A day after their arrival in Dubai from Karachi, the Pakistan cricket team was witnessed practicing passionately at the ICC Academy grounds on Friday evening. Contrary to the huge pressure that followed their drubbing by New Zealand in the Champions Trophy opener, the team was filled with high spirits, team camaraderie, and enthusiasm, hiding any internal tension before their decisive encounter with India.
Pakistan is on the brink of being knocked out of the tournament they are hosting. The 60-run defeat to New Zealand has put them in a delicate situation, and another loss could have them bowing out of the tournament. The much-awaited match against arch-rivals India on Sunday could not have arrived at a worse time. But with the history of giving tough fights against India, as it has always done, it could also prove to be an opportunity for a comeback.
While India has overpowered head-to-head matches in both ODI and T20 World Cups by winning 15 out of the 16 contests, Pakistan stands at a minor edge in Champions Trophy matches with a 3-2 advantage.
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy Edge Over India
Their biggest win in the tournament took place in the 2017 Champions Trophy final at London’s The Oval. Sarfaraz Ahmed’s side made the most of the chance to bat first on a magnificent surface, as Mohammad Amir destroyed India’s top order.
Pakistan has also had success against India at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, winning their previous two encounters there. In the 2021 T20 World Cup, they achieved their first-ever World Cup win against India, claiming a comprehensive 10-wicket victory. They beat India by five wickets in the T20 Asia Cup the next year. But in the 50-over game, India is in control, having won both Asia Cup matches at this ground in 2018.
Pakistan’s Spirit of Survival at ICC Competitions
Not being in a vulnerable position at ICC tournaments is nothing new to Pakistan. In the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, they were struggling initially but won their last three league matches, one of them being a decisive win against the unbeaten Kiwis, to advance to the knockout stage. They went on to win the final against England.
A similar drama played out during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Pakistan lost two successive matches to India and Zimbabwe but then won their next three matches but still required outside assistance to make it to the final. South Africa received a shock defeat against the Netherlands, which made way to the semi-finals for them. They reached the final eventually, where England’s Sam Curran and Ben Stokes crushed their title aspirations.
Mohammad Rizwan’s team is not yet out of the running, and they can look to history for hope. Conveniently, just as Sarfaraz did in 2017, Rizwan is a wicketkeeper-batter at the helm of the team, although holding onto such similarities can feel like clutching at straws.
Pakistan’s Strengths and Challenges
At No. 3 in the ICC ODI rankings, Pakistan has strength in batting as well as bowling. Their challenge has been remaining consistent in big tournaments all the while. They tend to produce their best game when the going gets tough, as they do now. For things to improve, their pace attack has to rise to the occasion, and Babar Azam, supported by Rizwan, needs to take charge with the bat.
The onus on Babar and Rizwan has grown with Fakhar Zaman’s absence, who hurt his abdominal muscle while fielding against New Zealand. Fakhar was instrumental in Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy final win, scoring 114 off 106 balls. His absence is a loss, considering his record in ODIs, but Pakistan still has talented players who can deliver under pressure.
Concerns Over Pakistan’s Pace Attack
Pakistan’s forceful fast-bowling line-up—Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf—have been out of form. Against New Zealand, they combined to allow 214 runs from 30 overs, enabling the Kiwis to reach a dominating 320/5 following an early jolt at 73/3.
Afridi, on the other hand, will remember good times with a smile having played against India at this ground. During the 2021 T20 World Cup, he bowled out Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul in the initial 13 overs with deadly inswinging balls. Cricketers have a long memory, and Afridi will certainly get inspiration from that spell while wanting to give problems to India’s top order again.
India Must Remain Guarded Against an Injured Pakistan
If Sunday’s pitch, too, follows the slow clip of the match in which India easily beat Bangladesh, it could restrict Pakistan’s pace advantage and introduce leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed into the contest. Abrar, who hasn’t bowled to Virat Kohli so far, would be keen to try him out, particularly under the circumstances because Kohli himself has been found wanting against leg-spin of late.
India’s 15-1 head-to-head record against Pakistan in World Cups is a reflection of their capacity to remain calm and implement their strategies under pressure. For Indian supporters, this game is not merely a group-stage match—it’s the ultimate clash.
In the past, India has been able to stay emotionally removed and treat this match as any other, playing to their strengths. If they do that, they will still be favorites. Underestimating a cornered Pakistan, though, might cost them, as it can lead to an upset fight.
