Transformed India out to recapture psychological edge

On 24 October 2021, Neroli Meadows was anchoring the pre-match show on the boundary line at the Dubai International Stadium, with experts VVS Laxman, Dale Steyn and Shane Watson all sprucely dressed in keeping with the occasion. Posed with the opening query was Laxman, in vain though as the quartet's proximity to the blue-clad fans rendered her inaudible. Waving the tricolour, armed with banners, they made their excitement known. However, seven balls from young Shaheen Afridi was all it took for the decibel meter to nosedive to nought.

India's campaign in the T20 World Cup started on a sour note as Pakistan romped home by 10 wickets, and the subsequent loss against New Zealand was a punch in the gut, evaporating the qualification hopes of a team that if not labelled the favourites was backed to make it to the eliminators without a hitch. India did not return empty-handed from Australia though, for they were presented a grave reality check. Their T20 cricket was in shambles, the conservative batting belonging to a bygone era.

We've made it very clear after the T20 World Cup in Dubai, where we didn't qualify for the finals, that we felt there needed to be a change in our attitude and approach in how we play our game, Rohit Sharma said after India won 19 out of 23 completed T20Is since the eye-opening exit in the marquee event. A reinvigorated batting philosophy has been at the heart of this turnaround, with India showing an adamance to go hard in the PowerPlay run-rate has climbed from 7.87 (2021) to 8.67 (2022) and a refusal to sit back in the middle overs, even if the opposition is chipping away at the wickets.

While India's calendar is, quite logically, filled to the brim with T20Is, Pakistan have, rather astonishingly, played a solitary T20I in a World Cup year so far. A 34-match PSL saw their batters swing for the fences and the bowlers nail those tramline yorkers, but Pakistan come into the Asia Cup largely undercooked as a unit. On top of that, they'll be rueing the services of Shaheen, who has torn a knee ligament. The absence of the left-arm spearhead, while disconcerting to Pakistan, has robbed India of an opportunity to test their preparedness against top-grade swing bowling, by KL Rahul's own admission.

The Indian vice-captain is himself short on game time, and if the management retains faith in him despite having trialled seven openers in 2022 for flexibility purposes, he'd like to ensure that this time around the loyalists cheer and clap deep into the night.

What: India vs Pakistan, 2nd Match, Group A

When: 7:30 PM IST, 02:00 PM GMT / 06:00 PM LOCAL

Where: Dubai International Cricket Stadium

What to expect: In the 2021 T20 World Cup, chasing teams reigned supreme in 12 out of the 13 games in Dubai including the final between Australia and New Zealand.