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Cricket Players'India favourites, but Pakistan in last 7-8 years…': Ravi Shastri fired up as IND, PAK renew Asia Cup rivalry
Ravi Shastri is bursting with excitement ahead of India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2023 match.
After a wait of 10 months, we are finally here. It's India vs Pakistan day. And the occasion, Asia Cup 2023. The mother of all battles at Kandy's Pallekele International Stadium in Sri Lanka. The frequency of India vs Pakistan matches has come down significantly, but the quality of cricket has been anything ordinary. Look at the last four matches, and there isn't a contest that is more neck-and-neck than India-Pakistan. India won the 2019 World Cup match, but two years later, Pakistan broke a million hearts at the 2021 T20 World Cup. During last year's Asia Cup, India and Pakistan picked up a win each before Virat Kohli's epochal 82 stole victory from the jaws of defeat.
As Rohit Sharma and Babar Azam's teams get set to write a fresh chapter in the bonafide history of India vs Pakistan rivalry, the one individual who can hype up the clash even further is Ravi Shastri. As Team India open their Asia Cup campaign on Saturday on the back of a full-strength squad – with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Shreyas Iyer back from injuries – the former coach called reserved a huge compliment for Rohit's unit. Weighing in further, Shastri added that while India start favourites, Pakistan can't be counted out either.
"I would say India start as favourites. This is their strongest team since 2011, this mix of players. And a captain who is seasoned, who understands the terrain better than most. Having said that, Pakistan have narrowed the gap. Seven-eight years [ago], there was a gap if you looked at the strength of both teams and man to man. But Pakistan have narrowed it down. They are a very good side, so you have to be on top of your game," Shastri told ESPNCricinfo.
Team that handles pressure will…: Shastri
Since the 2019 World Cup, neither India nor Pakistan has managed to secure back-to-back victories against one another. Repeatedly, both captains and several legends have underscored the significance of composure in India vs Pakistan encounters, emphasising that the side which handles pressure best will emerge triumphant. Shastri's perspective aligns with this sentiment, as he anticipates a 'spectacle' of a battle to unfold.
"That's what's important, keeping calm and treating it as just another game. And not overhype it in your mind that makes you think differently. Your game has to be the same as it would be in any other game. But because of that subconscious pressure, it's the mentally tough guys who normally get it right. When you look at the mix of players on either side, they are fabulous. And it will be a spectacle. In an India-Pakistan game, it is about who handles pressure better, who is calmer, whose thought process is clear. Those are the guys who will come through in those big occasions," Shastri pointed out.
"And never go by form before an India-Pakistan game, because the tough-minded, mentally strong guys might not have done much six months back, but come the India-Pakistan game, they will come [to the fore]. They know the importance of that game; they know where it can catapult them if they do well. Their juices will be fired up."
