Ahead of the highly anticipated ICC T20 World Cup 2024 match between India and Pakistan, former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has cautioned the Babar Azam-led team. Manjrekar believes that the tricky pitch conditions in New York will favor India’s superior batting lineup, which is better equipped to thrive in those circumstances compared to Pakistan. He specifically highlighted that the pitch seems tailored made for India’s batters, like Virat Kohli, who excel at rotating the strike.
“If the pitch conditions remain similar to the Sri Lanka-South Africa match, it would favor India. The Indian batters’ strong technique would allow them to comfortably defeat Pakistan. Virat Kohli, in particular, thrives on taking quick singles and doubles in these conditions, while the Pakistani batters tend to struggle,” Manjrekar said on ESPNCricinfo.
The 58-year-old cricketer-turned-commentator explained why India are favored against Pakistan. He pointed out that Pakistan’s bowling unit lacks the proper players to pose a significant threat to India’s world-class batting lineup.
“Pakistan’s bowling attack differs from India’s. Unlike Arshdeep Singh’s pace and swing, Haris Rauf relies more on hitting the deck with good length deliveries,” he stated.
“Similarly, Shaheen Afridi’s style of bowling may not pose the same challenges as the Indian bowlers. If the pitch conditions remain similar, India’s batting lineup will likely find it easier to counter the Pakistani bowling threat,” he continued.
Prior to the T20 World Cup, Pakistan endured a string of T20I losses. They were swept 0-2 in a series against England and also dropped a match to Ireland, a fellow member of their World Cup group. Additionally, Pakistan suffered a 1-4 defeat in a T20I series against New Zealand.
On Sunday, June 9, the highly anticipated cricket match between India and Pakistan will take place at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.