Follow UsFormer India head coach Ravi Shastri has asserted that, man to man, India are currently a ‘far better’ team in the 50-over format than Pakistan and believes the ‘longer’ format will favour the Rohit Sharma-led side.
India are drawn in the same group as Pakistan in the forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and will take on their arch-rivals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 23 (Sunday).
The two teams last met at the venue back in 2021 in the T20 World Cup, where, incidentally, Pakistan triumphed over the Men in Blue by a whopping 10 wickets.
However, according to Shastri, the 2021 clash will have no bearing on the forthcoming fixture due to the format, which he believes will suit India. Since 2015, India and Pakistan have played 8 completed ODIs and India have won 7 of them.
“No, that won't play on their mind because that was a T20 game. This is a 50-over clash. It's totally different," Shastri said on the ICC review, speaking on the 2021 T20WC clash.
“And it's a longer game which suits India more, because in T20 you can get upset. In 50-over cricket, if you've got experience and you've got depth in your batting and bowling departments and you know, it makes a massive, massive difference.
“And when you look at India and Pakistan man to man, India is a far better side and far more experienced as well.”
Shastri also warned head coach Gautam Gambhir about the real pressure associated with an India-Pakistan clash.
The 62-year-old said that, from his own experience as coach, the general public will remind the players and the coach endlessly should the team slip to defeat at the hands of Pakistan.
Back in 2021, Shastri became the first Indian head coach to lose a World Cup encounter against Pakistan.
“I was the coach for seven years. Whenever I was asked, I said the same thing (as Gambhir). But let me assure you, deep down, there's a lot more to that than you actually think, that's for the media,” Shastri said.
“You have to say it. But deep down, you want to win that. Because if you don't, you'll be reminded of it until the next time you play against Pakistan.
“People don't care what you have done in the past. They're not bothered about the last 10 games if you won eight or you won nine. But they'll remind you if you lose one, until the next time you play them.
“It can be a taxi driver, it could be anyone on the street. What happened to India? The same question to Pakistan. What happened to Pakistan? So it always plays on your mind, so whether you like it or not, it's a different game. Different beasts altogether.”