Follow UsWith over 1.2 lakh people expected to throng the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, the atmosphere is set to be electric. Not to mention, millions watching from home too will be at the edge of their seats as India take on Pakistan in what is considered to be the biggest match of the World Cup.
Former India batter and World Cup winner Suresh Raina, who has the experience of playing in such matches, has backed India to win this game as they have shown they can perform well under pressure. Pakistan are yet to beat India in an ODI World Cup encounter, having lost all of their previous seven meetings against their arch-rivals.
"I think India have a better chance to win because we have proven we can handle those tense moments, but, with the world watching, there will be a lot of pressure," Raina wrote in a column on ICC.
Raina adds that India's best batter, Virat Kohli, thrives in high-stakes matches. "The good thing for India is that Virat Kohli loves the big occasion. Whenever Pakistan come, he wants to be the hero, he wants to be the man of the moment. It’s why we call him the King of the Chase," Raina continued.
"He thrives in this arena because there is a lot of pressure on him. He says it’s just another game, but he prepares himself very differently. He listens to a lot of Punjabi music, he loves to mingle around with the boys. And when the match starts, he switches on like a pro fighter."
Raina also reckons India has the advantage in the spin department. "We saw in the Asia Cup that Pakistan struggled to deal with them, and between Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, along with maybe R Ashwin, India possess a lot of threats," he reckons.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been short of runs, and Raina says they will need big runs from him today. "Pakistan have struggled a bit at the top of the order, especially Imam-ul-Haq, although Abdullah Shafique is playing well. Realistically, they need a big performance from Babar Azam if they are to get a win," he said.
"We have seen in past World Cup matches that they can struggle when the pressure is on in these games. So India need to make sure that when they are on top, they press home their advantage. They must not let Pakistan fight back into the game."
Both India and Pakistan have won both their matches in the World Cup so far. While India brushed past Australia and Afghanistan, Pakistan tasted victories over the Netherlands and Sri Lanka - a match where they chased down a record total.