After a wait of five years, the T20 World Cup 2021 has begun and excitement of fans is at peak to see their favorite players in action. The ICC tournament Super 12 stage begins on Saturday with two big matches, Australia vs South Africa in Abu Dhabi and an encore of the 2016 T20 World Cup final between England and West Indies. India will begin the tournament in a high voltage game against arch-rivals Pakistan on October 24 at the Dubai International Stadium. The match between the two neighbours is more than a cricket game, where the excitement, pressure, expectations of fans, players skyrocket.
With no bilateral series between the two countries, the ICC tournaments are the only window for India and Pakistan to face each other and for the fans to witness the epic clash. In the World Cup events, the numbers are stacked in India’s favour with 12-0 record against the arch-rivals in the World Cup events, winning on seven occasions in the 50-overs World Cup and five times at the T20 World Cup.
Before Virat Kohli's India take on Babar Azam's brigade, here's a look at the numbers of their pace attack, spin attack and the batting lineup.
India's pace attack
If we talk about India's pace attack in T20Is, the pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is at the top of the table. The yorker specialist has played 50 matches and taken 59 wickets with an economy of 6.66. He if followed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the list with 50 wickets in 51 matches with an economy of 6.90. Mohammed Shami is at number three and has a total of 12 wickets under his belt with an economy of 9.80. However, Shami's numbers do not do justice to his recent form and the workhorse can turn out to be the prime wicket-taker for India.
Pakistan's pace attack
For Pakistan, number one on the list is Hasan Ali with 52 wickets in 41 matches at an economy of 8.29. The left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi with 32 wickets in 30 matches is second on the list. Haris Rauf stands third with 28 wickets in 23 matches at an economy of 8.94. The fast bowlers' economy rate is a concern for Pakistan. On the other hand, these three bowlers have plenty of experience bowling on UAE pitches.
India's spin attack
India’s spin attack is led by the veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who will be making a comeback into the T20I side after a hiatus of four years. Ashwin is at the top of the list with 52 wickets in 46 matches and an economy of 6.97. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja is at number 2 with a total of 39 wickets in 50 matches. The southpaw is expected to provide balance to the squad with his big-hitting down the order and getting through the middle overs with his left-arm spin. The newcomer Rahul Chahar playing his World Cup is at number three with seven wickets in five matches.
Pakistan's spin attack
Topping the list is the 41-year-old Mohammad Hafeez with 60 wickets from 113 matches followed by right-arm leg spinner Shadab Khan at number two with 58 wickets in 53 matches. Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim is at number three with 27 wickets in 52 matches under his name. However, Wasim can play a crucial role in the powerplay overs against Indian openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma.
Battle of the batters
Indian captain Kohli tops the list with 254 runs in 6 matches at an average of 84.66. Kohli is also the only current batsman in the top three. Also, he is yet to be dismissed by Pakistan bowlers in World Cup events. Former Indian batting all-rounder and World Cup-winning member Yuvraj Singh is second on the list with 155 runs, which came at an average of 25.83. Another World Cup-winning member is third on the list. Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has 139 runs at an average of 27.80 in five matches.
Looking at the batters from across the border, the table is topped by the experienced Shoaib Malik, who has 167 runs at an average of 27.33 in eight matches. Malik was a last-minute inclusion in Pakistan's World Cup squad after Sohaib Maqsood missed out due to an injury. The second on the list is Pakistan’s Mr Dependable Mohammed Hafeez with 156 runs at an average of 26 in seven matches. The next in the list is wicketkeeper-batter Umar Akmal with 103 runs in six matches at an average of 17.16. Akmal is not in Pakistan's current World Cup squad.
