India Vs Pakistan: The Big Fight

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DAMBULLA, SRI LANKA (GaeaTimes.com)- Today is by far the most anticipated game of the Asia Cup 2010 as India and Pakistan clash on the Dambulla wicket. Both teams are relying heavily on young talent. The last time that the arch rivals faced each other was in September 2009. The diplomatic relations between the two countries have deeply affected the cricket that has all the qualities of being a nail-biter in every encounter.

The two teams are however coming into the game from two very contrasting matches. Pakistan suffered a loss to Sri Lanka in their first game and India crushed Bangladesh and gained bonus points in the tournament. The positives for Pakistan are however mainstay Shahid Afridi being in good form. His blistering century against the Sri Lankans was not enough to win the match but enough to raise the team’s confidence.

The past record of both the teams are somewhat insignificant when the two teams collide. India which is the at the third position in the ICC ODI ratings has been suffering due to a poor bowling attack in the last few months. Though top order batsmen like Suresh Raina and Gautam Gambhir have shown extraordinary form, the bowlers have let the team down in most cases. For Pakistan the return of Shoaib Akhtar is a great boost to the perfectly balanced bowling attack. Their top order batsmen make up in talent what they lack in experience. The mainstay however is the captain Shahid Afridi, experienced all-rounder Shoaib Malik and the emerging dependable batsman Umar Akmal. This is the fourth match of the Asia Cup and a win is crucial for both the teams at the moment.