Apart from the handshake bit, another burning question ahead of the T20 World Cup Group A match between India and Pakistan is regarding the availability of swashbuckling opening batter Abhishek Sharma. The 25-year-old missed the side’s previous match against Namibia as he failed to recover in time. Prior to the contest against Gerhard Erasmus’ side, Abhishek was hospitalised after he complained of fever and a stomach infection. At the toss for that particular match, India captain Suryakumar Yadav hinted that Abhishek could miss the match against Pakistan as well, as he will “take a game or two” to fully recover.
Ahead of the match against India, Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said on Saturday that he wants Abhishek to play, as his team wants to take on the best players. The left-handed batter had proven to be a headache for Pakistan in the Asia Cup last year, scoring in both the group stage match and the Super 6s. However, he failed to get going in the final, as he was dismissed by Faheem Ashraf.
Speaking about Abhishek, Agha said, “I really hope – we all know he’s a good player and I really hope he plays tomorrow because we want to play against the best team they have, and I really hope he is recovering well and can play tomorrow.”
When the turn came for Suryakumar to address the media as part of customary pre-match routines, the Indian captain was told what Agha had to say about Abhishek. He was also asked about Abhishek’s fitness update and whether he would play in Colombo.
“Chalo theek hai. If the Pakistan captain wants us to play him tomorrow, we will do so. Done,” said Suryakumar, in response to the question.
When another question was asked about Abhishek, the Indian captain said, “Just now someone told me about what the Pakistan captain had to say. So I tell you the same thing, “’Chalo khila denge usko kal (We will make him play tomorrow).”
The Usman Tariq factor
Pakistan spinner, Usman Tariq, is being seen as the biggest X-factor as far as Salman Agha’s side is concerned. His action has been a talking point ever since the T20 World Cup, with the pause in his action and the flex of the bowling arm being scrutinised left, right and centre.
It would be the first time India would face Tariq, and it would be interesting to see what the approach will be on game day.
When asked about Tariq, Suryakumar said, “In every exam, there comes a question which seems out of the syllabus. We don’t have the option of leaving that question. You have to try something. Yes, he is a different character, but we cannot surrender. We obviously practice, and we will try to execute our plans.”
“They (Pakistan spinners) have been doing well, obviously, with their bowling line-up and with their combinations. But yeah, we do have some plans to try and tackle them when we play them tomorrow. And we also have a similar kind of setup when we go and play. But I don’t know. We have just seen the wicket. It looks good. It looks very good. And we will see what happens tomorrow,” he added.
