Former England spinner Monty Panesar believes that if India can get rid of Babar Azam early in the innings, they would demolish Pakistan. Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, according to Panesar, will be crucial performers for India, who are aiming for their first ICC trophy since 2013.
On Sunday, October 24, India will play Pakistan in the first match of the T20 World Cup 2021. Since their first encounter in 2007 in South Africa, the Men in Blue have won all five matches against their arch-rivals in the ICC tournament.
On the UAE courses, Panesar believes Pakistan is a force to be reckoned with, adding that they can beat any opponent on their day. He did concede, though, that India, headed by Virat Kohli, has the upper hand and is anticipated to rampage over Pakistan if Babar Azam is apprehended early.
“On UAE tracks, Pakistan is quite excellent. With Shaheen Afridi in the side, they have a strong bowling lineup. With Babar Azam in the lineup, they have a strong batting order. They’ve covered all of the essentials. Pakistan is impossible to anticipate. Only Pakistan has the ability to defeat Pakistan. They are capable of defeating any team in the world on any given day. This time, Pakistan is extremely motivated and will not spare any team. However, given their overall histories versus Pakistan, India will have the upper hand. “It would be Pakistan, not India, that will be under pressure,” Monty Panesar told the Times of India in an interview.
Furthermore, the 39-year-old has placed his bets on “game-changers” Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran, who, in his opinion, can secure India’s title victory.
“It’ll be Ashwin for me.” He’s got a lot of unpredictability. Ravindra Jadeja, too. With both the bat and the ball, he is a game-changer. With Chennai Super Kings, he had a fantastic tournament. Both of them will be crucial campaigners, since Ashwin can be effective in both the powerplay and the death overs. He’s done a fantastic job. India will win the T20 World Cup if Jadeja and Ashwin perform well. Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi represent Pakistan (are the key). Shaheen is a fantastic left-arm seamer who will continue to target Indian wickets. I’m sure Virat Kohli and KL Rahul have enough of experience against left-arm seamers. “India bowlers can smash Pakistan like a deck of cards if they get rid of Babar Azam early,” Panesar remarked.
The match will be held at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where Pakistan has not lost since November 27, 2015.
