South Asian tigers are in the jungle!
What is surprising to see here is that only one team, the hosts England, were able to make it to the semi-finals of the tournament.
The 8th ICC Champions Trophy touring the cricket stadiums all across England is about to reach its much anticipated conclusion with two of the finest cricketing nations in the World belonging to South Asia i.e. Pakistan and India, making their way to the grand finale of the tournament outdoing the leading teams of the game. The tournament hosts top 8 teams as per the ICC ratings on the decided cut-off date. India, the defending champion, with a strong combination of batters and bowlers, stepped into the tournament as favourite to retain their title; however, the young Pakistani side cruising through to the finals may have struck many as an unforeseen surprise.
Where the analysts of the game have always acknowledged the Pakistani talent, particularly in its bowling line up, the general public has remained optimistic of the green team prevailing at the end as it is famously known for its “element of surprise”, as opposed to a much more professional Indian line-up which has been impressively consistent over the past couple of years in its performance in all formats of the game, be it the ODIs, theT-20s, or the test match version.
What is surprising to see here is that only one team, the hosts England, were able to make it to the semi-finals of the tournament. The remaining three teams making their way included Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh; all came from the South Asian region, a rare occurring indeed. Where it saddened the fans to watch the longing giants of the game like Australia and South Africa departing from the tournament without getting through to the second stage, the South Asian tigers dominating the Champions trophy once again prove the tremendous zeal and passion for cricket in this region.
It is approximately after decades that the two teams, Pakistan and India, are facing each other in the final of a cricket tournament. And as always, an India-Pakistan match is not just two teams playing each other, it’s the two nations facing off in the ground in a battle of intense emotions, and passion for the game, which is why an India-Pakistan game, no matter at what level, is unmatched across the board, and a must watch for every cricket lover. The tigers are definitely in the jungle now.
The lurking new talent…
New talent has been a highlight of this Champions trophy.
Amid the departure of the likes of Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, and Shahid Afridi from the international arena, there were speculations and concerns among the local analysts and experts of the game that the Pakistani team might find itself in a situation similar to that of Sri Lanka’s, as the latter suffered post-retirement of Kumar Sangakara, and Mahela Jayawardena, their two star performers. With the Pakistan team making it to the final now, however, after securing impressive wins over strong opposing teams like South Africa, Sri Lanka, and England, the young talent has proved its worth and competence, and restored the nation’s and the PCB’s dwindling confidence.
Babar Azam, Hassan Ali, Imad Waseem, Shadab Khan, and Juanid Khan playing under the young captaincy of Sarfraz Ahmed have grabbed the attention of cricket spectators and analysts, and have made their presence felt. Hassan Ali, so far, stands on top of the leading wicket takers list in this Champions Trophy by securing 10 wickets followed by Junaid Khan with 7 wickets to his credit on the number fourth spot.
The young talent has not only delivered however on the Pakistani side, but team India has also been pushed in the winning direction by its youngsters. To highlight a few, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, and Jhadhav have been more than impressive in their performance throughout the champion’s trophy thus far, and have played their part in Indian victories.
The two teams carry on with their legacy, and continue to stun the World by producing the best cricket talent barely out of their streets, especially in case of Pakistan where the infrastructure of domestic cricket is ineffective, and completely missing.
And the winner is…
The Oval cricket stadium, this Sunday, will be bursting with vibrant supporters of both sides, India and Pakistan, while every television channel from Mumbai to Lahore will surely be relaying the action to the devoted millions of fans back home. Claims of victories on both sides are already on a high-rise. It is expected to be a great occasion, both here and there. The rival nations have not faced off with each other in the final of a cricketing tournament for 50 years, which makes this encounter a must watch for the billions of cricket lovers in the South Asian region, and the World over. After all, it’s an India-Pakistan contest.
“Composure in the India-Pakistan final will be the key to success”, stated the Indian captain Viraat Kohli after winning over Bangladesh. “I have been very impressed. Their turn around in the tournament has been magnificent”, added Kohli while commenting on the Pakistan team.
Doing a thorough analysis of both the sides, one concludes that come Sunday will be a witness to fair and fierce competition, with both the teams having equal chances of lifting the trophy. The Indian team scores more on their professional consistency, backed by a tremendously strong batting line up, and an evenly square bowling attack. The green shirts, on the other hand, have their element of surprise, backed up by all round impressive talent forming a balanced combination of batsmen and bowlers. Not to forget, bowling being the strength of the Pakistani team. The weather, as until now, is likely to be an important factor in the final.
Both the teams are confident walking into the final of the Champions trophy with their streak of recent wins, however, the one holding its nerves and composure on the day will prevail as the champions, and the World will stand up for them.
