After the rain played spoilsport in the India vs Pakistan match earlier in the Asia Cup 2023, the two Asian giants will have a crack at each other in the Super Four stage of the tournament on September 10. The Babar Azam-led outfit topped Group A of the pool stage with India coming second after the two sides registered wins over Nepal. The fans are eagerly waiting for the second round of the India vs Pakistan clash to unfold at the R Premadasa Stadium on a super Sunday.
However, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has called his team to have an edge over India going into the contest. Azam reasoned that his side has an advantage over the Rohit Sharma-led outfit as they have been playing in Sri Lanka for quite some time. Pakistan recently played a Test series in Sri Lanka in July, followed by the domestic tournament the Lanka Premier League, and also an ODI series against Afghanistan.
"Given the continuous cricket we are playing both in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, you can say that we hold an edge (over India). We have been playing here in Sri Lanka for the past two months or so. We have played Tests, we played a series against Afghanistan and then the LPL. So it can be said that we have an advantage," Babar Azam said in a pre-match press conference on Saturday.
The India vs Pakistan game has got the status of a reserve day and is the only Super Four clash to have a cushion day due to the bad weather. Azam hoped for the rain to be away. "We are focusing on what is in our control. The way the sun is beaming, I don't think it will rain a lot (tomorrow). We are trying to do as much practice as we can,” he added.
Pakistan failed to capitalise on the start they received with the ball after their pacers dominated the Indian batters earlier. He stressed that the team needs wickets in the middle overs too. “Yes, we get a good start (with the ball) and the plan always is to bowl good in middle overs. The effort is to have an effective combination. We need wickets in the middle overs but we are not getting them. But you can see that we are finishing good. Our pacers are doing well at the end. This is a team performance. If someone fails, then another bowler chips in,” he highlighted.
