batting at No 5 or 6, but he will take a lot of confidence from his smashing innings of 70 from 52 balls in the third ODI against the West Indies.
Hardik is a vital cog in the Indian batting line-up and could play a role similar to his mentor Mahendra Singh Dhoni, which is putting together some partnerships in the middle overs and preserve his wicket to attack the bowlers in the end overs.
His bowling would also be an important part of India's game plan for the Asia Cup. He won't be expected to bowl his quota of 10 overs at least in the Asia Cup but might be used to make impact with a few short spells, a few overs with the new ball, a few in the middle and some at the end.
Iyer's return could see Suryakumar Yadav relegated to the bench along with young Tilak Varma as India go in with five specialist bowlers.
It will be interesting to see who replaces K L Rahul as the wicket-keeper-batter. India have brought Sanju Samson as the travelling reserve player to cover for injuries and he should slot straight into the team, giving how he good he is against spin and his experience of playing in the middle order in white ball cricket.
It will be interesting to see if the team management is tempeted to try the hard-hitting left-hander Ishan Kishan at No 6, even though he has been clearly earmarked as the back-up opener by Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar.
Ravindra Jadeja is a handy batter to have at No 7 but the left-hander could be promoted up the order at times in a batting order comprising all right-handers. He did well with the ball in the two ODI series he has played this year, taking five wickets in six games at an economy rate of 4.72.
Among the pace bowlers, India has plenty of options to choose from. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami will be the top two choices, while depending on the conditions India might make a choice between Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur.
Even though Thakur's batting gives him the edge, India will find it hard to keep out a fast bowler of the quality of Siraj, who shouldered the burden quite well in the absence of Bumrah across formats. Siraj has been in superb form with the ball this year, taking 19 wickets from eight games at an economy rate of 4.62.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson/Ishan Kishan, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.
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