The mouth-watering Champions Trophy final between India and Pakistan might have been touted as the match between India’s formidable batsmen and Pakistan’s in-form bowlers but Gautam Gambhir does not feel the in-form Indian batsmen will face any stiff challenge from the Pakistani bowlers.
India’s batting has looked really solid in the ongoing tournament. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have played integral roles in India’s magnificent batting performances by providing a strong start. Dhawan is leading the run-scorers chart in the tournament with 317 runs followed by Rohit Sharma at number two with 304 runs. Virat Kohli is also in red-hot form, scoring 253 runs so far. And the trio’s impact is clearly visible, as India have scored the most runs in the tournament (1098 runs) and have the best strike rate (6.23 per over).
On the other hand, Pakistan after conceding 319 runs in the first game against India have done really well as a bowling unit. They have restricted each of South Africa, Sri Lanka and England to totals under 240 and have taken the most number of wickets in the tournament (31). Hasan Ali is leading the wicket-takers chart with 10 scalps and has been well supported by Junaid Khan who has picked seven wickets.
Moreover, the return of Mohammad Amir is only going to bolster their attack. But given the flat pitches that have been offered in this tournament, Gambhir feels Pakistan bowlers will not pose any threat for the Indian batsmen.
“For years the India-Pakistan contest has been a battle between India’s batting and Pakistan bowling. Earlier, it used to be Shoaib (Akhtar) and Umar Gul vs us and now Amir is their best bowler. Given the flat nature of wickets in the competition so far I don’t see any threat for India. Maybe Amir can do something out of ordinary, conditions permitting,” Gambhir said while talking to PTI.
Gambhir also batted for the inclusion of fast bowler Umesh Yadav in the playing eleven.
“I know it is a tricky one but given that the Oval pitch has bounce I would be tempted to play Umesh. Besides, any subcontinental team is generally comfortable against spin which is another reason why I would prefer Umesh although Ashwin too is a fantastic competitor,” Gambhir said.
A protagonist of many Indo-Pak matches, Gambhir said that the high-octane clash between the arch-rivals extends beyond the cricket field.
“I think the game is between two teams, two countries and not individuals. It surely is a mouth-watering finale, something that every player looks forward to. From the pride point of view, you can never forget such games. I remember playing Pakistan in the finals of T20 World Cup in 2007 and ended up scoring highest runs for India.
“I didn’t realise the magnitude of that innings and the win till I met a few soldiers of Indian army at an event in Delhi weeks later. They were posted on the border in Kashmir and one of them had fought in Kargil too. They told me how proud they were of our 2007 T20 World Cup win. I hate to say this but India-Pakistan games extend beyond cricket ground. There are so many other aspects to it,” said Gambhir.
“I think it’s about conditions and match situations. Generally, in England, you save wickets and go hard in the end. If the sun is out, the wicket is flat and you are chasing a big target, then you may go all out in power play. But if it’s cloudy then you may want to revise that. I think our team has been pretty smart in their approach. They have picked the right moment and bowlers to take runs off,” he added.