Team India batter Virat Kohli (AFP Image)
Abhishek Nayar suggested that no team will start favourites in the marquee clash on Thursday.
Former cricketer Abhishek Nayar has backed the Indian batters to tackle and overcome the Pakistan pace attack in the upcoming Super 4 clash in Asia Cup 2023. The Indian top-order struggled miserably against Pakistan pace trio – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf in the group stage. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were dismissed by Shaheen, while Shubman Gill was castled by Haris. They will once again pose a big threat to the Indian team in the Super 4 clash.
Nayar pointed out that India have quality pacers who can overcome the Pakistan pace challenge as he gave the example of Kohli who guided India to a thrilling win in the 2022 T20 WC clash against the arch-rivals.
“If they have pace, we have batters who use the pace. We have seen the fashion in which Virat Kohli batted in the T20 World Cup. So we have such able players. I believe if there is someone who has pace, we have the kind of players who can overcome that,” he said on AakashVani’s show on JioCinema.
Nayar suggested that no team will start favourites in the marquee clash on Thursday.
“I don’t think anyone has the upper hand. Both are very good teams but we all know under pressure India has always come out triumphant and I am expecting that even in the near future,” he added.
Robin Uthappa, who was also part of the panel discussion, also shared the same views as Nayar and said India well equipped to handle Pakistan pacers.
“They do have some really quick and very skillful fast bowlers and Shaheen Shah Afridi has been in some amazing form in the recent past as well. So is Haris Rauf. Having said that, I think we have the batters in our side who are equipped to handle all of that,” he added.
Meanwhile, former India bowler Rudra Pratap Singh has suggested that Pakistan have an upper hand when it comes to the fast bowling attack of both teams.
“You can say they have a slight upper hand in the fast bowling department because we have slight injury concerns as well. All three of their bowlers – Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah – bowl close to 150 kph,” RP Singh said.
