Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra

Apart from high skills, temperament also plays a big role in high-octane India vs Pakistan clash. If the rain God stays away, fans will definitely get to witness many crucial moments during the high-voltage T20 World Cup clash between the arch-rivals at the MCG on Sunday.

Here is a look at some of the possible crucial moments which could seal the fate of the match:

Shaheen’s first over

There has been a lot of hype regarding Pakistan’s ace speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi who is making a comeback after a long injury layoff. Exactly a year ago, in Dubai, Pakistan ended their World Cup losing streak against India by 10 wickets. It was Shaheen who set the tone for Pakistan’s famous victory. Saheen will test the openers of Men in Blue once again on Sunday as the lanky pacer is back with a bang and is ready to fire on all cylinders.

Hitting the hard length

Bowlers who can bowl hard lengths will play a key role at MCG. For Pakistan, all his pacers can trouble the batters with pace and bounce. Apart from Shaheen, Haris Rauf is another in-form bowler to watch out for in the middle and at the death. Haris Rauf, who considers MCG as his home, will be looking forward to making life difficult for the Indian batters. Rauf’s form will also bethe key for the Indian batsmen.

Finger spin

Pakistan has a brilliant finger spinner in Mohammed Nawaz. With Team India having too many right handers in their batting lineup, a spinner who can turn the ball away from them will be a big asset for Pakistan. It will be difficult for the batters to clear Melbourne Cricket Ground with bigger boundaries without pace on the ball. Countering Nawaz’s spell will be crucial for the Men in Blue.

Death bowling

In the absence of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and co are struggling in death overs and leaking a lot of runs. India will aim to improve upon in the death overs. This will be an important factor for Team India to stay in the match. On the other hand, Pakistan’s death bowling is looking solid. Haris Rauf has been lethal with a good yorker and slower ball in his armory. Rauf has had a death bowling economy of 7.78. Left-arm seamer Shaheen has an economy of 9.45 at death.
 

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