India vs Pakistan, ICCWCT20 2022, Today Match Prediction 23 October 2022

ind vs pak Match Prediction & Analysis

India will be looking to avenge their last World Cup defeat against Pakistan. This is no ordinary T20 World Cup game for these two nations. India, in particular, will be under a lot of pressure, as a billion eyes will be watching them.

There is very little room for mistakes. Fans from both sides can tolerate their team getting knocked out of the T20 World Cup. But a loss against the arch-rivals will not be tolerated. 

Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the highly anticipated match of the T20 World Cup 2022. Unlike the UAE surfaces last year, the pitch at MCG offers an equal contest between bat and ball.

So, the toss may not be as significant as it was the last time these two teams clashed in an ICC event. Jasprit Bumrah missing out on the T20 World Cup due to injury came as a huge blow to the team.

However, Mohammad Shami’s recent outing in the warm-up match has given hope to millions of Indian fans. Shaheen Shah Afridi is fit and back to the Pakistan T20 setup after recovering from an injury. Along with Naseem Shah, the veteran pacer will be a key bowler for Pakistan to push India on the back foot.

TEAMS PREVIEW

India Preview

While cricket pundits in India may not consider India as favourites to win the T20 World Cup, everyone expects them to defeat Pakistan at MCG.

There are many positives for India coming into this game. Kohli’s return to form, Suryakumar Yadav’s rise and rise, and KL Rahul’s improved strike rate have all come at a great time for the men in blue.

The lower middle order has been in good touch for quite some time. Hardik Pandya since his return from injury last year has been consistent with the bat. In the recent IPL season, he returned to bowling and is now a crucial bowling option for India in T20Is.

Dinesh Karthik is a great comeback story in his own right. He claimed his spot in the national side after some great hitting in the IPL and is now a reliable lower-order batsman. There is some debate about whether Karthik is a finisher or not. And who should India choose - Karthik or Pant? 

Other concerns for India include getting the bowling combination right. Shami is all set to replace Bumrah while Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel also seem to be the most probable candidates in the bowling attack.

With a great batting surface that helps the pacers early on in the innings, India will be all set to avenge their loss from the previous T20 World Cup.

India Predicted Playing XI:

Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wk), R Ashwin, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar

India Actual Playing XI:

Lokesh Rahul, Suryakumar Yadav, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Rohit Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Pakistan Preview

Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam led Pakistan to a record-breaking win over India last year that will go down in history. One year later, things haven’t changed much for Pakistan as they continue to heavily rely on their top-order batsmen. 

The middle order is yet to step up and turn things around when the openers have failed. More often than not, the failure of openers has meant a loss for the Pakistan team.

Though there are some world-class bowlers in this squad, without consistency in the batting order, Pakistan may not stand a good chance of winning this year.

Pakistan did a smart thing in the warm-up matches. Both Rizwan and Babar did not bat for the team. And in their absence, it was a good test of the rest of the team. 

The picture isn’t very promising for Pakistan in case Babar and Rizwan are out cheaply. Shan Masood is a promising batter at the top but even his strike rate isn't great for a top-order T20 batter.

Asif Ali and Mohammad Nawaz are known for their big-hitting performances in PSL and other T20 leagues. They will be expected to deliver for Pakistan in the lower order.

The key impact players, however, will be Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf. The new ball bowlers, with their swing, can cause great damage to the Indian lineup. 

Pakistan Predicted Playing XI:

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi

Pakistan Actual Playing XI:

Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Babar Azam, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shan Masood, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at the MCG is one of the best surfaces that offers a great balance between bat and ball. The new ball bowlers can enjoy movement and bounce early on in the innings while later the batters can play their strokes freely. The weather is expected to be cloudy on the match day with a high of 21 degrees Celsius.
 

Venue Details

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground will be the venue for the most awaited match of the T20 World Cup 2022. The average 1st innings score at this venue is 160 runs from 60 BBL matches.

Toss: To Bowl

Teams batting second are ahead in the stats only slightly. Of the total 60 domestic T20s, 32 went in favour of teams batting second at the ‘G’. In T20 internationals too, teams batting second have won 9 of the 14 matches. Pakistan’s strength lies in their new-ball bowlers finding consistent success. This would prompt them to chase down a total though toss will not play a big role here.